Wyndham Hotels & Resorts has soft-opened its third property in Singapore – the Days Inn by Wyndham Singapore Novena – ahead of a planned official launch in August.
The 365-key hotel, which had undergone a detailed renovation from its previous life as Value Hotel Thomson, now boasts guestrooms outfitted with ambient lighting and an AI-powered voice assistant that controls lighting and offers hotel information, as well as a spacious outdoor fitness circuit on the rooftop where guests can also enjoy unblocked views of new and old Singapore.
Keane Sua, spokesperson for Worldwide Hotels, which owns the property and manages it on a franchise arrangement with Wyndham Hotels & Resorts, said the hotel is positioned for “aspiring travellers” – value-conscious consumers who are starting to explore neighbouring destinations and keen to see what Singapore offers.
The hotel, which is located closed to three hospitals and private clinics, is also courting medical tourists. To help such guests with recovery, the hotel offers wellness mats that use infrared heat to promote pain relief, blood flow, tissue healing, and other functions. Sua added that the outdoor fitness circuit will also come in handy for recovering guests who need physical therapy.
While the hotel enjoys a convenient location on the city fringes, supported by both public bus and subway networks, Sua said the district is also a lesser-known part of Singapore. To acquaint guests with the history and heritage of the Novena and Balestier district, the hotel is working with an experienced tour operator to curate a walking trail that will introduce disappearing local trades, favourite foods through the generations, and other stories.
Promotional rates for the opening period start from S$122 (US$95), and will scale up after.
“However, this hotel is mid-tier, so prices will stay in the 100-plus range. Of course, room rates would go up further during high peak seasons, like when the Formula 1 races are in town and the mandatory government levy on room revenue comes into play,” Sua noted.
Michael Hofstetter, regional director, franchise operations, South East Asia and Pacific Rim, Wyndham Hotels & Resorts, stated booking pace has seen a “strong pick-up” since the hotel opened for reservations on July 12.
Under the franchise agreement, the hotel will benefit from Wyndham Hotels & Resorts’ global distribution network, access to initiatives and training to achieve quality management, revenue management support, and more, shared Hofstetter.
With the opening of the Days Inn by Wyndham hotel, Wyndham Hotels & Resorts now has three brands present in Singapore – the other two being Wyndham and Trademark Collection by Wyndham.
When asked if the company intends to bring more of its 25 brands into Singapore, Joon Aun Ooi, president, Asia Pacific, told TTG Asia that the team is “very happy” with the current presence, but remains open for “new opportunities to extend the breadth and depth of our brands”.
He added that Singapore is a unique development market, where opportunities for new deals are limited. As a result, Wyndham Hotels & Resorts will focus on conversion opportunities.
Ooi also hinted that another announcement may come in the near future.
Michael Yu, head of finance, APAC, said Wyndham Hotels & Resorts remains focused on expanding its property network through quality growth.
“While our development looks for opportunities to enhance awareness of our brands, we also remain focused on enhancing the value to our existing owners. When we add more properties in Singapore, we are also increasing the overall competition,” explained Yu.
“Therefore, identifying the right property, right owners and the right brand for a single destination is very important,” he added.
Ooi shared that the company has had to turn down opportunities for brands where there is already a strong presence of existing owners.
Hofstetter added that having multiple brands within the same destination allows owners to share business opportunities. “There is greater brand visibility for Wyndham Hotels & Resorts, and owners and their properties are not competing. And if one hotel gets a business lead that is not quite suitable, they can share it with another hotel that may be a better fit,” he said.
