Skift Take
A timeshare company like Wyndham Destinations and a media brand like Travel + Leisure joined at the hip? It may not be as crazy as it sounds, especially if you're wanting a younger client base to join the vacation club sector.
This pandemic world has really changed everything: The new year brings the unlikeliest of travel marriages between a timeshare company and one of the industry’s leading media brands.
Wyndham Destinations, the vacation rental and timeshare company spun off parent Wyndham Hotels in 2018, is acquiring Travel + Leisure for $100 million in cash, the company announced Wednesday morning. The timeshare and travel club company will change its name to Travel + Leisure Co. sometime in the first quarter of this year. Meredith Corp. — the media brand’s parent company — will continue to operate the media side of the company under a 30-year licensing agreement.
The acquisition is the latest in Wyndham Destinations’ ongoing push to expand the reach of its timeshare and vacation clubs into new markets and appeal to younger travelers.
“Over the past 18 months, we have laid the foundation to expand our footprint beyond our core vacation ownership business and, today, we add one of the most trusted and influential brands in travel through the acquisition of Travel + Leisure,” Wyndham Destinations CEO Michael Brown said in a statement.
The $100 million price tag shows a significant financial gain for the Tra
