Yesterday, just in time for Veterans Day, Super 8 rolled out an initiative that honors the men and women who have served in the armed forces by introducing reserved parking spaces for veterans at all Super 8 hotels across the U.S. and Canada.
“The genesis of the idea was really fantastic,” says Mike Muller, Super 8 brand senior vice president. “One of our hotels out in Adrian, Mich., had installed a veteran parking sign in their parking lot because the general manager and the veterans they had on staff wanted to reach out to veterans traveling in their community. It was just a very simple idea and an inexpensive way to show our servicemen and servicewomen a little bit of that Super 8 spirit.”
Super 8 corporate saw what their Adrian hotel had implemented in a Facebook post and became inspired by their efforts. After getting in touch with the hotel’s general manager and learning of the incredibly positive response from both visiting veterans and the general public, they decided to launch a brand-wide veteran initiative.
The reserved parking for veterans will be implemented throughout the brand’s 1,800 hotels. The spaces will be located near each hotel’s entrance and marked with a sign. In addition to the reserved parking spaces, a special 20 percent discount is available to all active and retired military members during the month of November. The discount is a 5 percent increase to the standard military discount that is available the rest of the year.
Extending special perks to service members has long been a part of Super 8’s brand initiatives. There is a special discount for the spouses of active and retired service members. The brand also hosts Super 8 Salutes, a series of private country music concerts featuring popular artists in intimate settings at military bases. They have partnered with Army Entertainment to create Super 8 Armed Forces Trivia Challenge, a live game show for members of the military stationed on active military bases. Wyndham Hotel Group also continually donates points to a reserve bank that allows family members of service men and women to visit their loved ones without having to worry about hotel costs through its Hotels for Heroes program.
“It’s been a great way to show the authentic nature of Super 8, and to provide this subset of the very deserving traveling population with the best accommodations and the best treatment when they come to our hotels,” adds Muller.
