Brought to you by Wyndham Hotels & Resorts Asia-Pacific
Wyndham Hotels & Resorts Asia-Pacific, the leading hotel franchising company with over 1,600 hotels in about 20 markets and territories in Asia-Pacific, recently signed a multi-property license development agreement with prominent Indonesian hotel developer, Sun Motor Group.
On the milestone agreement, Joon Aun Ooi, president, Asia-Pacific, Wyndham Hotels and Resorts, pointed out: “Indonesia is our key strategic market. As such, we are excited to partner with Sun Motor Group to tap into their wealth of knowledge and understanding of the Indonesian hospitality industry. In addition, our robust momentum in business development and pipeline of new signings will continue to accelerate Wyndham Hotels and Resorts’ regional presence as we connect our guests to new awe-inspiring destinations in countries such as Indonesia amid the extended travel recovery.”
Hartono Hosea, founder and owner of Sun Motor Group, said: “By working with Wyndham Hotels and Resorts, we can leverage on their best in class branding and distribution systems backed by strong hands-on operational support to drive performance and generate revenue at our hotels. We eagerly look forward to a successful and longstanding relationship with WH&R over the next few years and beyond.”
The signing was launched with the first two of multiple license agreements planned to be inked over the next five years – kickstarting with Super 8 Singosaren Solo, which introduces the Super 8 brand to the Indonesian market, and Ramada Sleman Yogyakarta by Wyndham, which expands one of the world’s most recognisable lodging brands’ presence in Indonesia.
“Historically, the Indonesian market has been dominated by the major groups signing hotel management agreements with owners. Through Wyndham Hotels and Resorts’ flexible branding business model, owners have more control over the direction they want the hotel operation to take, yet still have the comfort in knowing their hotel is tapped into a powerful distribution engine, with the ability to access our world renowned brands, industry leading loyalty programme, vast corporate accounts, preferred supplier relationships, significant marketing campaigns, and best in class training modules,” said Matt Holmes, vice president of development, South East Asia & Pacific Rim, Wyndham Hotels & Resorts.
“The Wyndham flexible branding offering is a more cost-efficient business model. It’s a win-win for hotel owners and developers, and something that I believe we are only just scratching the surface of in Indonesia. We anticipate that there will be many more savvy owners such as Sun Motor Group looking to explore licensing and distribution options with their hotels or hotel developments that they may not have thought was available previously,” Holmes added.
The 50-key Super 8 Singosaren Solo is the second hotel by Sun Motor and Wyndham Hotels and Resorts being launched in Solo.
The limited services hotel located comfortably right at the city centre of Solo is within walking distances to retail outlets Singosaren Plaza Solo and Pasar Klewer, as well as landmarks such as the Grand Mosque of Kraton Surakarta, Mangkunegaran Palace, Sriwedari Park and more. It is also just a convenient 10-minute drive from Solo Balapan main train station and 30-minute drive from the airport.
Set against the rising tourists’ arrivals into Indonesia and located between Yogyakarta city centre and Borobudur Temple, the second property, Ramada Sleman Yogyakarta, will appeal to travellers who yearn for a leisurely pace of life while immersing in a picturesque landscape.
The hotel is slated to open by 2024 as the first hotel development project committed by Wyndham in Yogyakarta.
With data at the heart of this ecosystem, the increasing willingness of providers to share intelligence across the wider travel industry will help further accelerate these trends and pave the way to the more connected, seamless travel experience that passengers want.
In the meantime, TTG Asia Media wishes all readers Happy Holidays and a Happy New Year!
Steve Odell, managing director for Oceania Cruises and Regent Seven Seas Cruises, will retire from his position after a seven-year tenure with Norwegian Cruise Line Holdings (NCLH).
A cruise industry veteran with over 35 years of experience, Odell joined NCHL in October 2015 to spearhead the launch of the company’s Asia-Pacific business across its three brands.
In his most recent role since 2019, he was responsible for the strategic expansion, vision and continued growth of the company’s presence in the Asia-Pacific market for Regent Seven Seas Cruises and Oceania Cruises.
“It has been an honour to lead the unmatched teams at Regent Seven Seas Cruises and Oceania Cruises during this exciting period of growth in the Asia-Pacific region,” said Odell in a statement.
Caroline Smith will assume Odell’s responsibilities in her new role as managing director, international in which she will oversee sales and marketing for Asia-Pacific, Europe, the Middle East, Africa, Latin America and Brazil.
Lisa Pile, current vice president of sales, Australia and New Zealand for Regent Seven Seas Cruises, will expand her responsibilities to include the entire Asia-Pacific region as vice president sales and general manager Asia-Pacific for Regent Seven Seas Cruises, reporting to Smith.
Jason Worth, current vice president of sales, Australia and New Zealand for Oceania Cruises, will expand his responsibilities to the entire Asia-Pacific region as vice president sales and general manager Asia-Pacific for Oceania Cruises, reporting to Nikki Upshaw, senior vice president, sales for Oceania Cruises.
Said Odell: “I am proud of the significant achievements we have accomplished together, and I am confident that this is the right team to lead the company into the future and continue delivering best-in-class experiences for our loyal guests and valued travel partners.”
Ben Angell, vice president and managing director Asia-Pacific for Norwegian Cruise Line, will continue to represent the brand in the Asia-Pacific region, reporting to Jason Krimmel, vice president, international sales and marketing for Norwegian Cruise Line.
“We are grateful to Steve for his strategic vision and significant contributions to the company which have positioned us as leaders in the fast-growing Asia-Pacific region,” said Frank J Del Rio, president and chief executive office of NCLH.
Del Rio said the leadership transitions “reflect our robust succession planning and the strength and talent of our broader team”.