Howard Johnson & company

What Howard Johnson & company does

Howard Johnson operates as an economy-tier hotel brand under the umbrella of Wyndham Hotels & Resorts, Inc. (NYSE: WH), a publicly traded hospitality franchisor headquartered in Parsippany, New Jersey. The brand, originally founded in 1926, was brought into the Wyndham portfolio through acquisition and is one of 25 brands in the company's portfolio spanning economy to upscale segments. Howard Johnson-branded hotels are independently owned and operated by franchisees, with the brand positioned to serve budget-conscious travelers, road trippers, families, and small/mid-size business travelers seeking affordable, reliable accommodations.

The brand is integrated into Wyndham's centralized technology infrastructure, including the Wyndham Rewards loyalty program, the Wyndham mobile app with Road Trip Planner functionality, mobile check-in/checkout, centralized reservation systems, and an AI-Assisted Search feature on the corporate website. Technology differentiation relies primarily on parent-company infrastructure rather than brand-specific innovation. Franchisees pay franchise fees for brand access, marketing support, reservation systems, and operational standards compliance; revenue is generated through licensing/royalty-style fee streams and transaction-based commissions flowing through the central distribution platform. Wyndham Rewards Earner credit card products and cross-brand partnership with Caesars Rewards further monetize the customer relationship across the ecosystem.

Note: The input firmographic record classifies the entity as a "Consulting company" located in Ormond Beach and reports 11–50 employees with private IPO status, which is inconsistent with all other source material documenting Howard Johnson as a wholly-owned brand of Wyndham Hotels & Resorts, a publicly traded franchisor. This analysis is grounded in the substantive source data identifying the entity as the Howard Johnson hotel brand under Wyndham.

Name

Howard Johnson & company

Legal name

Wyndham Hotels & Resorts, Inc.

Website

https://wyndhamhotels.com

Company type

Public

Founded year

2018

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Howard Johnson is an economy-tier hotel brand wholly owned by Wyndham Hotels & Resorts (NYSE: WH), operating through a franchise model serving budget-conscious travelers, road trippers, families, and small/mid-size businesses with affordable accommodations and access to the Wyndham Rewards loyalty ecosystem.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Economy Hotel Franchising

NAICS

Hotels (except Casino Hotels) and Motels (72111)

SIC

Hotels, Rooming Houses, Camps & Other Lodging Places (7000)

akta.pro primary industry

Budget Hotel Chains & Franchises (THAGABAM)

Keywords

• Economy hotel accommodations
• Hotel franchising
• Loyalty rewards program
• Hospitality brand portfolio
• Travel lodging services

Headquarters

HQ city

Ormond Beach

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D, Personnel, Operations, Infrastructure

Revenue model

1. Franchise Fees: Howard Johnson generates revenue through franchise fees from independently owned and operated hotel properties. Franchisees pay fees for brand access, marketing support, reservation systems, and operational standards compliance.
2. Room Night Bookings: Revenue is generated through guest room bookings at Howard Johnson properties, with commissions flowing through Wyndham's distribution system for bookings made via central reservations and brand websites.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

Howard Johnson by Wyndham is an economy-tier hotel brand providing affordable accommodations for budget-conscious travelers, road-trippers, and families under the Wyndham Hotels & Resorts franchise portfolio. The brand offers access to Wyndham Rewards points earning and redemption, mobile booking via the Wyndham app, Best Rate Guarantee on direct bookings, and discounts for AAA, AARP, military, and government travelers. Hotels are independently owned and operated by franchisees who pay franchise fees for access to Wyndham's brand, distribution, and loyalty infrastructure.

Product overview

Howard Johnson operates as an economy-tier hotel brand under the Wyndham Hotels & Resorts umbrella. The brand is integrated into Wyndham's centralized infrastructure, including the Wyndham Rewards loyalty program, direct booking platforms, and corporate booking tools like Wyndham Business. Howard Johnson benefits from Wyndham's technology ecosystem including AI-assisted search capabilities, mobile applications, and analytics infrastructure, while maintaining its distinct brand identity within the economy segment alongside other Wyndham economy brands such as Days Inn, Super 8, Travelodge, and Microtel.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Howard Johnson by Wyndham: Economy hotel brand serving road-trippers and families with friendly, reliable accommodations along routes like Route 66.
• Wyndham Rewards
• Wyndham Business
• Caesars Rewards

Products and services

• Howard Johnson by Wyndham Hotel Stays Economy-tier hotel room accommodations at independently owned and operated franchise properties, offering comfortable, budget-friendly stays for road-trippers, families, and business travelers with access to Wyndham Rewards points and discounts for AAA, AARP, military, senior, and government travelers.
• Wyndham Rewards Loyalty Program Multi-brand loyalty program allowing members to earn and redeem points at Howard Johnson and 25+ other Wyndham brands worldwide, with lowest price guarantee when booking direct, recognized by U.S. News Best Travel Rewards Badges.
• Wyndham Mobile App with Road Trip Planner Mobile application enabling Howard Johnson guests to conveniently book rooms, check in and out from mobile devices, plan road trips, and access exclusive member offers.
• AI-Assisted Search AI-powered search experience that processes user text queries to help explore and identify Howard Johnson and other hotel options and related information based on criteria provided by users.
• Wyndham Business Corporate Travel Program Corporate travel program offering small and mid-size businesses up to 15% off Howard Johnson and other Wyndham brand stays, with dedicated booking tools and negotiated rates for employee business travel.

Quantifiable outcome

• Save 10-20% or more on stays with Wyndham Rewards member rates
• +1 more outcomes

Segments2 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

Yes

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration3 records

AI capability2 records

Feature3 records

Partnerships

One partnership is on record.

• Caesars EntertainmentcoreGTM or Marketing PartnerWyndham Rewards has partnered with Caesars Rewards loyalty program to offer cross-redemption at 30+ casino destinations. Members can earn and redeem points at both hotel and casino properties, creating a combined travel and entertainment rewards ecosystem.

Scale indicators3 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• G6 Hospitality (Motel 6 / Studio 6): Operates Motel 6 and Studio 6 economy/budget lodging franchises across the U.S. and Canada. Direct competitor to Howard Johnson in the roadside, budget-conscious traveler segment with similar franchised, value-positioned business model.
• Red Roof Inn: Economy hotel franchisor serving budget-conscious road travelers in the U.S. Targets the same persona as Howard Johnson (price-sensitive road-trippers, small-business travelers) with comparable franchise-fee revenue model.

Broad incumbents

• Choice Hotels International: Franchisor of multiple economy and midscale brands including Econo Lodge, Quality Inn, Comfort Inn, and Sleep Inn. Overlaps directly with Howard Johnson in the budget tier and competes broadly for the same franchisee pool and guest segments.
• IHG Hotels & Resorts: Major multi-brand franchisor with Holiday Inn Express and Holiday Inn serving economy-to-upscale segments. Competes with Howard Johnson for limited-service family and small-business travelers via a global franchise system with comparable loyalty programs.
• Best Western Hotels & Resorts: Largest independent hotel brand network with economy to midscale positioning, including SureStay and BW Signature Collection. Competes with Howard Johnson for value-driven travelers and mid-market franchisee conversions.
• Hilton Worldwide: Global hotel company with Hampton by Hilton, Tru, and Home2 Suites in the economy/limited-service space. Operates Hilton Honors, a cross-brand loyalty program analogous to Wyndham Rewards, competing for the same guest pool.
• Marriott International: World's largest hotel company with Fairfield by Marriott, City Express, and Four Points in the limited-service/economy tier. Competes for franchisee signings and business-travel share that Howard Johnson addresses via Wyndham Business.

Emerging players

• OYO Rooms: Tech-enabled aggregator/franchisor targeting budget and mid-budget hotels globally, especially in India and SE Asia. Competes with Howard Johnson for franchisees seeking tech-led conversion and adjacent global market expansion.
• Airbnb: Largest alternative-accommodation marketplace. Doesn't directly franchise hotels but competes for the same road-trip, family, and value-conscious traveler use cases that Howard Johnson targets, often at lower headline nightly rates.
• Extended Stay America: Extended-stay budget lodging operator focused on weekly-stay small-business and construction/workforce travelers. Overlaps with Howard Johnson's small-business segment and competes for the same price-sensitive guests on longer stays.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat6 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/hojotallahassee
• Facebookfacebook.com/hojo
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/wyndhamhotels
• Instagraminstagram.com/wyndhamhotels
• TikToktiktok.com/@wyndhamhotels

Compliance2 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Subsidiaries10 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Howard Johnson & company