How is Wyndham localizing its processes and focus for the China hotel market?
We established our Days Inn, Howard Johnson and Super 8 brands in China through master franchise relationships with mainland-based companies. Those companies are responsible for building their respective brands by franchising hotels with independent owner-operators and providing those franchisees with central reservations, sales, marketing and quality assurance support. We franchise the Ramada brand directly, identifying developers, signing new franchise agreements and providing support services. We also offer management services to owners of Ramada Plaza hotels – the top tier in this brand – some of whom prefer to outsource operation of their hotels. We signed our first Ramada Encore project last year under a joint-venture agreement. We are introducing the Wyndham brand to China using a management services model, extending our brand name to independently owned properties and providing turnkey management services. Our presence in China has grown significantly during the last two years.
