Wyndham Hotel eyes partners to launch mid-budget properties.

Wyndham Hotel Group, part of the NYSE-listed Wyndham Worldwide Corporation, is scouting for partners in India for its 'Wyndham Garden' brand.

The hotel chain is looking for a good location and partners in India, said Deepika Arora, Regional Vice-President of Wyndham Hotel Group.

The company's Garden brand is mid-budget and the hotels are usually located in business districts, airports and suburbs.

Wyndham sees huge opportunities in India over the next two years.

'We have a portfolio of well-respected and global brands that span the hospitality spectrum, with a particularly strong presence in the economy and mid-scale segments,' Arora said.

'Recently, we added new Ramada, Days Inn and Howard Johnson hotels which will helps us continue to cater to increasing demand for global brands here in India.' The company has also announced a Planet Hollywood property in Goa.

'This will be the first Planet Hollywood outside the US and it speaks volumes about our commitment to the Indian market,' she said.

The group has 24 properties in India with about 2,587 rooms open under the Ramada, Wyndham Hotels and Resorts, Howard Johnson and Days Inn brands and another 33 properties with about 3,753 rooms under development.

In October, the company announced the opening of 10 new properties with 1,088 rooms, taking the tally of total properties developed under Wyndham Hotel Group to 43 with a total inventory of 4,841 rooms.

The group is also preparing a blueprint to expand its footprint to Tier II and III cities and is investing in technology.

'We see this as an opportunity for us and we're taking it very seriously. As an organisation we have built an e-commerce team and have spent $100 million on technology, including upgrading our websites and improving our direct channels,' said Arora.

HBL