CHINA | Wyndham has signed almost 600 direct franchise agreements in China across the past five years, surpassing a major milestone.
Wyndham Hotels & Resorts has surpassed a major milestone in China: signing nearly 600 direct franchise agreements across the country in just five years. The achievement is a testament to Wyndham’s owner-first approach to franchising and increased efforts in recent years to reduce its reliance for growth on master licensees—a move underscored in 2019 when the Company reacquired direct franchising rights for its Days Inn brand in China.
Wyndham is currently the largest U.S.-based hotel company in China by number of properties, with a footprint spanning more than 1,600 hotels and more than 180,000 rooms across 13 of its 25 brands. In the first half of 2024 alone, Wyndham signed direct franchise agreements for more than 70 hotels in key markets, including Beijing, Jiangsu and Guangdong. The milestone comes amidst a travel and tourism surge in China, where it is on track to become the world’s largest travel and tourism market by 2035, giving owners an opportunity to capitalise as guests look to explore the country.
“We have an industry-leading footprint in China, and as the country’s tourism segment continues to grow, it’s more important than ever to showcase the value of joining forces with the world’s largest hotel franchisor. Through direct franchising, we gain greater control over the consistency and direction of our brands in China while unlocking the benefit of building long-term relationships with franchisees—all of which are key to driving further expansion,” said Joon Aun OOl, President of Asia Pacific.
In line with its mission of making hotel travel possible for all and catering to the diverse needs of Chinese travellers, Wyndham has opened nearly 300 direct franchised hotels in China over the last five years, spanning the economy to upscale accommodations. What’s more, the Company continues to broaden its portfolio of brands in the country, introducing both Hawthorn by Wyndham and La Quinta by Wyndham during that same time, the latter of which now has four hotels open and another six in the pipeline.
More news here.
