Wyndham Hotels & Resorts, the world's largest hotel franchising company with approximately 9,300 hotels across 90 countries, today launched "Count on UsSM," a new long-term, multi-faceted initiative to build confidence among guests and to support franchisees as it begins making preparations to welcome travelers back to its more than 6,000 U.S. hotels.

Launch of the new initiative follows dialogue and collaboration with Wyndham franchisees, members of its Franchise Advisory Councils, leading industry partners, and key trade organizations like the American Hotel & Lodging Association (AHLA).

The immediate focus is to further elevate health and safety protocols at Wyndham hotels in the wake of COVID-19, shore up critical supply chains and introduce new standards, training and guidelines grounded in guidance from the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).

Key early components of the new initiative—designed to be cost neutral when combined with other recent operational changes—are slated to begin rolling out in the coming weeks and include:

 Wyndham will require consistent use of Ecolab's EPA-approved disinfectants in all U.S. hotel guestrooms and public spaces.

Providing hotel owners and their team members with access to Ecolab's best-in-class training and resources, including a field team of more than 2,000 on-the-ground experts ready to assist hotels.

Easy Access to COVID-19 Health Essentials

In response to the growing challenges that many small businesses and individuals face as they try to secure essential health supplies that meet CDC guidelines

Leveraging volume discounts pre-negotiated by Wyndham, these items will be made available at cost to hotel owners with the Company financing all initial shipments and deferring payments from hotels until September 1, 2020

Delivering on the Promise of a "Safe Stay"

As a member of The AHLA Safe Stay Advisory Council, Wyndham has joined with other industry leaders as well as public health experts, scientists and medical leaders to develop a series of industry best practices and guidelines that focus on enhanced hotel cleaning practices, social interactions, and workplace protocols to meet the new health and safety challenges presented by COVID-19

A Visible Commitment to Guests

Count on Us is an extension of Wyndham's signature Count on Me® service culture and is the latest in a growing list of efforts by the Company to help hotels, team members and guests affected by the global impact of COVID-19.

Wyndham has taken unprecedented steps to provide substantial financial assistance to its thousands of hotel owners; united with leading companies to offer alternative employment opportunities to displaced Wyndham team members; updated its policies to provide travelers and Wyndham Rewards members with increased travel flexibility; and launched #EverydayHeroes, a new initiative honoring essential workers on the frontlines of COVID-19.

In the months to come, the Company will look for new ways to bring Count on Us to life, including exploring opportunities to expand the initiative to its hotels around the world.