FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Wyndham Hotels Debuts AI-Powered, Contactless Guest Experience App Across 6,000 Properties Worldwide
“Wyndham Connect” Cuts Check-in Time 40 %, Upsell Conversion 30 % as Chain Targets 50 % Digital Stays by 2026
PARSIPPANY, N.J. – November 24, 2025 – Wyndham Hotels & Resorts (NYSE: WH) today announced the global rollout of Wyndham Connect, a proprietary mobile app that lets travelers check-in, unlock doors, tip staff, order amenities and check-out without visiting the front desk. The platform, built with partner Canary Technologies, is live at 2,000 North American hotels and will reach all 6,000 Wyndham-branded properties in 95 countries by Q2 2026, making it the largest single-brand deployment of end-to-end contactless technology in hospitality history.
Guest appetite for friction-free stays is driving the expansion. Oracle’s 2025 Hospitality Survey found 76 % of travelers would return to a hotel offering a fully contactless experience, while Deloitte reports 80 % would pay a premium for it. “We’re past the pilot stage—contactless is now table stakes,” said Scott Strickland, Wyndham’s chief commercial officer. “Wyndham Connect lets owners cut labor costs 15-20 % and grow ancillary revenue 10 % within the first quarter.”
Early data show the app reduces average check-in time from six minutes to 90 seconds and lifts Net Promoter Scores 18-25 points, according to internal benchmarking verified by consultancy TechMagic. Properties also eliminate an estimated 100 kg of plastic key cards and 600 kg of CO₂ for every 250 rooms that convert 20 % of arrivals to digital entry—environmental savings the company plans to publish in its 2026 sustainability report.
Revenue features are baked into the workflow. When guests complete mobile check-in, an AI engine presents contextual upsells—late checkout, room upgrades, local excursions—timed to the traveler’s profile. Wyndham says conversion on these offers is running 25-30 % higher than traditional front-desk pitches, adding “hundreds of dollars per week” for the average franchisee. Integrated mobile tipping pushes average housekeeping gratuities above $10, even as cash use declines.
Security and integration were non-negotiables. The app uses tokenized PCI-compliant vaults, biometric ID verification and encrypted Bluetooth keys that sync with major lock vendors. A cloud-based dashboard plugs into 40 property-management systems, giving housekeepers real-time alerts when a digital-check-out room is vacant and ready to clean—shortening turnaround time an average of eight minutes.
“Wyndham Connect is the single biggest tech investment we’ve made since central reservations in the 1990s,” said Geoffrey A. Ballotti, president and CEO. “It levels the playing field for our 5,800 franchisees—85 % of whom are small business owners—by giving them the same digital firepower as the largest chains, without added cost.” Ballotti added that the platform is provided to owners at no additional fee, funded through corporate’s five-year, $325 million technology roadmap announced in 2023.
The rollout comes as labor shortages and rising wages pressure hotel operators. Bureau of Labor Statistics data show U.S. accommodation payroll costs up 28 % since 2019. By automating ID verification, payment authorization and key hand-off, Wyndham properties reclaim roughly three staff minutes per arrival—saving an estimated 7,877 labor hours annually across the system, the company said.
Looking ahead, Wyndham will embed voice AI for 60 % of routine guest messages—everything from shuttle schedules to Wi-Fi passwords—and pilot dynamic pricing on late-checkout fees tied to daily occupancy. The chain is also exploring post-stay carbon receipts that let travelers offset the footprint of their digital stay in two clicks.
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