It’s a milestone week for Wyndham Hotels & Resorts in China, with the franchisor saying it’s signed nearly 600 franchise agreements in the country in five years time.
The milestone underscores Wyndham’s approach to franchising and increasing efforts in the last few years to lower its dependence for growth on master licensees, building on Wyndham’s 2019 move of repurchasing direct franchising rights for its Days Inn brand in China.
Today, Wyndham has grown to be the largest U.S.-based hotel company in China in terms of properties, the franchising company said in a release. At present, Wyndham has over 1,600 hotels totaling more than 180,000 rooms under 13 of its 25 brands in China.
In the first half of this year, Wyndham signed direct franchise agreements for more than 70 hotels in key markets, including Beijing, Jiangsu and Guangdong. The milestone comes amidst a surge in travel and tourism in China, where it is on track to become the world’s largest travel and tourism market by 2035.
“We have an industry-leading footprint in China, and as the country’s tourism segment continues to grow, it’s more important than ever to showcase the value of joining forces with the world’s largest hotel franchisor,” said Wyndham’s Asia Pacific President Joon Aun OOI. “Through direct franchising, we gain greater control over the consistency and direction of our brands in China while unlocking the benefit of building long-term relationships with franchisees — all of which are key to driving further expansion.”
Wyndham has opened around 300 direct franchised hotels in China in the past five years across its economy and upscale brands and the company continues to widen its footprint in the country. Wyndham has launched Hawthorn by Wyndham and La Quinta by Wyndham brands during this time, the latter of which now has four properties open and six more in the pipeline.
Some of the notable openings since 2019 include:
- Hawthorn by Wyndham Dali Erhai Park: The first Hawthorn by Wyndham in Asia Pacific, the hotel offers access to the city center and walking trails around Erhai Lake at Erhai Park.
- La Quinta by Wyndham Weifang South: La Quinta by Wyndham’s first hotel in Greater China, the hotel features a fitness center, three restaurants and event space for up to 2,500 persons.
- Wyndham Garden Qionglai Downtown: Located in Sichuan Province’s oldest city of Qionglai, the 88-key hotel has a traditional courtyard architecture with a modern, renovated interior.
- Wyndham Grand Shanxi Xiaohe Xincheng: The hotel is joins La Quinta by Wyndham Shanxi Xiaohe Xincheng and Wyndham Shanxi Xiaohe Xincheng as part of the Shanxi Xiaohe Xincheng project, a cluster of three hotels totaling over 1,000 rooms. The hotel offers direct access to the Xiaohe International Convention and Exhibition Center.
- Wyndham Shanghai Nanxiang: Located in Nanxiang’s cultural and business district, the hotel is situated 18 kilometers from the Shanghai Hongqiao International Airport.
- Wyndham Sun Moon Lake: Located along the shores of the Sun Moon Lake, the largest natural lake in Taiwan, the 15-story hotel has a fitness center, an outdoor pool and a spa.
- Wyndham Tai’an West: Sitting at the foot of Mount Tai, the 342-room hotel offers easy access to the Beijing-Fuzhou Expressway, Jingfu Expressway and the high-speed Tai’an Railway Station.