Wyndham Hotel Group grows in Africa with first Hotel in Ethiopia

Wyndham Hotel Group, the world’s largest hotel company with approximately 7,540 hotels and part of Wyndham Worldwide Corporation (NYSE: WYN), today announced the signing of a management agreement for the Hotel Group’s first property in Ethiopia, the 136-room Ramada® Addis.

Upon opening in the first half of next year, Ramada Addis will offer 128 guest rooms and eight suites, ideally located on a major transport route linking the city center with Addis Abeba Bole International Airport.

The addition of Ramada Addis expands Wyndham Hotel Group into its seventh market on the African continent and follows an announcement just last week that the company plans to introduce its flagship Wyndham Hotels and Resorts® brand to Kenya. With more than 940 rooms now in the pipeline across Africa, Wyndham Hotel Group is set to more than double its presence in the region over the next three years.

While the company was historically focused on franchise contracts within Africa, much of Wyndham Hotel Group’s recent growth has been fueled by the company’s strategic decision to expand its management services into the region.

“Not only can we offer diverse branding solutions through our spectrum of hotel brands and strong onward distribution through our sheer global scale, we also offer owners the flexibility of either franchise or management contracts,” said Bani Haddad, Wyndham Hotel Group’s regional vice president for the Middle East and Africa. “This enables us to work with valued partners such as ADM Business Plc, who share our passion for providing great guest experiences and our vision to ensure the Ramada brand continues to act as a benchmark for midscale hospitality in the region.”

Wyndham Hotel Group’s existing portfolio on the continent includes five hotels and 819 rooms operated via franchise agreements under the Ramada and Hawthorn Suites by Wyndham® brands across Ghana, Morocco, Nigeria and Tunisia. The group’s pipeline now comprises of two hotels in Kenya, one each under the Wyndham Hotels and Resorts and Ramada brand flags, two Ramada hotels in Tanzania and a further Ramada hotel in Nigeria, in addition to Ramada Addis in Ethiopia. Once these hotels open, the group’s African presence will span almost 2,000 rooms across three brands and seven countries.

“ADM Business Plc is proud to partner with Wyndham Hotel Group to introduce the fourth international hotel brand to one of the most vibrant and economically robust cities of Africa,” said Adugna Bekele, owner of the Ramada Addis. “We are deeply privileged to be part of the country’s ever growing tourism industry and we believe this partnership will bring world class service to the capital. Once open, Ramada Addis will create job opportunities for over 250 people, serve Africa’s capital city to host its multitude of conference attendees and play a vital role in bringing foreign investment into the market.”

All of Wyndham Hotel Group’s properties in Africa participate in Wyndham Rewards®, the company’s free-to-join guest loyalty program, which allows members to earn valuable points during their stay. Points may be redeemed for a wide variety of reward options including free hotel stays, air travel, gift cards for leading retailers and more.

Part of Wyndham Hotel Group, Ramada is a global chain of nearly 830 midscale and upscale hotels. Each Ramada hotel is independently owned and operated, except for certain Ramada hotels outside of the U.S. which are managed by an affiliate. Ramada Worldwide is a subsidiary of Wyndham Hotel Group and parent company Wyndham Worldwide Corporation (NYSE: WYN).

Cover Photo: Bani Haddad (Left) and Adugna Bekele

Photo: Addis Standard