Nearly two years after launching its extended stay brand Echo Suites, Wyndham Hotels & Resorts has opened its first hotel in Spartanburg, South Carolina. This strategic location is poised to benefit from nearby infrastructure projects and population growth, which are expected to drive long-term demand. Wyndham highlighted that significant infrastructure investments across the U.S. are creating a multibillion-dollar room revenue opportunity for franchisees, driven by the Biden Administration’s $1.2 trillion infrastructure bill passed in 2021.
The Spartanburg Echo Suites features a new-construction, 124-room prototype managed by Sandpiper Hospitality, offering studio suites with kitchens and efficiently designed public spaces to minimize labor needs. Enhanced technology, such as mobile check-in and digital keys, distinguishes the property from its competitors.
Wyndham's Echo Suites prototype is designed to maximize revenue-generating space, with 79% of its 50,000 square feet dedicated to such purposes. The ongoing infrastructure projects nationwide are expected to generate $3.3 billion in revenue opportunities for Wyndham franchisees, particularly benefiting construction workers, traveling nurses, and digital nomads in need of long-term accommodations.
To meet this strong demand, Wyndham plans to open additional Echo Suites locations in Texas and Virginia later this year, with a development pipeline of nearly 270 hotels across the U.S. and Canada. Mandeep Singh, appointed as vice president of extended stay operations, will oversee the expansion of Echo Suites and the upscale Waterwalk Extended Stay by Wyndham brand.
As competition in the extended stay market intensifies, other major hotel players like Choice Hotels International and Marriott International are also expanding their extended stay portfolios, alongside smaller brands such as LivAway Suites. In the first quarter of 2024, extended stay development dominated the U.S. hotel construction pipeline, indicating robust growth in this lucrative segment.
According to Jenna Walters' report, Sandpiper Hospitality’s CEO, Jim Darter, emphasized the advantages of the Echo Suites' technology and design, which cater to modern traveler expectations and offer franchisees significant value opportunities.
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