Wyndham Hotels & Resorts, the world’s largest hotel franchising company with 9,100 hotels spanning more than 95 countries, announced in late March a multi-season partnership with Minor League Baseball (MiLB). The deal makes Wyndham the Official Hotel Partner of MiLB with its award-winning loyalty program, Wyndham Rewards, becoming MiLB’s Official Hotel Loyalty Partner.
Wyndham chose Minor League Baseball as the program’s newest partner based on MiLB’s growing popularity, accessibility, and strong synergies between its guests, particularly its rewards members, and MiLB’s fan base. For the past five years, Wyndham Rewards has been named the No. 1 hotel rewards program by readers of USA Today.
“Minor League Baseball has been grooming and celebrating the sport’s next-generation of stars for decades, all while entertaining fans and helping families make memories that last a lifetime,” says Dana Rosenberg, senior vice president of marketing at Wyndham Hotels & Resorts, in a prepared statement. “Our partnership brings guests and members closer to something we already know they love, and in doing so, makes it easier than ever for them to unlock new value and experiences with Wyndham and Wyndham Rewards.”
Through Wyndham’s relationship with Minor League Baseball, Wyndham Rewards members will soon be able to redeem points for access to tickets to Minor League games, one-of-a-kind experiences such as throwing a first pitch, behind-the-scenes ballpark tours, batting practice field access, and more. Benefits are slated to go live later this summer.
“Baseball fans love traveling to see the many ballparks around the country and watching their favorite teams play,” says Uzma Rawn, senior vice president, global partnerships, Major League Baseball. “When you consider our Minor League Baseball stadiums around the country, on average nearly 20 Wyndham -branded hotels are within a 25-mile radius. It’s a partnership that truly fits like a glove.”
The partnership also includes a series of additional touchpoints designed to raise visibility of the program among fans while simplifying travel to and from their favorite Minor League games. These include a heavy presence at over 8,000 scheduled Minor League games in the form of branded stadium features, sponsorship of Minor League Baseball’s Official Ballpark Guides, a robust social and digital media presence, and Wyndham Hotels & Resorts booking links on MiLB.com as well as all 120 Minor League Baseball Club sites. The deal also carries additional benefits for Wyndham franchisees. Notably, official MiLB League travel will now include stays at Wyndham hotels. What’s more, franchisees will have access to all team logos, allowing for cross marketing opportunities between hotels and their local Minor League team.
Adds Rosenberg, “This is an incredibly rich and detailed partnership, one that brings immense value not just for Wyndham Rewards, but Wyndham’s thousands of hotel franchisees who are the heart of everything we do.”
