Wyndham Hotel Group has announced its continued expansion in South Korea with the signing of a franchise agreement for a 186-room Ramada hotel on the popular tourist island of Geoje. Ramada Suites Geoje, owned by KCM Co., LTD, is due to open by mid-2018.
The announcement adds to 12 franchise agreements signed so far in 2015 for Wyndham Hotel Group properties in South Korea, where the company is set to expand its presence by more than 200 percent over the next three years and introduce its Howard Johnson brand to the country for the first time. These deals build upon the 13 properties and more than 2,800 rooms already open and operating in South Korea under the Ramada and Days Inn brands. Seventeen Ramada hotels are expected to open in the country by 2018.
“We’re making an aggressive push to expand our portfolio in South Korea, a rapidly growing market with massive potential for hotel development in destinations across the country,” said Barry Robinson, Wyndham Hotel Group’s president and managing director, South East Asia and Pacific Rim. “We share a commitment to delivering quality customer experiences with KCM Co., and this shared vision allows us to create a trusted home base for travellers. This new addition in Geoje will offer that environment while giving guests immediate access to the city’s attractions and the comfortable facilities for which the Ramada brand is known worldwide.”
With its natural coastal beauty, Geoje is home to numerous hiking trails and swimming beaches as well as several historical attractions. Located on a hillside providing sweeping water views, Ramada Suites Geoje is within easy reach of the island’s most renowned sights and easily accessible from the cities of Busan and Tongyeong. It will feature an all-day dining facility, lobby lounge, conference room, indoor pool and fitness centre.
“We look forward to building on the knowledge and experience of Wyndham Hotel Group to create a fantastic hotel in Geoje that will impress all travellers,” said Jeong Haeng Cheol, managing director of KCM Co., LTD.
This latest expansion in South Korea follows Wyndham Hotel Group’s recent growth throughout Southeast Asia and the Pacific Rim, including new properties in Thailand, Malaysia, New Zealand, Vanuatu and Australia.
Globally, the Hotel Group’s portfolio consists of approximately 7,760 properties in 71 countries, including 67 hotels currently open and operating throughout Southeast Asia and Pacific Rim.
