WITH most of its Asian properties now in China, Wyndham Hotel Group is on the prowl for more opportunities elsewhere in the region.
Executive vice president and managing director Asia-Pacific, Duane Elledge, said: “In countries like Vietnam, Myanmar or Indonesia, we think the middle-class population will go through an explosion and our brands will fit well.”
This will involve expanding the upscale and family-friendly Howard Johnson, four-/four-and-a-half-star Ramada, economy Days Inn and roadside hotel Super 8, as well as introducing new brands such as the extended stay Hawthorn Suites by Wyndham, boutique TRYP by Wyndham and Wyndham Garden, which is a notch down from the full-service, five-star Wyndham.
In Asia-Pacific, Wyndham has enlarged its footprint aggressively in recent years, growing from 57 hotels in 2005 to 737 currently, of which 85 per cent are in China, followed by India and the Philippines. It hopes to break into Vietnam, Cambodia and Myanmar where it currently does not have a presence.
“I spend a lot of time looking for multiple-unit deals versus one owner, one developer. We’re kissing a lot of frogs to find the right prince,” said Elledge, who will be driving the company’s non-China business from December. A new managing director has been hired for China.
Revealing that there will be close to 200 hotels opening in Asia-Pacific yearly, he said the group intends to leverage its eight million Wyndham Rewards loyalty customers and one million timeshare members globally to fill these rooms.
Read more in TTG Official Show Daily – ITB Asia
