Dive Brief:

• Wyndham Hotels & Resorts has partnered with Grubhub to offer guests across its entire U.S. portfolio — nearly 6,000 hotels spanning 20 brands — food and convenience item delivery through online ordering, the hotel company announced Thursday. 
• Wyndham guests can order through a branded digital experience on the Grubhub app while on-site at participating hotels. Guests will also be able to activate a complimentary six-month Grubhub+ membership, unlocking added benefits like free delivery. 
• The partnership aims to provide guests with added convenience and comfort, according to Charmaine Taylor, senior vice president of strategic and financial partnerships at Wyndham. Wyndham joins a list of other hotel companies to work with Grubhub.

Dive Insight:

Through the partnership, guests at participating Wyndham hotels will be able to order for delivery food and convenience items — think toothpaste or a phone charger — by opening the Grubhub app or scanning one of the Grubhub QR codes featured on hotel marketing materials. 

In addition to online ordering, guests will be able to access exclusive perks like $0 delivery on eligible orders, lower service fees and a 5% credit back on pickup orders, according to Wyndham. 

“Together, we’re elevating the on-property experience, delivering seamless convenience for not only the hundreds of thousands of guests that walk through their doors every year, but also the tens of thousands of hotel team members who make those hotel stays possible,” Grubhub VP Rob DelaCruz said in a statement, noting that Wyndham has one of the largest footprints of any major hotel company in the U.S.

The partnership will expand Grubhub’s services to some 6,000 hotels — more than the company’s previous collaborations with Choice Hotels International and Hilton, which brought online ordering to more than 500 hotels and 2,600 hotels, respectively.

Grubhub also previously partnered with Extended Stay America, My Place Hotels of America and Sonesta after Americans became more accustomed with food delivery during the pandemic. 

Wyndham’s Grubhub collab comes after the hotel company partnered with Applebee’s in May to enable Wyndham Rewards members to earn loyalty points and receive free delivery through mobile orders with the restaurant chain. 

Brand partnerships drove a surge in hotel loyalty membership at Wyndham and key competitors in 2024, CBRE reported in April.

One of my favorite parts of staying in a nice hotel is ordering room service. Answering the door in a plush robe and slippers to have a cart roll in with cloches, condiments in tiny glass bottles, and drinks in stemmed glasses makes me feel like a VIP.

But I’ve often missed out on what could have been exceptional dining experiences had I put on clothes and walked down to the hotel’s restaurants. At five-star hotels, I’ve found that the restaurants typically have a luxe ambiance, award-winning cuisine, and different menus from the in-room dining options.

In spring 2024, when I stayed at the Phoenician, a five-star mega-resort in Scottsdale, Arizona, I didn’t try any of the award-winning dining venues — Mowry & Cotton, J&G Steakhouse, and Thirsty Camel.

At the Grand America Hotel, I opted for room service breakfast, so I didn’t get to experience the European vibe at the bistro, Laurel Brasserie & Bar.

I did the same thing when I woke up at the Versace Mansion in 2021, and I missed out on a meal on the patio next to a 24-karat gold pool. At the Fairmont Le Chateau Frontenac in Quebec City in 2022, I didn’t even see the rooftop restaurant, Eléa.

Most recently, when I booked one night at the Fairmont Pacific Rim in May, I ordered dinner instead of getting a table at the Michelin-recommended restaurant Botanist, which was filled with live plants.

Next time I stay at a five-star hotel, I’ll eat in the hotel’s restaurant.