Wyndham grows brands across ASEAN

BANGKOK  Wyndham Hotel Group is poised to announce a major expansion across Asia after a year of acquiring properties for its core brands.
The US headquartered hotel group beefed up its presence at the recent ITB Asia with owners of some of the new properties, who have joined Wyndham recently, visiting the show for the first time.
They represented projects in Vietnam, Pattaya and Phuket that are due to open in 2016 and 2017.
Reliable hotel sources at the show told TTR Weekly, Wyndham is poised to announce at least another eight properties in Southeast Asia by late November. It will also set up a stronger presence in ASEAN with a bigger sales force and regional offices to coordinate expansion. Properties will be flagged under Wyndham and Ramada brands with Days Inn making a debut in ASEAN in the budget category.
inside no 8An up-scale property on Phuket island, due to open in 2017, with 262 rooms, will be flagged a Ramada.
Located 5.7 km from Phuket town and 36.6 km from the airport, Ramada Chaofa Phuket is under construction on a 33-rai plot of land that was once the site of a tin dredging enterprise.
Owning company, CASA Asset Phuket’s managing director, Tanakrit Dararattananaroj, said the property would reflect the island’s tin mining and Peranakan heritage.
“It will be replicated in the architecture, guest room interiors and on the menu of our signature restaurant,” Tanakrit explained.
Peranakan heritage has been preserved in Phuket town’s old trading district and is sometimes referred to as “Sino-Portuguese” influence. It is also evident in buildings, food and community lifestyles in some districts of Singapore and Malacca in Malaysia.
The property will be surrounded with attractions such as a mega “Phuket Eye” Ferris wheel, a seafood market, a shopping district reflecting a Peranakan theme, all-day and theme restaurants, fast food market and a OTOP (one tambon, one product) handicrafts market.
inside no 8.1“Located close to mega shopping malls, including the upscale Paragon, the hotel and its supporting attractions will draw beach visitors looking for a change of pace, a festival atmosphere, entertainment and dinning,” said Tanakrit.
The property will cost around THB2 billion to build.
The first Wyndham venture in Vietnam is a new-build 215-room property, flagged Wyndham Legend Halong. It is due to open in mid 2016 at Halong bay, the country’s first UNESCO World Heritage site in Quang Ninh province.
Owned by Ha Long Star Service & Tourist Joint Stock Company, the property overlooks the bay and is close to a cable car station and the Ocean Park. The property has meeting space and a “Club Vegas Game Zone.”
Three Days Inns in Thailand were highlighted at the Wyndham booth at ITB Asia.
A 133-room Days Inn at Jomtien Pattaya opened, 1 October, with three room categories; family 60 sqm (28 rooms), suite 45 sqm (7 rooms) and deluxe 26 sqm (98 rooms).
Also opened 1 October, Days Inn Central Pattaya offers 176 rooms close to Central Festival and major shopping malls on the beach road.
In Phuket, Days Inn Patong Beach, with 121 rooms, is due to open 15 February close to the Jungceylon Shopping Centre and a five-minute walk from the beach.
Other properties joining the Wyndham Group in Malaysia, Myanmar, Cambodia and Indonesia will be announced soon.
Commenting on Wyndham’s accelerated growth in the region, a hotel source said the group demonstrates a commitment to work closely with the trade to give hotel owners a strong bookings base.

sourced:ttrweekly.com