Wyndham to open four new Ramada hotels in the Middle East

Wyndham Hotel Group has revealed plans to open four new hotels in Saudi Arabia, Bahrain and Jordan under its Ramada Worldwide brand.

The hotels include the 161-room Ramada Resort Dead Sea in Jordan; the 165-room Ramada Jeddah Corniche in Saudi Arabia, the 162-room Ramada Hotel & Suites Amwaj Island and the 140-room Ramada Manama City Centre in Bahrain. These add to thr 29 Ramada hotels in the Middle East.

Wyndham’s Ramada Resort Dead Sea and Ramada Jeddah Corniche are already open while its two properties in Bahrain are set to open on March 31, 2016.

Wyndham is also heavily expanding in Bahrain with four new hotels. In addition to Ramada Hotel & Suites Amwaj Island and the Ramada Manama City Centre, the company is opening Hawthorn Suites by Wyndham Al Juffair and the Wyndham Grand Manama. This will bring the group’s total portfolio in Bahrain to six hotels with 1,197 rooms.

“The Middle East continues to see strong growth and development thanks to its rising middle class,” said Wyndham Hotel Group’s president and managing director, EMEA Dan Ruff.

“This is driving increased interest from developers for globally known brands like Ramada and others offered by Wyndham Hotel Group, which are well positioned to meet the emerging travel needs of consumers in the region.

“The Middle East is a key region of focus for Wyndham Hotel Group and to help meet growing demand, the company recently bolstered its management resources there by more than 30 per cent.”

The Middle East is becoming increasingly attractive to hoteliers, who see opportunities during regional mega events Dubai Expo 2020 and Qatar FIFA World Cup 2022.

According to a recent report by STR Global, the number of hotel rooms under construction in the region rose by 57 per cent year-on-year in November 2015 to reach 82,446.

A boom in the region’s hospitality sector has also sparked concerns of an over supply in the market, particularly given the recent impact of currency volatility on tourism.

Audit firm PwC noted in a report last year that hotels might find it challenging to maintain their revenue per available room once these mega events finish.