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WYNDHAM HOTELS & RESORTS and investment firm Lafayette Square, led by Abhay Patel as managing director, recently launched a funding program to improve capital access for diverse hoteliers. The new program will support Wyndham's BOLD and Women Own the Room initiatives. Wyndham will work with Lafayette Square to connect qualified owners, aiming to provide up to $100 million in financing over the coming years. While not all will qualify, eligible hoteliers can use the funds to advance projects stalled by limited financing, the companies said in a joint statement. Amina James, a Wyndham franchisee and BOLD by Wyndham member, is the first hotelier to receive funding for her Wyndham hotel in Lake Charles, Louisiana. "Because of Wyndham's support, the credibility they saw in me, and their connection to Lafayette Square, I can now say I own two hotels," said James. "BOLD and Women Own the Room are actively changing hospitality by forging the path-and knocking down the barriers along the way-to make hotel ownership possible. That's a vision and a mission I'm proud to be part of."

WYNDHAM HOTELS & RESORTS recently named Amit Sripathi as chief development officer, taking over from Chip Ohlsson, who exits the company in June. Sripathi, who previously was Wyndham's senior vice president of strategic and corporate development, will head the company's North American franchise sales team. Before his tenure at Wyndham, he served as vice president of finance and capital markets at RLJ Lodging Trust, and as vice president of global investment banking at Deutsche Bank, Wyndham said in a statement. "Amit's deep experience in mergers and acquisitions and capital markets focused on the real estate and hospitality sectors at Deutsche Bank and RLJ Lodging are instrumental as we increase our focus on growing our midscale-and-above portfolio while reinforcing our leading position in the resilient select-service segments," said Geoff Ballotti, Wyndham's president and CEO. "Since joining Wyndham, Amit has demonstrated a strategic approach to growth. He's helped divest our owned and managed segments leading to a pure-play U.S. franchise business and worked with our sales teams across the country and around the world deploying over $250 million in development support for our owners. He hits the ground running, knowing what our franchise sales teams need to continue outperforming expectations."

SUPER 8 BY Wyndham introduced its INNOV8TE 2.0 design package, the next iteration of its Innov8te program, developed in collaboration with owners and design experts. The program, debuting on the brand's 50th anniversary, is designed for today's travelers, featuring updated color schemes, upgraded furniture, new bedding and durable flooring, while also enhancing operational efficiency. The package, available across the U.S. and Canada, starts at $1,850 per key, excluding freight, tax, and installation, Wyndham said in a statement. "As we celebrate our 50-year milestone, one thing's clear: Super 8 is not slowing down," said Mike Mueller, Super 8 by Wyndham's president. "Our commitment to innovation has driven us to create INNOV8TE 2.0, which is more than just an upgrade-it's a bold leap forward. By placing our owners at the center of everything we do, we're elevating economy with a seamless, easy-to-implement design upgrade that streamlines hotel operations and helps drive success. With Innov8te, we're not just keeping pace-we're setting the standard."