For some time now, Wyndham has been on a mission to simplify the entire loyalty program process. This was made abundantly clear earlier this year when Wyndham launched Wyndham Rewards, which was a direct response to complex hotel loyalty programs that have frustrated consumers for years.
It has been no secret that some hotel brands have made it notoriously difficult to earn points and redeem rewards. Wyndham’s response was to launch a program that was revolutionary in its simplicity. Wyndham Rewards eliminated many confusing industry trends by giving guests a generous minimum points accrual and offering a flat, free night redemption rate.
This strategy has been working well for Wyndham, and it’s one the brand only plans to expand and accelerate. And after seeing the advantages of making guests feel appreciated, Wyndham will embark on the next phase of its mission to bring a new level of simplicity and value to guests.
It’s called go meet and it promises to be nothing less than the world’s most generous loyalty program for meeting planners. Unveiled yesterday at IMEX America 2015 in Las Vegas, go meet will lead to the faster redemption of free nights for meeting and group travel planners.
“We know from talking to planners that they’ve found rewards programs confusing and convoluted,” Noah Brodsky, Wyndham Hotel Group Senior VP of Worldwide Loyalty and Customer Engagement, told Loyalty360. “So we’ve launched a rewards program for meeting planners that’s not only the world’s most generous, but also incredibly simple – no minimum spend, no maximum point cap, and no blackouts.”
The brand states that go meet is the first major rewards program of its kind to offer a flat 15,000-point free night redemption rate and the only program in the industry to offer a minimum of 1,000 points with every qualified stay.
go meet strongly aligns with the brand’s approach to customer engagement. And because of the tremendous response this strategy has elicited, it is one that Wyndham will continue to advocate.
“Guests have had an incredible response to the new game-changing Wyndham Rewards program since we launched in May – redemptions are up more than 70% and we’ve enrolled more than 2 million new members,” Brodsky said. “We know go meet is another way for us to bring meaningful value and real rewards while capturing loyalty."
go meet is also noted as the first loyalty program to specifically engage both professional and casual planners. Every planner is eligible to earn rewards and benefits. This, of course, means corporate meeting planners booking large professional events. But it also means that coaches booking accommodations for a basketball team, for example, are also eligible.
"The rising demand for group and meetings travel, coupled with an industry full of complicated rewards programs, gives us a unique opportunity to deliver more value and gain planners' trust, business and loyalty," said Geoff Ballotti, president and CEO, Wyndham Hotel Group. "With go meet, we're recognizing planners around the world for their partnership, hard work and the business they bring to our hotels."