WYNDHAM WORLDWIDE TO REBRAND ITS TIMESHARE PROPERTIES

World’s Largest Vacation Ownership Business Will Carry the Wyndham Flag
 

PARSIPPANY, N.J. 10-12-2006 — Wyndham Worldwide Corporation (NYSE:WYN), one of the world’s largest hospitality companies, today announced that it will rebrand its industry-leading timeshare properties – Fairfield Resorts®, Trendwest® North America and Trendwest South Pacific – under the Wyndham® name. 

 

“Adopting the Wyndham name within our timeshare business is a significant leap forward in our global brand strategy and sets the stage for further development of mixed-use hotel and timeshare properties throughout our system,” said Stephen P. Holmes, Wyndham Worldwide chairman, president and chief executive officer.

“Associating the Wyndham brand with our world-class vacation ownership resorts dramatically broadens the presence of our flagship brand throughout the marketplace, both in the United States and abroad,” he said. “It also signifies a major evolution for the Wyndham brand as it now extends to include upscale timeshare products consumers can own and enjoy for life.”

 

The rebranding process will begin with the Fairfield Resorts transition to Wyndham Vacation Resorts, effective immediately. Trendwest South Pacific will become Wyndham Vacation Resorts-Asia Pacific later this year, followed by Trendwest North America, which will transition its WorldMark by Trendwest brand to WorldMark by Wyndham in early 2007.

 

Collectively, these brands will continue to operate as Wyndham Vacation Ownership, one of three business units that comprise Wyndham Worldwide.

 

The Wyndham brand will begin to appear on timeshare resorts as well as Wyndham Vacation Ownership’s sales, marketing and service centers around the world in concurrent stages over a 12-month period. By the end of the year, 15 to 18 high quality resorts in key markets will prominently carry the Wyndham flag. When completed, more than 140 timeshare resorts throughout the United States, Canada, Mexico, the Caribbean and South Pacific will be associated with the Wyndham brand.

 

“We’re excited to begin introducing our products to consumers under the highly regarded Wyndham banner,” said Franz S. Hanning, Wyndham Vacation Ownership president and chief executive officer.

 

“For more than 40 years, we’ve built our success on the quality of our resorts, the flexibility of our vacation ownership programs and the talent and dedication of our more than 14,000 employees,” he said. “Matching these strengths with a world-class brand presents us with substantial growth opportunities as we begin to reach new consumers through a name they know and trust.”

 

In conjunction with the reflagging of its timeshare properties, Wyndham Vacation Ownership will launch comprehensive marketing campaigns in national broadcast and print media as well as direct-mail and e-commerce applications in support of its Wyndham-branded vacation ownership products. The company also will develop additional cross-marketing programs designed to introduce its full spectrum of Wyndham-branded products to timeshare owners and hotel guests.
 
As one of the world’s largest hospitality companies, Wyndham Worldwide offers individual consumers and business-to-business customers a broad suite of hospitality products and services across various accommodation alternatives and price ranges through its premier portfolio of world-renowned brands. Wyndham Hotel Group encompasses more than 6,400 franchised hotels and 535,000 hotel rooms worldwide. RCI Global Vacation Network offers its more than 3 million members access to approximately 55,000 vacation properties located in more than 100 countries. Wyndham Vacation Ownership develops, markets and sells vacation ownership interests and provides consumer financing to owners through its network of more than 140 vacation ownership resorts serving more than 750,000 owners throughout North America, the Caribbean and the South Pacific. Wyndham Worldwide, headquartered in Parsippany, N.J., employs approximately 28,800 employees globally. 

 

For more information about Wyndham Worldwide, please visit the company’s Web site at www.wyndhamworldwide.com.

 

This press release contains “forward-looking statements” within the meaning of Section 21E of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 conveying management’s expectations as to the future based on plans, estimates and projections at the time the Company makes the statements. Forward-looking statements involve known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors which may cause the actual results, performance or achievements of the Company to be materially different from any future results, performance or achievements expressed or implied by such forward-looking statements. The forward-looking statements contained in this press release include statements related to the Company implementing and completing its rebranding strategy.

 

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 could cause actual results to differ materially from those in the forward looking statements include events that could cause the Company’s rebranding strategy not to be completed, as well as those specified in the Company’s Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q, including under headings “Risk Factors”, “Forward-Looking Statements” and “Management’s Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations.” Except for the Company’s ongoing obligations to disclose material information under the federal securities laws, it undertakes no obligation to release publicly any revisions to any forward-looking statements, to report events or to report the occurrence of unanticipated events.