Tinu Sebesanu, CEO with Trend Hospitality, the strategic partner for the development of Wyndham US hotel chain, which owns the Ramada and Howard Johnson brands, says the company's investments will help it enter onto the segment of two and three-star hotels.
"Ramada continues to develop. This month, we are to announce a new city for which talks have almost been completed. At least 3 new projects will have been signed for Ramada by the yearend, besides Sibiu. Talks related to them are in a quite advanced stage. There are also many other projects under our consideration," says Sebesanu.
The Wyndham chain, formerly Cendant, is already present on the market through the 5-star Howard Johnson Grand Plaza hotel in Bucharest, as well as through the Ramada brand. The Ramada brand will have five affiliated hotels by the yearend: Ramada Majestic and Ramada Nord - already operational, Ramada Encore - currently under construction, another hotel in Baneasa and the Ramada hotel in Sibiu - an investment made by businessman Ilie Carabulea.
In late January, Carabulea announced his intention to invest in two hotels in Bucharest, which he would like to affiliate to the Ramada chain. He also said his medium-term projects included the development of projects in Timisoara and Cluj-Napoca, under the same Ramada brand.
Cendant's plans for Romania also include the introduction on the market of the Super 8 motel chain, according to Sebesanu, as well as the affiliation of some 3-star hotels, under the Days Inn or Days brand, both belonging to the Wyndham US group.
At present, the company is evaluating properties nationwide, a process that should be finalised in the next few months, when locations for the future motels will be disclosed.
"These are generally properties that ideally have 50 rooms, located in areas of high density traffic and close to major cities," says Sebesanu.
As regards the three-star Days or Days Inn brands', which require properties with more than 75 rooms, the CEO of Trend Hospitality says the contracts for the first projects will be signed by yearend. "We're really interested in secondary cities because, at present, everyone is now focusing on the major cities (...), " says Sebesanu.
The development will start with the construction of a Days Inn located in Bucharest, a greenfield investment put at 3.5-4 million euros, with a total of 100 rooms.
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