Hotel & Motel Management - December 10, 2007 - (Page 38)

38 News H&MM December 10, 2007 | HotelMotel.com www.HotelMotel.com/digital_edition Wyndham brand Continued from page 1 with the Wyndham Resort properties will be more likely to try a hotel branded the same way in a city, he said. Twenty Wyndham properties opened in the U.S., Mexico, Europe and the Caribbean in 2007. Nine more are under construction, including four properties in New York City. Overseas growth also is part of this strategy, Strebel said. Through a joint venture with the Maltabased Corinthia Group, Wyndham Hotels & Resorts is expanding its brand to properties and management services in Prague, Czech Republic; Budapest, Hungary; and other European cities. “We’re actively working on deals in Rome and Paris, and our ﬁrst hotel in China will open this year,” Strebel said. Improvements planned Quality improvement, both in service and product, is in the works. “On the service side, we’re rolling out new standards by position,” Strebel said. “Our philosophy is ‘one-to-one.’ We’re training our people to know the goals of their job and be more free.” In 2006, Strebel said the brand ﬁrst outlined product improveWYNDHAM HOTELS & RESORTS The ﬁrst Wyndham-branded property in Cozumel, Mexico, is the Wyndham Cozumel Resort and Spa. ments each property should have in place by 2008, including new beds, lamps and coffee makers. Next year will be all about entertainment upgrades, he said. “All properties must install 32inch, ﬂat-screen televisions, and all must install energy-efﬁcient lighting and more task lighting,” he said. Another must-have installation for all properties by the end of 2008 is the Wyndham signature Smart Chair, equipped with power outlets, pivoting work surfaces and stain-resistant fabric. “We’ve been doing a lot of testing and furnishing existing rooms with the ‘Be Well’ bed and all the other [product enhancements] for 2007 and 2008, and we’re getting a tremendous increase in guest satisfaction,” he said. On the sustainability front, Strebel said the brand will expand its Pure room concept to the 20 percent of its portfolio managed by the brand. These nonsmoking rooms feature in-room air ﬁltration systems, treated surfaces and other amenities. Marketing focus For the ﬁrst time in eight years, Wyndham Hotels & Resorts has a new marketing campaign. This one is targeted to Generation X. “This is the group that’s moving into their peak consumption years now,” Strebel explained. “For example, I think of the actress Courteney Cox on the television show ‘Friends.’ Generation X is the ‘Friends’ group. They’re coming in droves.” The brand will showcase its new “Be Well” campaign in more places over the holidays, such as in ads on New York taxis. “With the way television has changed, the way you get your message out has to be different,” Strebel said. sricca@questex.com CIRCLE NO. 101 http://www.HotelMotel.com/digital_edition http://www.HotelMotel.com http://www.ahla.com/WILweb

Table of Contents Feed for the Digital Edition of Hotel & Motel Management - December 10, 2007

Table of Contents News Wildfires test hotels' emergency plans LIIC roundtable: Capital available for hotel projects Departments Perspective Letters to the Editor At Your Risk Family Business Matters Sales Clinic On Finance Satisfaction Trends HotelWorld Update Events Trends & Stats Special Report H&MM's "year in review" tackles the top seven in 2007 Transactions Consumer Insight Travelers rank free breakfast high on must-have items Hot Products IH/M&RS Editors' Choice Award winners Construction Spending up, costs steady in construction Design Window treatments Ad/Editorial Index Marketplace Classifieds Checking Out

Hotel & Motel Management - December 10, 2007

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