Wyndham Hotel Group is planning a progressive expansion of its brands across a series of key Southeast Asian markets, including Malaysia, Indonesia, Thailand and Vietnam.
Speaking to Travel Daily this week, Barry Robinson, the hotel group’s managing director for Southeast Asia & the Pacific Rim, said that the region is a key focus area for Wyndham since the opening of its new regional head office in Singapore in 2015.
“We set up our Singapore office last year. We’re really focused on growing some markets that we really should be stronger in, such as Indonesia, Malaysia, Vietnam and Thailand,” Robinson said.
This growth will be achieved through a mix of operating models, including management contracts, franchise agreements and mixed-use properties that combine hotels with Wyndham’s vacation ownership (timeshare) arms, WorldMark South Pacific Club and Club Wyndham Asia. The Asia Club launched in Southeast Asia in June 2015, with the opening of Wyndham Sea Pearl Resort in Phuket which features 30 timeshare apartments.
And Robinson told Travel Daily that he “definitely” wants to expand this mixed-use concept across the region.
“Timeshare has been very successful elsewhere, like the South Pacific. We’ll try to expand this around the rest of Asia; more in Thailand, and we’re looking at Indonesia which will probably be the next step,” he revealed, adding that Bali was the most likely location of the first Indonesian mixed-use property.
In terms of management deals, Robinson said that he is “looking at securing management contracts in key Asian getaway cities”.
The company already has two managed properties in Singapore – the co-located Ramada and Days Inn Singapore hotels at Zhongshan Park – and other destinations could include Bangkok, Kuala Lumpur and Jakarta.
And the key for the hotel group, according to Robinson, is rolling out its brands gradually and strategically. Having established Wyndham, Wyndham Grand and Ramada and Days Inn concepts in a country, gaining local brand recognition, the company would then look at introducing other brands such as Howard Johnson, Tryp by Wyndham and Super 8.
“Once we start to get a stronger presence of Wyndham, Ramada and Days Inn,” Robinson said, the other brands could follow.
“We’re on the lookout for opportunities to grow [in Southeast Asia]. There are a lot of regional opportunities with Wyndham,” he concluded.
Two new Wyndham properties are due to open in Southeast Asia in the coming months; the 217-room Wyndham Legend Halong in Vietnam and the 222-room Wyndham Tamansari Jivva Bali.
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