THE COVID-19 PANDEMIC continues, but so does the development of new hotels despite record low occupancy rates. Several franchisees with Wyndham Hotels & Resorts are opening new-build hotels or breaking ground on projects set to open next year.
During the first quarter of 2020, Wyndham opened 11 new-build hotels across the U.S. and several other projects broke ground. Several of those properties are Asian American owned. The company also executed agreements for more than 25 future new hotels.
The new hotels that opened comprise almost 1,000 rooms and the brands include La Quinta by Wyndham, Wingate by Wyndham, Days Inn by Wyndham and Hawthorn Suites by Wyndham. Some of the specific locations include the following.
Recent Ground Breaks:
- A 115-room La Quinta Del Sol prototype in Austin, Texas, owned by Ajay and Mike Patel.
- An 81-room La Quinta Del Sol prototype in Dallas/Terrell, Texas, owned by Monty Bhogal.
- A 91-room Hawthorn Suites by Wyndham in Williston, Vermont, owned by David Zhang.
- A 6-story La Quinta by Wyndham in Los Angeles, California, owned by Jayesh Kumar.
- A 74-room AmericInn by Wyndham in Miramar Beach, Florida, owned by Prakash Patel.
Recent Openings:
- A La Quinta in Limon, Colorado, owned by Mohammad Mark Islam. It is a new construction Del Sol prototype hotel with 83 rooms, expanded great room, fitness center and a pool.
- A La Quinta in Houston, Texas, owned by Anil Verma and his family. It is a new construction hotel with 100 guestrooms, expanded great room, fitness center and an outdoor pool.
The new developments show developers are optimistic about the future, said Krishna Paliwal, Wyndham’s head of architecture, design and construction.
“Despite a rapidly changing landscape for hotel developers around the world, a number of our owners are pressing forward with new-construction projects in the economy and midscale segments, reinforcing our overall confidence in the long-term viability of our industry,” Paliwal said. “New-construction growth, however gradual, represents our optimism for the future of travel. Not only do our highly recognizable brands provide significant value to hotel owners who join the Wyndham family, especially during difficult times, but they also represent the consistent, trusted and affordable experience travelers will be seeking now more than ever before.”
Wyndham’s conversion pipeline also increased 8 percent globally year-over-year.
Several factors position Wyndham well for the recovery, according to a company statement. They include a 90 percent drive-to business in the U.S., a concentration in the select-service brands that perform better than other segments in an economic downturn and the fact that 95 percent of its domestic guests originate within the U.S., making them less reliant on air travel.
The company recently launched its “Count on Us” initiative aimed at bringing in travelers along with delivering personal protection equipment to all of the company’s more than 6,000 U.S. hotels.
