Wyndham Destinations is Shaking Up Timeshare With New Branding and Urban Resort Openings

ORLANDO, Fla., May 31, 2019 /PRNewswire/ -- Wyndham Destinations (NYSE: WYND), the world's largest vacation ownership and exchange company, launched modern new brand identities for its flagship timeshare clubs – Club Wyndham^® and WorldMark^® by Wyndham.

Wyndham Destinations is leading the evolution of the industry by creating more destinations and more experiences for travelers in the places they want to travel. The company just announced the grand opening of its newest resort in downtown Portland, Oregon – No. 2 on Thrillist's "Best U.S. Cities to Spend a Weekend" list. Wyndham Destinations has new resorts in the hottest urban markets in the U.S., including New Orleans, New York, and San Francisco – and will open in the heart of Nashville later this year. For more adventure outside the U.S., owners can visit Melbourne and Sydney, Australia, and Vancouver, Canada.

Since becoming an independent company last year, Wyndham Destinations has unleashed innovation across the organization to re-imagine how travelers vacation. With a new owner base made up of 60% millennials and Gen Xers, the company is growing with its customers. Already a leader, with the largest timeshare owner base and more resorts than the next two largest vacation ownership companies combined, Wyndham Destinations is now forging a path for the evolution of the industry.

The company is opening new resorts in unexpected destinations – such as Austin, Texas, in 2018, and Moab, Utah, coming in 2020 – and it is not stopping there. Now, it is making timeshare cool with the relaunch of two of its flagship vacation ownership brands.

This year, Wyndham Destinations launched new initiatives across the company – new resort developments and renovations, brand and marketing projects, customer relationship management (CRM) and digital experience enhancements – and it is in the first year of a five year plan to spend more than $1 billion to continue these customer experience-driven projects.

"In order to reshape our industry-leading brands and set the direction for the future of timesharing, we are leveraging the company's size and scale to drive continued growth while using our capital efficient development approach to add new inventory and sales centers in locations travelers want to visit," said Michael D. Brown, president and chief executive officer of Wyndham Destinations.

"One of the benefits of being a company focused on one industry is that we can invest significantly in resorts, technology, brands, and a digital experience which will enhance our customer experience and propel our growth for years to come," Brown said. This investment is consistent with the financial and free cash flow goals the company has previously announced. The company's business model enables Wyndham Destinations to invest in profitable growth areas while delivering consistent cash generation, allowing the company to return nearly $500 million to shareholders in the form of dividends and share repurchases since the company was established in June 2018.

The new brands not only bring a fresh look and feel to these leading clubs, they also bring to life the company's goal of putting the world on vacation. With more destinations to explore, plus the revamp of sales centers, improved owner experiences and a digital refresh, enjoying amazing vacation experiences every year at more than 220 resorts around the world will be easier than ever for existing owners and prospective new owners.

Timeshare resorts provide the "home away from home" families crave as they make memories of a lifetime. Club Wyndham and WorldMark by Wyndham vacation resorts provide the reliability and security of a trusted hospitality brand, with the space and modern amenities where travelers can unwind and relax.

The new identities for Wyndham Destinations' two largest timeshare products bring each brand to life in a way that not only highlights its distinctiveness, but also stands out compared to other vacation clubs. 

Club Wyndham – Live Your Bucket List^®
Club Wyndham celebrates living your bucket list today – the must-see destinations and the must-do experiences.

Being a part of Club Wyndham is not just about owning a timeshare – it is the path that connects owners' passion for travel with exciting possibilities at every single turn. The brand-new Club Wyndham look and feel reinvigorates the company's commitment to help owners not only live their bucket list, but grow it.

Whether it's being immersed in the thick of New York's hustle and bustle, walking across freshly fallen snow before skiing the slopes of Colorado, or hanging poolside in the Caribbean where rum punch reigns supreme — owners' vacations and interactions with the brand will inspire endless travel adventures available through Club Wyndham.

WorldMark by Wyndham – More time to share. ^®
WorldMark by Wyndham highlights the connections that happen during vacations -- the travel moments that turn into a lifetime of memories.

For WorldMark owners, vacations serve as the comforting backdrop for ongoing traditions and the catalyst to create new ones. The brand-new WorldMark look and feel celebrates all kinds of vacation memories – from the unexpected heartwarming moments during the journey to stand-out marquee experiences at the destination.

From marshmallow-y kisses in Oregon every time the kids make s'mores, to bringing enough bottles of Merlot for the annual girls trip in Arizona, to capturing the perfect picture of the sunset and surf along Hawaii's beaches — vacations and interactions with WorldMark will celebrate more time to share.

"Timeshare is truly a hidden gem within the hospitality industry. It is a great way to travel; we know this because our customers tell us – we have a nearly 90% satisfaction rate among our current owners," said Noah Brodsky, travel industry veteran and Chief Brand Officer for Wyndham Destinations. "We also know the timeshare business has long been a pop culture punchline, but big branded timeshare companies have changed, and it is time to take a fresh look at this great vacation option. These new brands are our way to take back the word 'timeshare.' Not just with amazing visuals and content that evoke the spirit of unique vacations, but also with a real evolution of how we put people on vacation every day."

The re-branding effort was managed in partnership with global branding firm Siegel+Gale.

"The core of defining a simple, powerful idea for these two brands was truly understanding the unique needs and desires of the two different owner populations, as well as how they each fit into Wyndham Destinations' portfolio and growth strategies," said Daniel K. Golden, group strategy director at global branding firm, Siegel+Gale. "With Club Wyndham and WorldMark by Wyndham, our goal was to define and develop new brand experiences that owners could connect to, and, very importantly, a clear and focused way for Wyndham to sell them to different targets. Through an immersive program that included property tours, sales center visits, leadership interviews and owner focus groups, we developed a go-to-market strategy and new visual identity to help them deploy their brands effectively and consistently."

Wyndham Destinations vacation clubs feature a flexible points system that allows owners to book stays at more than 220 Wyndham vacation club resorts or exchange at 4,300 affiliated resorts in 110 countries with the RCI exchange network. With ownership, travelers have the chance to explore places they haven't visited before, year after year, staying in spacious accommodations with separate bedrooms, fully equipped kitchens, and comfortable living and dining areas, without sacrificing access to resort-style amenities and service.

Video and images of the new branding for Club Wyndham and WorldMark by Wyndham are available here.

About Wyndham Destinations
Wyndham Destinations (NYSE:WYND) believes in putting the world on vacation. As the world's largest vacation ownership and exchange company, Wyndham Destinations offers everyday travelers the opportunity to own, exchange or rent their vacation experience while enjoying the quality, flexibility and value that Wyndham delivers. The company's global presence in approximately 110 countries means more vacation choices for its four million members and owner families, with more than 220 resorts which offer a contemporary take on the timeshare model – including vacation club brands Club Wyndham^®, WorldMark® by Wyndham, and Margaritaville Vacation Club^® by Wyndham – 4,300+ affiliated resorts through RCI, the world's leader in vacation exchange, and 9,000 rental properties from coast to coast through Wyndham Vacation Rentals, North America's largest professionally managed vacation rental business. Year after year, a worldwide team of 25,000 associates delivers exceptional vacation experiences to families around the globe as they make memories to last a lifetime. At Wyndham Destinations, our world is your destination. Learn more at WyndhamDestinations.com. Connect with us on Twitter: @WynDestinations; Facebook: @WyndhamDestinations; Instagram: @WyndhamDestinations; YouTube: @WyndhamDestinations; and LinkedIn: @WyndhamDestinations.

Forward-Looking Statements
This press release includes "forward-looking statements" as that term is defined by the Securities and Exchange Commission ("SEC"). Forward-looking statements are any statements other than statements of historical fact, including statements regarding our expectations, beliefs, hopes, intentions or strategies regarding the future. In some cases, forward-looking statements can be identified by the use of words such as "may," "will," "expects," "should," "believes," "plans," "anticipates," "estimates," "predicts," "potential," "continue," "future" or other words of similar meaning. Forward-looking statements are subject to risks and uncertainties that could cause actual results of Wyndham Destinations, Inc. ("Wyndham Destinations") to differ materially from those discussed in, or implied by, the forward-looking statements. The forward-looking statements contained in this press release include statements related to Wyndham Destinations' current views and expectations with respect to its future capital expenditures, performance and operations. You are cautioned not to place undue reliance on these forward-looking statements, which speak only as of the date of this press release. Factors that might cause such a difference include, but are not limited to, general economic conditions, the performance of the financial and credit markets, the competition in and the economic environment for the timeshare industry, the impact of war, terrorist activity or political strife, operating risks associated with the vacation ownership and vacation exchange and rentals businesses, uncertainties related to our ability to realize the anticipated benefits of the spin-off of the hotel business ("Spin-off") Wyndham Hotels & Resorts, Inc. ("Wyndham Hotels") or the divestiture of our European vacation rentals business, unanticipated developments related to the impact of the Spin-off, the divestiture of our European vacation rentals business and related transactions on our relationships with our customers, suppliers, employees and others with whom we have relationships, unanticipated developments resulting from possible disruption to our operations resulting from the Spin-off and the divestiture of our European vacation rentals business, the proposed strategic transaction involving our North American vacation rentals business may not prove successful and could result in operating difficulties, the timing and amount of future dividends and share repurchases and those disclosed as risks under "Risk Factors" in documents we have filed with the SEC, including in Part I, Item 1A of our Annual Report on Form 10-K for the fiscal year ended December 31, 2018, filed with the SEC on February 26, 2019. We caution readers that any such statements are based on currently available operational, financial and competitive information, and they should not place undue reliance on these forward-looking statements, which reflect management's opinion only as of the date on which they were made. Except as required by law, we undertake no obligation to review or update these forward-looking statements to reflect events or circumstances as they occur.

SOURCE Wyndham Destinations

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