- Wyndham is exploring hotel management opportunities in India.
- It operates 95 hotels in India under franchises.
- Plans to launch branded residences in India within two years.
WYNDHAM HOTELS & RESORTS is reportedly exploring opportunities to manage hotels in India. The company also plans to launch its branded residences in India within two years for domestic and international buyers.
The chain currently has no managed properties in India but oversees about 20 hotels in Europe, the Middle East and Africa, according to The Economic Times. Most of these properties are in the Middle East.
“It’s very clear that India is a managed-hotel market and as much as 70 percent of the hotels in the country are managed by brands,” Dimitris Manikis, Wyndham’s president for EMEA, told The Times. “We are investigating selective management opportunities in India.”
The company recently signed its first standalone branded residences project for Wyndham at Al Marjan in the UAE.
Rahool Macarius, Wyndham’s market managing director, Eurasia, said the chain currently operates 95 hotels in India under franchise agreements, covering around 7,600 rooms.
“We have a pipeline of about 50 to 55 hotels and we will add another 7,000 rooms to our portfolio in India in under three years,” he said.
“In terms of rooms, the growth is faster,” Manikis said, noting the company is focusing on larger hotels. “We used to operate hotels with 60 to 65 rooms,” he told The Times. “Now we are aiming for 100 to 120 rooms. That’s a significant jump and we have been working to enter larger hotels for the past two and a half years.”
Macarius emphasized the chain’s focus on leisure and spiritual destinations.
“We have 12 brands in India currently,” he said. “Depending on the opportunities, we are getting more brands into the country.”
Last year, Wyndham announced a strategic alliance with Cygnett Hotels & Resorts for its La Quinta by Wyndham and Registry Collection Hotels brands. The alliance is expected to add more than 60 hotels across India, Bangladesh, Sri Lanka and Nepal over the next 10 years. Wyndham also opened its first luxury hotel in India, the Wyndham Grand in Udaipur, last year.
Manikis said the growth of third-party management companies will be worth watching in India.
“The infrastructure push has led more people to travel domestically in India,” he said. “Airports are busier than ever and more people are traveling on highways. We all benefit from this.”
Wyndham posted a fourth-quarter net loss of $60 million, compared with an $85 million gain the previous year, reflecting non-cash impairment and other charges. Global RevPAR fell 6 percent in constant currency, led by an 8 percent decline in the U.S.
