Wyndham Hotel Group has announced the signing of the Dolce Washington Dulles, part of meetings brand Dolce Hotels and Resorts and the latest in a series of new hotels with significant meeting and event space joining the company’s leading portfolio.
The new-construction Dolce Washington Dulles, scheduled to open in late 2018, will offer 243 guest rooms and more than 13,000 square feet (1,208 square meters) of meeting space. It follows the signing of The Summit, A Dolce Hotel, in Cincinnati earlier this year and is the second new hotel slated to join the brand since it was acquired by Wyndham Hotel Group in 2015.
In 2016, Wyndham’s new openings added more than 200 new meeting and event spaces to the company’s portfolio, a response to the needs of a growing industry: in the next ten years, according to GBTA, meeting group sizes are expected to rise by 3-6% in North America, Asia Pacific, Europe and the Middle East, and MPI reports that 42% of planners expect meetings budgets to increase between one and five percent in the near future.
“With steady, growing demand for group and meetings travel, Wyndham is as committed as ever to serving this segment and creating new ways to enhance the meeting planner experience,” said Eliot Hamlisch, vice president, global sales for Wyndham Hotel Group. “Our hotels offer more than 10 million square feet of meeting and event space – and growing – covering the needs of every type of planner whether they’re organizing a large conference, looking for a unique teambuilding meeting or opting for personalized service for a special event.”
Growth with meetings in mind
With existing expertise in small and mid-size meetings providing planners dedicated focus and attention, Wyndham Hotel Group is rapidly expanding its large meeting and conference space offerings. Meeting planners can expect more from Wyndham Hotel Group in the next two years thanks to a development pipeline that is bursting with new-construction in the upper-midscale through upper-upscale segments featuring notable meeting and event space:
- The Summit, A Dolce Hotel, in the U.S.: This new-construction hotel and conference center is located less than 10 miles from downtown Cincinnati, Ohio. Scheduled to open in 2017, the hotel will have an eight-story atrium; a rooftop garden; a health club; a restaurant, bar and lounge; and 22,000 square feet (2,044 square meters) of function space, including 16 individual meeting rooms.
- Wyndham Grand Clearwater Beach in the U.S.: This new-construction, 450-room resort is located in Clearwater, Fla., and is slated to become one of the largest resorts in the area upon opening in early 2017. With approximately 24,000 square feet (2,223 square meters) of event space, it will also house one of the largest banquet and meeting facilities in Florida’s Pinellas County.
- TRYP by Wyndham Maritime in the U.S.: The 150-room, new-construction lifestyle hotel in Fort Lauderdale, Fla., will feature a projected 2,500 square feet (232 square meters) of multi-function meeting space. The hotel will also be home to a pool and outdoor deck, a rooftop lounge, a gym and basketball court, and a European-style tapas bar, a trademark of the TRYP brand.
- Wyndham Grand Athens in Greece: This is the first Wyndham Hotel Group hotel in Greece. Situated on Karaiskaki Place, when renovations are complete the Wyndham Grand Athens will boast 276 rooms, 26,910 square feet (2,500 square meters) of conference and event space, a restaurant, a bar, a spa and rooftop garden with a pool and a 360° view of the city skyline.
- Wyndham Grand Phuket Kalim Bay in Thailand: Wyndham Grand Phuket Kalim Bay, scheduled to open later this year, offers a ballroom with high ceilings and expansive glass panels providing a versatile backdrop suited for both extravagant gala dinners and casual business meetings.
- Ramada Foshan Shunde in China: Opening in 2016, this 196-room hotel in Guangdong, China, is equipped with three meeting rooms encompassing 14,639 square feet (1,360 square meters) of function space, including a 12,916-square-foot (1,200-square-meter) ballroom.
- Ramada Plaza Hotel and Convention Center and Ramada Encore Lucknow in India: Both new construction hotels, the 210-room Ramada Plaza hotel and 100-room Ramada Encore share convention center space in Lucknow, the first major conference space for Wyndham Hotel Group in Northern India. Convention facilities include 14,000 square feet (1,300 square meters) of banquet space, two multi-function spaces, offering 1,800 square feet (167 square meters) and 2,500 square feet (232 square meters) of space, and 12,000 square feet (1,115 square meters) of outdoor lawn space for events and exhibitions. The hotels will also offer lavish rooms and suites, multiple restaurants, and a spa, health club and pool.
Wyndham Hotel Group also celebrated several momentous openings in 2016 increasing its overall square footage:
- The Antlers, A Wyndham Hotel in the U.S.: The Antlers, A Wyndham Hotel, opened in September 2016 and is finalizing a comprehensive renovation transforming the hotel’s 273 guest rooms and suites, lobby, restaurants, and more than 27,000 square feet (2,508 square meters) of extensive meeting and event space accommodating more than 2,000 people.
- Ramada Plaza Konya in Turkey: Opened in August 2016, this new-construction hotel offers 255 guest rooms and 12,099 square feet (1,124 square meters) of meeting space including six executive meeting rooms and an 8,202-square-foot (762-square-meter) ballroom. It is situated in the Selcuklu section of Konya with easy access to transportation and local attractions.
- Ramada Jiaxing in China: Opened in August 2016, this new-construction, 268-room hotel is located in Zhejiang, China, and is home to 13 meeting rooms and 30,570 square feet (2,840 square meters) of function space, including a 10,763-square-foot (1,000-square-meter) ballroom.
- Wyndham Quito Airport in Ecuador: The exclusive hotel of the new Mariscal Sucre International Airport (UIO), Wyndham Quito Airport opened mid-2016 and offers easy access to the magnificent attractions of Ecuador’s capital. The hotel’s flexible meetings and conference facilities include nine event rooms and accommodate up to 320 people. The hotel also offers onsite meeting and wedding professionals.
- Ramada Resort Dundalk in Ireland: This hotel, with its sweeping views of Cooley and Moran Mountains, opened in March of 2016 and offers three sophisticated meeting rooms accommodating 400 guests conference-style and 300 guests banquet-style.
- Ramada Hotel & Suites Istanbul Golden Horn in Turkey: This 112-room hotel opened in May 2016 with four meeting rooms accommodating up to 300 guests conference-style and 250 guests banquet-style. The hotel is located in the center of Istanbul near Halic Congress Center and offers spectacular sea views and spa services including Turkish bath and sauna.
Planners incentivised through major meeting rewards
Just last year, Wyndham launched go meet®, the first formal rewards program of its kind catering to both professional and casual planners across every hotel segment. Planners who are members of the Wyndham Rewards loyalty program can earn one point for every dollar spent on qualifying revenue at participating hotels, regardless of billing method, with no minimum spend requirement and no maximum point limit.
Since the program began a year ago, Wyndham has awarded tens of millions points to thousands of meeting planners via go meet. On average, meeting planners earn 45,000 points per meeting, enough for three free nights at any of Wyndham Hotel Group’s nearly 8,000 hotels around the world.
