Dive Brief:
- In the second quarter of 2026, Wyndham Hotels & Resorts saw U.S. RevPAR increase 2% year over year, bolstered by improved occupancy and ADR levels, according to an earnings report published Wednesday. The company posted a 1% year-over-year decrease in global RevPAR, reflecting a 6% decline internationally, per the report.
- Also in Q2, Wyndham grew its global system size by 4% year over year, with a record number of second-quarter openings, CEO Geoff Ballotti said in the report. The company also saw its global development pipeline increase 4% year over year in the quarter.
- Following the Q2 results that “exceeded expectations,” Ballotti said he is confident in Wyndham’s ability to deliver sustainable long-term growth as “domestic RevPAR trends, net rooms growth, global pipeline development and ancillary revenue streams continue to strengthen.” Looking ahead, Wyndham is also making moves on the technology and loyalty fronts.
Dive Insight:
Wyndham saw domestic RevPAR gains during the second quarter as RevPAR fundamentals “picked up” throughout April, with momentum accelerating from May into June, Ballotti said on a Thursday earnings call.
In addition to RevPAR growth across Texas, Florida and California, Wyndham saw strength in “the industrial Midwest” in Q2, with RevPAR outperforming in states such as Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Wisconsin and Ohio. This momentum “reflects the continued benefit of infrastructure-related demand,” Ballotti said.
“So many of our hotels, located in project adjacent markets, are serving some of America’s largest transportation, AI, data center and industrial projects now ramping across the country,” Ballotti said.
Wyndham also saw weekend RevPAR improve sequentially in the quarter, “supported by stronger results in drive-to markets,” according to Ballotti.
On the heels of the Q2 results, Wyndham raised its full-year 2026 guidance on global RevPAR growth, now expecting to see between 0% and 1% year-over-year growth, according to the report. Across the country, strong leisure and everyday business travel trends continued into July, Ballotti said on the call.
Also during the quarter, Wyndham opened nearly 18,000 rooms, a 7% year-over-year increase, per Ballotti. Portfolio growth was driven by “strong conversion additions in higher chain scales,” including the opening of The Monarch hotel in New Orleans, an HQ Hotels property under Wyndham’s Registry Collection, Ballotti shared.
On the loyalty front, the company plans to restructure its Wyndham Rewards loyalty program in September, adjusting its points redemption framework, Ballotti explained on the call.
“Free nights will now start as low as 5,000 points versus 7,500 points previously, while a select number of our most aspirational hotels will move from 30,000 points to a new tier of 45,000 points,” he said. During Q2, Wyndham competitor Hyatt restructured its World of Hyatt loyalty program award chart.
Wyndham also launched a native ChatGPT app designed for conversational search in the second quarter, as consumers increasingly turn to artificial intelligence for travel search.
“Roughly 60% of travel searches by our guests are occurring within an LLM for inspiration, research or itinerary building,” Ballotti said. “Our focus remains to serve those guests end-to-end for the best booking experience and drive increased direct bookings.”
During the call, Ballotti also acknowledged his Q2 cancer diagnosis, saying he is optimistic about his treatment plan going forward.
