Big interview
“We have expanded our foothold in Turkey, where we are proud to be the largest international hotel company by number of properties and brought more accommodation options to the Middle East while also surpassing our 50th
hotel
mark in India.” With such strong development in place and
ahead, Manikis sees enormous potential for the year ahead. With a motto to “make travel possible for all”, the Wyndham group intends to continue expanding across the globe to bring new products its guest.
Development strategy With the standstill of the pandemic becoming a memory, Wyndham is not slowing down in terms of expansion with over 550 hotels across EMEA alone and a host of openings and plans expected. Just a few months ago, says Manikis, Wyndham
acquired the Vienna House brand adding an upscale and midscale portfolio of roughly 40 hotels and over 6,000 rooms across Europe. “While it is an acquisition in Europe, Vienna House has become our 23rd
brand in our global portfolio and we
Above: The elegant interior of the Ramada by Wyndham.
Below: The Palm, one of several Wyndham Residences in the UAE.
have an ambition to double the size of the brand portfolio in the next five years,” he adds. This is not the only exciting development for the hotel group, however. “We have seen continued expansion in Germany, entered Poland for the first time, and expanded the reach of more of our iconic brands in more countries, from the TRYP by Wyndham in Greece, Wyndham Garden in Italy to Trademark Collection in Portugal,” Manikis reveals.
Pandemic impact and recovery While the world is indeed doing its best to move forward, there is no denying the impact the pandemic had – especially for the hospitality industry as many businesses closed as travel and tourism came to a standstill. However, Wyndham stuck to what it knows best and continued to prioritise its team and partners as it navigated the challenges of Covid-19. “Our teams came together to provide our hotel partners with extra direction and guidance every step of the way. We introduced proactive measures across all areas, from operations guidelines, commercial best practices and initiatives, regular webinars and constant communications, while adapting our support as needed.” As Manikis says, in one of the toughest periods
the industry has experienced, putting partners, guests and teams at the heart of everything they do was more important than ever before. “Our ability to continue to grow during this challenging time is testament to the strength of Wyndham, the resilience and dedication of our partners and teams, and we are looking forward to our continued and long-term success together.”
When he looks to the future for recovery, Manikis’ is confident that Wyndham’s plans haven’t changed post-pandemic. “We are looking to grow organically and via strategic alliances and partnerships and we are looking to bring Wyndham to new geographies and regions,” elaborates Manikis. “Our plan is to do this using the power of a global company, which acts locally and by utilising the strong work ethic of a diverse, committed and passioned team across the EMEA division.” Despite the difficulties of the past few years,
Manikis is determined to use the lessons learned from the pandemic as a “compass” to guide them for the future, while serving as a reminder of the greatness, resilience and beauty of the hospitality industry. “We serve a basic human need, travel, and we plan to do this with the best of our abilities.” ●
14 Hotel Management International /
www.hmi-online.com
Wyndham Hotel & Resorts
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