Continuing to deliver on its brand philosophy of listening and responding to guest needs, Wyndham International, Inc., the largest casino operator on the island of Puerto Rico, is investing US$16.5 million into a series of gaming upgrades to its world-renowned Puerto Rican casino properties, designed to enhance the entire guest experience. The resorts are: Wyndham El Conquistador Resort & Golden Door(R) Spa; Wyndham Condado Plaza Hotel & Casino, which offers the largest number of slot machines on the island; and the Wyndham El San Juan Hotel & Casino, the largest casino on the island.

Mark Hedley, Executive Vice President and Chief Information Officer said: "Gaming is an essential part of the guest experience at our Puerto Rican properties, which makes it crucial for Wyndham to be at the forefront of industry standards. By introducing new technology, casino features and executive leadership, Wyndham is able to satisfy the needs and desires of our customers while maintaining a healthy and productive business."

By leveraging casino management technology, Wyndham is now able to properly identify, track and establish stronger relationships with the players that occupy its casino floors on a daily basis. One of the biggest benefits of this technology is the implementation of Wyndham's new casino players club, Players ByRequest, which is the only frequent players club valid at multiple locations in Puerto Rico. Members will enjoy personalized rewards across Wyndham's San Juan-area properties, such as complimentary room nights, meals or rounds of golf. Those who register as Players ByRequest members will also automatically receive the personalized benefits of Wyndham ByRequest(R), the company's guest recognition program that allows members to choose from more than 300 options, including welcome snack and beverage and pillow type, to personalize their guest room.

In addition, operational processes such as surveillance, accounting and marketing are also optimized and made more efficient by automating these time-consuming tasks. Wyndham's Puerto Rican casinos are also being remodeled with tangible player benefits such as new carpeting, seating and slot machines. Guests can also receive faster payouts by redeeming tickets for cash from cashless gaming machines, rather than returning buckets of coins to the casino cashier. To manage these new processes, Wyndham has brought in four veterans of the gaming industry to join Wyndham's casino management team:

Susy Bell, vice president of casino operations is responsible for all aspects of the company's casino gaming operations. She has more than 20 years of experience, having served in a variety of senior positions for Harrah's Entertainment at domestic and international casinos.

Peter Getzler, director of marketing and player development is responsible for all aspects of casino marketing, special promotion incentive programs and driving Players ByRequest membership. Prior to joining Wyndham, he spent 25 years in the gaming industry at Harrah's Entertainment and the Sands Casino in Atlantic City.

Rick Yuhas, director of table game operations, after serving in numerous positions with Harrah's Entertainment, Station Casinos, and the Nevada Gaming Control Board, Yuhas is responsible for, among other tasks, ensuring guests have a positive gaming experience and creating learning opportunities for customers via on-property tutorial sessions.

Luis Del Valle, director of slot operations has been a fixture of Puerto Rico's gaming scene for the past 15 years, Del Valle is responsible for all activities associated with Wyndham's slots business. Prior to joining Wyndham, Del Valle worked for the Puerto Rico Tourism Company certifying and regulating all electronic gaming devices in the island's casinos.

Based in Dallas, Wyndham International, Inc. offers upscale and luxury hotel and resort accommodations. Wyndham owns, leases, manages and franchises hotels and resorts in the U.S., Canada, Mexico, the Caribbean, Bermuda and Europe, and guarantees that the best rates for its properties will be found on its Web site. Wyndham is a founding member of the Global Hotel Alliance (www.globalhotelalliance.com), a worldwide union of hospitality companies that provides guests with unique, personalized guest services. (E-04.19.05)

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