WYNDHAM HOTELS & RESORTS’ Women Own the Room surpassed 15 hotel openings and 50 signings in just over 24 months. The program has expanded its network to more than 550 women, leveraging Wyndham’s scale to break down barriers to hotel ownership, Wyndham said in a statement.
“For decades, the hotel industry has been complacent in allowing women to remain on the sidelines of hotel ownership and in turn, has missed out on the opportunity to strengthen itself through greater diversity,” said Galen Barrett, Wyndham’s vice president for strategic franchise initiatives. “Women Own the Room and the subsequent programs it has inspired throughout the industry are finally changing the narrative and Wyndham is proud to lead the way.”
According to data from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics and the Castell Project, although women comprise nearly 60 percent of the hospitality workforce, they hold only one leadership position for every 10 men.
Fostering female entrepreneurship
Women Own the Room provides financial solutions, operational support and a community for networking and education tailored to the needs of women in the industry, Wyndham said, adding that the strategy is proving effective.
Film and television producer Christina Lambert, a founding member of the program, entered the hotel industry in 2020 following a successful career in the arts. She was influenced by her mother’s success in owning rental properties, together with her mother, Lambert purchased two hotels in Loveland, Colorado. Securing financing proved challenging, with multiple lenders rejecting their applications until one finally approved.
Subsequently, Lambert partnered with Wyndham. Today, her hotels—a 50-room Travelodge by Wyndham and a 49-room Baymont by Wyndham—are outperforming competitors. The Travelodge has experienced a revenue increase of over 29 percent in the last two years, while the Baymont, converted from another brand in 2021, has seen a revenue surge of more than 26 percent year-over-year.
“Wyndham has played a pivotal role in my success as a first-time hotelier, which I credit not just to the accessibility and responsiveness of leadership, but their willingness to work with me on an individual basis to help my hotels thrive,” said Lambert. “Through Women Own the Room, Wyndham is actively investing in women and in doing so, they’re changing the face of the hotel industry.”
Women Own the Room has signed more than 50 hotels with more than 4,000 rooms across the U.S. and Canada since its launch in early 2022. Currently, 16 hotels are open, spanning brands like Days Inn, Baymont, Wyndham, and Trademark in regions including Texas, New Mexico, Oklahoma, Colorado, Georgia, and Virginia, with 5 to 10 more expected to open in the next year.
Last March, the U.S. celebrated Women’s History Month, honoring the achievements and contributions of women. In response, several hotel companies introduced or continued programs aimed at enhancing women’s participation in the industry.
