Wyndham Hotel Group Grows in Africa with First Hotel in Ethiopia
Management contract signed for Ramada in Addis Ababa
Wyndham Hotel Group, the world's largest hotel company with approximately 7,540 hotels and part of Wyndham Worldwide Corporation (NYSE: WYN), today announced the signing of a management agreement for the Hotel Group's first property in Ethiopia, the 136-room Ramada Addis.
Upon opening in the first half of next year, Ramada Addis will offer 128 guest rooms and eight suites, ideally located on a major transport route linking the city centre with Addis Ababa Bole International Airport.
The addition of Ramada Addis expands Wyndham Hotel Group into its seventh market on the African continent and follows an announcement just last week that the company plans to introduce its flagship Wyndham Hotels and Resorts® brand to Kenya. With more than 940 rooms now in the pipeline across Africa, Wyndham Hotel Group is set to more than double its presence in the region over the next three years.
While the company was historically focused on franchise contracts within Africa, much of Wyndham Hotel Group's recent growth has been fuelled by the company's strategic decision to expand its management services into the region.
"Not only can we offer diverse branding solutions through our spectrum of hotel brands and strong onward distribution through our sheer global scale, we also offer owners the flexibility of either franchise or management contracts," said Bani Haddad, Wyndham Hotel Group's regional vice president for the Middle East and Africa. "This enables us to work with valued partners such as ADM Business Plc, who share our passion for providing great guest experiences and our vision to ensure the Ramada® brand continues to act as a benchmark for midscale hospitality in the region."
Wyndham Hotel Group's existing portfolio on the continent includes five hotels and 819 rooms operated via franchise agreements under the Ramada and Hawthorn Suites by Wyndham® brands across Ghana, Morocco, Nigeria and Tunisia. The group's pipeline now comprises of two hotels in Kenya, one each under the Wyndham Hotels and Resorts and Ramada brand flags, two Ramada hotels in Tanzania and a further Ramada hotel in Nigeria, in addition to Ramada Addis in Ethiopia. Once these hotels open, the group's African presence will span almost 2,000 rooms across three brands and seven countries.
"ADM Business Plc is proud to partner with Wyndham Hotel Group to introduce the fourth international hotel brand to one of the most vibrant and economically robust cities of Africa," said Adugna Bekele, owner of the Ramada Addis. "We are deeply privileged to be part of the country's ever-growing tourism industry and we believe this partnership will bring world class service to the capital. Once open, Ramada Addis will create job opportunities for over 250 people, serve Africa's capital city to host its multitude of conference attendees and play a vital role in bringing foreign investment into the market."
All of Wyndham Hotel Group's properties in Africa participate in Wyndham Rewards®, the company's free-to-join guest loyalty programme, which allows members to earn valuable points during their stay. Points may be redeemed for a wide variety of reward options including free hotel stays, air travel, gift cards for leading retailers and more. Information is available at www.wyndhamrewards.com.
About Wyndham Hotels & Resorts
Wyndham Hotels & Resorts (NYSE: WH) is the world's largest hotel franchising company by the number of properties, with approximately 9,200 hotels across over 95 countries on six continents. Through its network of nearly 885,000 rooms appealing to the everyday traveler, Wyndham commands a leading presence in the economy and midscale segments of the lodging industry. The Company operates a portfolio of 25 hotel brands, including Super 8®, Days Inn®, Ramada®, Microtel®, La Quinta®, Baymont®, Wingate®, AmericInn®, Hawthorn Suites®, Trademark Collection® and Wyndham®. The Company's award-winning Wyndham Rewards loyalty program offers approximately 110 million enrolled members the opportunity to redeem points at thousands of hotels, vacation club resorts and vacation rentals globally. For more information, visit wyndhamhotels.com.
About Wyndham Rewards
Named the number one hotel rewards program by readers of USA TODAY, Wyndham Rewards® is the world's most generous rewards program with more than 50,000 hotels, vacation club resorts and vacation rentals worldwide.
Designed for the everyday traveller, members earn a guaranteed 1,000 points with every qualified stay and may redeem points for a wide range of rewards, including free nights at any of the approximately 9,100 hotels or tens of thousands of vacation club resorts and vacation rentals globally through affiliation with Wyndham Destinations and others. Wyndham Rewards has over 103 million enrolled members globally. Join for free today at www.wyndhamrewards.com. You've earned this. ®
