Wyndham Worldwide Sees Tremendous Expansion Across India
Global Hospitality Company Emerges as Leader in India with 13 new deals for Wyndham Hotel Group and RCI
With the announcement of new deals across its hotel and timeshare exchange portfolios, Wyndham Worldwide (NYSE:WYN), one of the largest hospitality companies in the world, continues expanding its presence throughout the Indian subcontinent. With 10 new hotel properties joining Wyndham Hotel Group and three new vacation ownership resorts joining the RCI vacation exchange network, Wyndham is meeting the diverse needs of India’s owners and guests.
“With a renewed focus on travel and a growing middle class, India is becoming one of the fastest growing travel markets in the world,” said Stephen P. Holmes, Chairman and Chief Executive Officer, Wyndham Worldwide, who joined the team in New Delhi for today’s announcement. “Our global portfolio encompasses virtually every type of travel accommodation — from hotels to timeshare to vacation rentals and more — making Wyndham Worldwide uniquely positioned to deliver great results for our hospitality partners and great travel experiences for guests.”
Wyndham Hotel Group’s Explosive Growth Meets the Demands of all Travelers
As the world’s largest hotel company with approximately 7,700 hotels, Wyndham Hotel Group currently operates 25 hotels in the region with another 28 in the pipeline representing more than 3,300 rooms. Wyndham Hotel Group is the fastest growing hotel franchisor in India. The company has experienced nearly 200% growth in India over the past five years. Today’s announcement of 10 new deal signings includes two conversions under the company’s iconic Howard Johnson and Ramada Plaza brands with the Unique Mercantile Group and also signifies expansion for the first time beyond India under the Ramada and Days Inn brands with Intraco Limited based out of Bangladesh.
RCI Delivers More Vacation Options with Expansion into New Destinations
Offering its 3.8 million members the ability to exchange their timeshare interval within its network of more than 4,500 affiliated resorts in over 100 countries, RCI is the world’s largest timeshare exchange business. The company has experienced approximately 40% growth in India since the beginning of 2012 and is affiliated with more than 130 properties representing approximately 80% of all vacation ownership resorts in India.
RCI continues to grow as the market and segment leader in the country offering vacation options in 60 unique destinations with resorts providing a range of experiences from traditional beach holiday to cultural, historical and wildlife retreats whereby catering to ever changing consumer patterns. Recent RCI expansion includes the addition of Treat Resort in Silvassa, Mirasol Water Park & Resort in Daman, and Ananta Spa & Resorts in Udaipur. RCI has also expanded its footprint in recent years in markets such as Kerala, Assam, Rajasthan, and Andhra Pradesh and has future plans to enter popular destinations such as Sri Lanka and Maldives.
“We are excited to see that Indian travelers are embracing timeshare,” said Holmes. “The vacation ownership segment is a powerful and growing driver of tourism in India and thanks to the continued efforts of RCI, our affiliated resorts, and our industry partners, timeshare providers today are delivering great experiences for guests and creating memorable vacation experiences for owners who keep coming back year after year.”
While in India, Holmes and the Wyndham Worldwide team will also visit Christel House India -Bangalore, a charter school run by Christel House International. Founded by RCI co-founder Christel DeHaan in 1998, Christel House International opened its first school in Bangalore, India in 2001. With more than 1,000 students enrolled, Christel House India – Bangalore has had a 96% student retention rate and a 94% graduation rate. By comparison less than 10% of students graduate high school in India. Additionally, 93% of Christel House India – Bangalore graduates are in college, working, or both, compared to 25% of all Indian youth pursuing college degrees. Wyndham Worldwide has been a longtime, dedicated supporter of Christel House International through its Wishes by Wyndham Foundation.
“I am inspired every time I walk through the doors of a Christel House school, and we are incredibly proud to play a small role in supporting these remarkable students, as well as their dedicated teachers and staff,” said Holmes. “We are a values-based company that aims to deliver results for our business in a responsible way, creating positive change for the people and communities around us.”
About Wyndham Worldwide
One of the world’s largest hospitality companies, Wyndham Worldwide (NYSE: WYN) provides a wide range of hospitality services and products through its global portfolio of world-renowned brands. The world’s largest hotel company based on the number of properties, Wyndham Hotel Group is home to many of the world’s best-known hotel brands, with approximately 7,700 franchised hotels and over 668,500 hotel rooms worldwide. Wyndham Exchange & Rentals is the worldwide leader in vacation exchange and the world’s largest professionally managed vacation rentals business, providing more than 5 million leisure-bound families annually with access to approximately 110,000 vacation properties in over 100 countries through its prominent exchange and vacation rental brands. The industry and timeshare ownership market leader, Wyndham Vacation Ownership develops, markets, and sells vacation ownership interests and provides consumer financing to owners through its network of over 210 vacation ownership resorts serving approximately 901,000 owners throughout the United States, Canada, Mexico, the Caribbean, and the South Pacific. Based in Parsippany, NJ, Wyndham Worldwide employs over 34,000 associates globally. For more information, please visit www.wyndhamworldwide.com.
About Wyndham Hotel Group
Wyndham Hotel Group is the world’s largest hotel company based on number of hotels and is one of three hospitality business units of Wyndham Worldwide (NYSE: WYN). As both a leading hotel brand franchisor and hotel management services provider, the company’s global portfolio consists of approximately 7,700 properties and 668,500 rooms in 71 countries under the following brands: Dolce Hotels and Resorts®, Wyndham Grand® Hotels and Resorts, Wyndham Hotels and Resorts®, Wyndham Garden® Hotels, TRYP by Wyndham®, Wingate by Wyndham®, Hawthorn Suites by Wyndham®, Microtel Inn & Suites by Wyndham®, Ramada Worldwide®, Baymont Inn & Suites®, Days Inn®, Super 8®, Howard Johnson®, Travelodge® and Knights Inn®. Wyndham Rewards, the company’s guest loyalty program offers more than 40 million members the opportunity to earn and redeem points at thousands of hotels across the world. For more information visit www.wyndhamworldwide.com
About RCI
RCI is the worldwide leader in vacation exchange with nearly 4,500 affiliated resorts in more than 100 countries. RCI pioneered the concept of vacation exchange in 1974, offering members increased flexibility and versatility with their vacation ownership experience. Today, through RCI Weeks®, the traditional week-for-week exchange system, and RCI Points®, the industry’s first global points-based exchange system, RCI provides flexible vacation options to its approximately 3.8 million RCI subscribing members each year. RCI’s luxury exchange program, The Registry Collection®, is the world’s largest program of its kind with approximately 200 affiliated properties either accessible for exchange or under development on six continents. RCI is part of Wyndham Exchange & Rentals and the Wyndham Worldwide family of brands (NYSE: WYN).