Wyndham Hotels' New Giveaway Wants to Pay Someone to Take Two Weeks Vacation

Know someone who has worked their tail off over the last year with nary any OOO time to recuperate? Good news! Wyndham Hotels is on the hunt to “hire” one lucky, overworked soul to go out of office for two weeks—and they’ll pay them handsomely for the privilege.

In 2020, Americans worked longer hours yet only cashed in on about two-thirds of their paid time off, according to reports from the United States Travel Association. To add insult to injury, more Americans than ever began working from home, blurring the boundaries of work-life and personal life.

While this may have gone unnoticed by the boss, Wyndham Hotels wants all the hard workers out there to know they see you—and they are putting their money where their eyes are with a new ‘Operation Out of Office’ campaign that will literally pay one lucky winner to take a vacation.

"Every year, millions of Americans leave PTO on the table as they immerse themselves in work, family, and the hustle of daily life," said Lisa Checchio, executive vice president and chief marketing officer at Wyndham Hotels & Resorts. "Operation OOO is about recognizing those Americans and making the point that now, more than ever, we all need to carve out time to relax, recharge and get away. If it takes us paying someone to help get that message across, then that's money well spent!"

The ‘Operation Out of Office’ campaign will reward the hard work of a friend, family member, coworker—or even yourself—with 420,000 Wyndham Rewards points (enough for 14 nights at any of the participating Wyndham Rewards hotel brands), a daily $250-a-day travel stipend, and complimentary Wyndham Rewards Diamond status that comes with perks like suite upgrades, late checkout, free Wi-Fi, welcome amenities at check-in, and more. Booking is flexible, and nights can be broken up across dates and hotels or used all at once—points just need to be used by Dec. 31, 2021.

The winner will also receive a fat PTO paycheck for $5,000 to compensate them for their time. Yes, paycheck. If you’re wondering if there’s a catch—well, sort of, yes. In exchange for the free rooms, travel stipend, status, and paycheck, the Operation OOO winner will be expected to share their PTO experience over social media to inspire other travelers not to let their vacation days go to waste.

“Some jobs are hard. This isn't one of them,” added Checchio. “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. This is about experiencing the joy that can only come from travel and knowing that wherever you want to go, whatever you want to do, Wyndham will be there to welcome you."

Nominations for Operation OOO will be accepted via email to OperationOOO@citizenrelations.com until 11:59 p.m. EST on April 6, 2021. All you have to do is explain in 100 words or less why your nominee deserves to win two weeks of paid out-of-office vacation time. Nominees must be 21 years old and have valid U.S. identification in order to win. For more information, check out Wyndham’s official Operation OOO website.