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News for the Hospitality Executive |
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| Parsippany, N.J. (September
24, 2012) – Wyndham Vacation Rentals®, the world’s largest
professionally managed vacation rentals business, has released a white
paper based on the findings of its 2012 survey conducted by
PhoCusWright which examined U.S. consumers’ attitudes and behaviors
toward vacation rentals. In “Vacation Rentals: Do Brands Matter?,” PhoCusWright
presents a number of the study’s key findings -- the most significant
being the appeal a hotel-branded vacation rental company holds for
consumers. Illustrating the power of a well-known brand, the PhoCusWright study revealed that 86 percent of non-frequent vacation renters1 would be more likely to consider a hotel-branded vacation rental over other vacation rental options available in the marketplace. Respondents indicated that core benefits, such as consistent product features, and quality and service standards were the overarching reasons a hotel-branded vacation rental company would pique their interest when planning a vacation. “At Wyndham Vacation Rentals, we pride ourselves in offering a consistent vacation rental experience that gives guests peace-of-mind,” said Bob Milne, president, Wyndham Vacation Rentals North America. “We’re able to do this by combining a professionally managed rental model with the benefits of being backed by Wyndham Worldwide, one of the largest hospitality companies in the world. This position gives us the ability to offer a standard of service that people understand and can count on for all their stays.” The reasons respondents identified for finding a hotel-branded vacation rental more appealing included:
PhoCusWright also projected that this same population of non-frequent vacation renters represent a $12.4 billion opportunity annually based on the 20 million frequent travelers who have considered vacation rentals in the past. This number was arrived at by assuming two adults per household with an average lodging spend of $1,236 per household per vacation. “We believe strongly in our ability to lead this market based on Wyndham Vacation Rentals’ unique position as the only major hotel-backed vacation rentals company currently in existence,” added Milne. “Furthermore, our experience and success in Europe with brands such as Hoseasons, Landal GreenParks and James Villa Holidays, provides us the expertise needed to lead the growing U.S. sector.” A $25 billion industry in the U.S., the vacation rental sector has experienced heightened consumer interest as online visibility grows and new business models emerge. Travelers are increasingly viewing this form of lodging as a viable alternative to more mainstream options due to its value and affordability. As a result, second homeowners are putting their homes up for rent in response to the demand. “Even with heightened awareness, the vacation rentals marketplace still remains poorly understood,” continued Milne. “Travelers need to understand there are two flavors of vacation rentals: the rent-by-owner model, where the owner manages his or her own property and the professionally managed model, where the owner puts a professional management team in charge of his or her property. We believe the latter gives travelers the confidence they need when spending their travel dollars by providing a certain level of service and standards.” In an effort to educate consumers, Wyndham Vacation Rentals North America unveiled a list of six tenets that every traveler should expect when booking a vacation rental stay, called the Vacation Rental Bill of RightsSM. This service pledge lets travelers know they have the right to:
“We hope that with The Vacation Rental Bill of Rights travelers become better educated on the emerging vacation rental industry so they can make a more informed booking decision,” continued Milne. “Through the bill we also hope to raise awareness for the professionally managed vacation rental model which we believe gives travelers an advocate on their side when booking their next vacation.” To view the entire contents of the vacation rental white paper, which among other topics discusses reasons why travelers choose a vacation rental and how vacation rental trips stand apart from other lodging options, visit the Media Center on the Wyndham Vacation Rentals website.1Refered to as “non-vacation rental guests” in the white paper and defined as adults (25+) who took at least three leisure trips and stayed in paid lodging at least once, but did not rent a vacation home in the past 12 months. About Wyndham Vacation Rentals Wyndham Vacation Rentals, the world’s largest professionally managed vacation rentals business, is part of Wyndham Exchange & Rentals and the Wyndham Worldwide family of brands (NYSE: WYN). Backed by one of the world’s largest hospitality companies, Wyndham Vacation Rentals provides access to more than 95,000 vacation rental properties in over 500 unique destinations worldwide. Specializing in the managed vacation rental segment, Wyndham works closely with property owners to ensure all rentals meet its standards for customer service, quality and comfort. With a diverse and celebrated collection of more than 25 rental brands including Canvas Holidays, Hoseasons, James Villa Holidays, Landal GreenParks®, Novasol®, ResortQuest® by Wyndham Vacation Rentals® and The Resort Company by Wyndham Vacation Rentals, Wyndham Vacation Rentals delivers distinct vacation experiences, ranging from beachfront condos, private homes, villas, castles and houseboats, with many properties offering kitchens, washers and dryers, maid service, spa and fitness centers, and golf courses. For additional information visit our media center or wyndhamvacationrentals.com. Wyndham Vacation Rentals also can be found on Facebook. |
| Media Contact: Christina Markowitch Wyndham Vacation Rentals 973-753-6480 [email protected] |