Wyndham Resorts Will Pay You $5,000 to Take Off Work

In a fascinating publicity campaign, the hotel chain is offering to pay one lucky winner to vacation.  

The average American leaves more than 30 percent of their vacation time unused every year.

That’s according to the nonprofit organization the United States Travel Association. For years, reports have come out of Americans working on vacation and not taking their earned time off.

In 2019, the Washington Post reported Americans left 768 million days of paid time off unused. More than half of U.S. workers never used their PTO. Now Wyndham has a plan to raise awareness with a campaign called “Operation Out of Office.”

“Every year, millions of Americans … immerse themselves in work, family and the hustle of daily life,” said Lisa Checchio, a Wyndham Hotel & Resort executive. “If it takes us paying someone to help get that message across, then that’s money well spent!”

How it works

Write up to a 100-word essay telling why you – or the person you nominate – deserve a getaway. Submit the nomination to Wyndham Hotels here. The terms and conditions are on that page, too.

The deadline to submit is April 6, 2021. The winner will receive a free 14-night stay at a Wyndham hotel(s) of their choosing along with a $250 per day travel stipend.

The winner will also receive a $5,000 check on the booking date. According to Wyndham, the travel dates are flexible and can be divided among multiple trips.

“Some jobs are hard. This isn’t one of them,” Checchio said. “If you want to get paid to sit on the beach for two weeks, go for it. Always dreamed of seeing the sights along Route 66? Have at it. Looking to check Yellowstone off your bucket list? Do it.”