WHY IT RATES: The steady flow of new construction openings is boosting the brand's footprint during its first full quarter under Wyndham Hotels & Resorts.
Wyndham Hotels & Resorts, the world's largest hotel franchisor with more than 9,000 hotels and 20 iconic brands, bolstered its leading network of midscale offerings in the third quarter of 2018 and strengthened the presence of its La Quinta by Wyndham brand with the opening of seven hotels across the U.S.
The latest La Quinta additions in South Jordan and Kanab, Utah; Opelika and Tuscaloosa, Ala.; Aberdeen, Md.; Duncanville, Texas; and Columbus, Miss., bring the brand's growing U.S. footprint to nearly 900 hotels. Six of the seven are newly built destinations, signifying Wyndham's strategic efforts to drive hotel consistency and quality through new-construction growth, as well as indicating continued keen interest among hotel owners to add new La Quinta locations to their portfolios.
La Quinta's roster of openings in its first full quarter since being acquired by Wyndham earlier this year demonstrates the Company's steadfast commitment to expanding its newest flag in key markets, largely through new construction. Further propelling the brand's growth, Wyndham executed 10 La Quinta franchise agreements between July 1 and September 30, 2018, nine of which were new construction deals. As of September 30, 2018, 90 percent of the 260 hotels in the brand's pipeline were new construction.
"Hotel developers choose La Quinta time and time again because of the brand's long-standing reputation for delivering quality, dependability, and great guest experiences," said Rajiv Trivedi, president, La Quinta at Wyndham Hotels & Resorts. "These recent additions represent the best of what La Quinta has to offer, and our robust new-construction pipeline is a testament to the brand's tenacious growth potential. With Wyndham's scale and distribution, we'll continue partnering with passionate owners to raise more brand flags in high-demand areas."
Opening Doors in the U.S.
The six newly built hotels that joined La Quinta in the third quarter are:
-La Quinta Inn & Suites Opelika-Auburn in Opelika, Ala.;
-La Quinta Inn & Suites Tuscaloosa-McFarland in Tuscaloosa, Ala.;
-La Quinta Inn & Suites Aberdeen APG in Aberdeen, Md.;
-La Quinta Inn & Suites Dallas-Duncanville in Duncanville, Texas;
-La Quinta Inn & Suites South Jordan in South Jordan, Utah; and
-La Quinta Inn & Suites Kanab in Kanab, Utah.
The seventh addition, La Quinta Inn & Suites Columbus in Columbus, Miss., underwent a complete renovation to transform all guest rooms and public spaces, infusing a fresh, modern look while incorporating the enhanced amenities guests have come to expect from the brand.
Each of the new hotels reflects La Quinta's guest-inspired, owner-friendly Del Sol prototype. The design combines clean geometric lines, bold colors, and varying textures with iconic brand elements and guest-centric offerings to enhance the experience while maximizing revenue-generating space for hotel developers. Thirty-five Del Sol hotels are currently under construction in the U.S., with 40 already open and operating.
Like each of its more than 910 upper-midscale and midscale hotels in North and Latin America, La Quinta's newest additions offer the brand's signature pillow-top Bright Morning Bed®, free Bright Side Breakfast®, and spacious in-room work areas. Additional features include the Great Room, a comfortable and spacious social gathering space; a state-of-the-art fitness center; free high-speed Wi-Fi; and meeting space.
Driving Development
La Quinta's third-quarter openings pace continues a year of solid development momentum. So far in 2018, the brand has surpassed the 900-hotel mark and celebrated 19 openings - nearly 70 percent of which were new construction - including global debuts in Santiago, Chile, and León, Mexico. These brand new hotels in Latin America are conveniently located near Santiago's international airport and in the heart of León, catering to travelers looking for comfortable, dependable lodging, and top-rated service while visiting these bustling cities.
"The growing global middle class, which is expected to grow by 160 million people each year for the next five years, is traveling more and seeking out value-driven experiences, steering the need for quality accommodations at affordable price points around the world," said Bob Loewen, executive vice president and chief operating officer at Wyndham Hotels & Resorts. "Such demand puts a trusted, fast-growing select-service brand like La Quinta in an opportune position to branch out in sought-after markets like South America and debut in new ones like Europe, where we're aiming to introduce the brand by the end of the year."
Wyndham's May 2018 acquisition of La Quinta strengthened the Company's position as a midscale lodging leader with approximately 37 percent of branded rooms in the segment in the U.S.
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