Quite naturally, the Days Inn by Wyndham brand has gone through lots of changes throughout the course of its more than 50 years, but parent company Wyndham believes its latest updates represent the “dawning” of a new era for the venerable brand.
The economy brand—which includes over 1,500 properties globally—recently unveiled that it has revised the rollout of its Dawn rooms package to its U.S. franchisees. The initial rollout was released in 2019 just prior to COVID, according to the company.
John Henderson, president, Days Inn, explained the catalyst for the relaunch.
“In 2019, we realized as the brand was nearing its 50th year in the economy segment that we really wanted to update our guestroom experience and provide our owners a competitive edge, as well as keeping up with our younger audiences,” said Henderson.
He went on to emphasize that the brand worked “hand in hand” with Days Inn owners and its franchise advisory committee on the refresh. Henderson further detailed the impetus for the revised rollout.
“Coming out of COVID, we really ramped up the program. We’ve modified our approach a bit with the use of Wyndham’s balance sheet to help support the renovations of the properties. A lot of our properties took on wear and tear during the COVID period because we really didn’t drop in revenue or business during that period. We felt the timing was perfect to get Wyndham’s support and to relaunch Dawn,” he said.
Starting at $2,400 per key, the Dawn package includes rooms that are bright and airy with sun-centric art as the focal point, according to the company. Furniture and fixtures are light and modern, emphasize in-room connectivity, and feature vibrant pops of yellow throughout.
According to Wyndham, hotels that have implemented the Dawn package have on average experienced a roughly 14 percent increase in RevPAR, as well as an approximate 7 percent increase in ADR.
A prime example is the Days Inn by Wyndham Cocoa Beach Port Canaveral, which has seen an even greater rate lift since installing the Dawn package at the end of 2023. According to General Manager Jaime Teijeiro, the property has seen a $20 ADR premium and regularly gets more than $200 a night on weekends.
“This is an expanding market between Cocoa Beach and Cape Canaveral, and our Days Inn is truly unique. This market is saturated with upper-midscale and upscale properties; you don’t have much premium economy product. I believe that’s what Days Inn aspires to be and what it can be, and we’ve got a great location. We’re situated right next to the world-famous Cocoa Beach pier, so we’re able to command a premium rate and provide real value for consumers,” said Teijeiro.
Teijeiro acknowledged the need for the Dawn package at the exterior corridor, 102-room hotel. He noted that prior to the installation of the package, “we saw our [guest satisfaction] scores begin to drop. We decided to accelerate the process of its adoption, and it was a very easy, seamless transition.”
Property owner Tom Hermansen acknowledged the hotel was “due for a renovation” and reinforced the point.
“When we first saw it, we were really intrigued by how refreshing it was from a design perspective. Wyndham always paid close attention to being economical. It was very well received; it was a simple process,” he said.
Teijeiro added it’s not necessarily a one-size-fits-all approach either.
“We’re able to put our own unique spin on it with the artwork that is there,” he said.
In addition to the Dawn package, Wyndham is touting its Manufacturer Direct program, which is designed to allow owners to purchase and install brand-approved FF&E at the lowest possible prices while acting as their own project manager.
From a marketing standpoint, the Days Inn brand has the highest brand awareness of any brand in the Wyndham portfolio and the second highest in the economy segment. Last summer’s “Seize the Days” campaign delivered more than 110 million impressions and some 200,000 site visits. According to the company, those exposed to those ads were five times more likely to make a booking.
“We leverage our footprint as part of our story. We’re everywhere our guests want and need to be. We’re off the highway, but we’re also near those big concert venues and those big stadiums. We’re close to where all the action is and so we weave that into our storytelling. Our brand marketing message is, we want you to go out there and ‘Seize the Days,’” said Anthony Pizzuto, head of marketing and operations for Days Inn.
Another catalyst for brand growth is the U.S. infrastructure package, according to Henderson, who noted the company has roughly one thousand properties within 20 miles on ongoing projects. Roughly 200 of the 1,257 U.S. properties within the brand have fully transitioned to the Dawn package. Henderson noted that brand-wide compliance is expected by 2026.
“We’re very excited and bullish on the Dawn room package. We can’t wait to see what the system performance looks like in ’24, ’25, and really ’26, when we expect to have full adoption,” he concluded.
