Under Ramada Encore® and Howard Johnson® Brands
MUMBAI, India (Oct. 10, 2014) – Wyndham Hotel Group, the world’s largest hotel company with over 7,540 hotels and a part of Wyndham Worldwide Corporation (NYSE: WYN), today announced the signing of 10 properties in India, thereby expanding the company’s presence in the rapidly growing mid-market hospitality segment in the country.
The announcement was made by Geoff Ballotti, president and chief executive officer, Wyndham Hotel Group, and Deepika Arora, regional vice president, Indian Ocean, Wyndham Hotel Group, at a press conference today.
There are currently 24 properties with approximately 2,587 rooms open under the Ramada®, Wyndham Hotels and Resorts® and Days Inn® brands in India and 33 properties with approximately 3,753 rooms under development. The addition of 10 new properties with 1,088 rooms will take the tally of properties operating under Wyndham Hotel Group brands to 43 with approximately 4,841 rooms, making it the fastest growing franchise business in India.
The 10 properties, which will operate under the Ramada Encore® and Howard Johnson® brands, will be located in Gurgaon, Darjeeling, Greater Noida, Jaisalmer, Pali, Lonere, Dharmapuri, Bangalore, Chennai and Trivandrum. The new properties will reiterate the company’s focus not only on strengthening its presence in existing markets but also on tapping the rapidly growing secondary markets in India. All of the hotels are expected to be open by mid-year 2017.
Ballotti said, “We have a portfolio of well-respected and globally recognized brands that span the hospitality spectrum, with a particularly strong presence in the economy and midscale segments. The addition of these new Ramada, Days Inn and Howard Johnson hotels helps us continue to cater to increasing demand for global brands here in India. Our call centres and distribution systems are receiving excellent demand from the market and we believe that the key to our success here in India lies in the strategic relationships we have forged with our partners that we are looking to further deepen and expand.”
Wyndham Hotel Group has also entered into a strategic partnership with its existing and new partners in India to accelerate its expansion plans. The company has partnered with Expat Projects & Development Pvt. Ltd. to open two Ramada hotels; with Creative Buildwell Private Ltd., Swift Financial Results Limited, Vardhman Infra Developers Pvt. Ltd. and Expat Leisure & Resorts Ltd for one Ramada each; with Akruti Developers for a Days Hotel & Suites; with Saras Hotels Pvt. Ltd for a Days Hotel, with Mohyideen Hussain Fisal for a Days Hotel and with Unique Mercantile Pvt. Ltd for the Howard Johnson hotel in Jaisalmer.
“Our offerings are flexible enough to fit each owner’s budget while still meeting the expectations of today’s consumer, which is valuable in a diverse and dynamic country like India,” said Arora. “Introducing our hotels to markets that have remained untapped, like Pali, Dharmapuri, Lonere and Darjeeling, allows us great potential to work with partners who are passionate about our brands and who are experts in the market.”
