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WYNDHAM HOTELS & RESORTS and WaterWalk recently launched a new upscale brand, "WaterWalk Extended Stay by Wyndham." This deal will introduce up to 11 hotels with more than 1,500 rooms, initially in markets such as Tucson, Jacksonville, and Wichita. Pictured is the lobby of the WaterWalk by Wyndham - Phoenix. The new brand is Wyndham's 25th addition to its portfolio and will join the company's existing economy and mid-scale extended-stay brands, Wyndham said in a statement. "In the last year, guest demand for the extended stay segment reached record highs, which has been underscored by demand from owners and developers looking for new opportunities to partner with Wyndham," said Chip Ohlsson, Wyndham's chief development officer. "Our vision is to offer the industry's most robust portfolio of extended stay brands and the addition of WaterWalk marks an important step in that direction-helping ensure we have an offering in every segment, for every owner and for every guest." WaterWalk, founded by the late Jack DeBoer, currently runs 11 hotels in the U.S., the statement added. Newer hotels adopt the brand's Gen 2.0 prototype, focusing on efficient design and lower operating costs to increase profitability.

IGNITE HOTELS RECENTLY acquired the 126-key WaterWalk Phoenix North Happy Valley in Phoenix, marking WaterWalk Holding Company's first asset sale. WaterWalk Hospitality will continue managing the property under the WaterWalk Extended Stay by Wyndham brand, forming a new partnership with Ignite. Ignite Hotels, based in Kennewick, Washington, is led by President Gurbir Sandhu. "We are excited to partner with WaterWalk Hospitality as our management company and the Wyndham team," said Sandhu. "This collaboration allows us to capitalize on the potential of the extended-stay market while leveraging WaterWalk's expertise in operations and guest satisfaction." The Phoenix property, a mix of furnished and unfurnished units, debuted as the first Gen2 prototype in 2023, the companies said in a joint statement. The Gen 2.0 prototype prioritizes efficient design and lower operating costs. The hotel is near major business hubs, shopping, dining and outdoor attractions.

WYNDHAM HOTELS & RESORTS recently signed a 10-year development agreement with Reside, a residential hospitality management company, to launch five residence-style hotels, either open or under development, in the Wyndham portfolio. The franchise agreement marks the debut of the "Wyndham Residence" tier in the U.S., with plans to expand across the top 50 markets. The properties will expand Wyndham's position in the extended-stay segment, along with its existing brands: ECHO Suites Extended Stay by Wyndham, Hawthorn Extended Stay by Wyndham and WaterWalk Extended Stay by Wyndham, the companies said in a joint statement. "Reside has a proven track record as one of the most successful names in corporate housing," said Amit Sripathi, Wyndham's chief development officer. "Whether you need a comfortable place to live for a prolonged time or you simply need more space while traveling with a larger group, Reside's model expands our extended-stay offerings, delivering premium, professionally managed accommodations in locations we know guests want to visit. By tapping into Wyndham's distribution network, we help unlock new demand generators that can help scale their business to the next level."

THE FIRST PROPERTY representing Wyndham Hotels & Resorts' ECHO Suites Extended Stay by Wyndham brand opened recently in Spartanburg, South Carolina. Among the attendees at the grand opening, along with executives from Wyndham and more, were the first two Indo American developers who are building upcoming ECHO hotels. Wyndham also brought on Mandeep Singh as vice president for extended stay operations, overseeing ECHO Suites and the new Waterwalk Extended Stay by Wyndham brands. Singh has a more than 20-year background in extended-stay hotels, corporate housing, serviced apartments and multi-family properties. The 124-room ECHO Spartanburg is owned by Cox Universal Group, led by Philip Cox as co-CEO and co-founder and is managed by Sandpiper Hospitality. The prototype for the all new-construction brand is designed to fit on less than two acres at 50,000 square-feet, 79 percent of which is designed for generating revenue.

EXTENDED-STAY ROOM SUPPLY grew 3.1 percent in July, outpacing the average monthly increase over the past two years, according to The Highland Group. The rise is partly due to WaterWalk by Wyndham, a mid-priced extended-stay brand added to the database in May 2024 after affiliating with Wyndham. July marked 34 consecutive months of supply growth at 4 percent or less, with annual supply changes under 2 percent for two years-both well below the long-term average, the report said. "July was an exceptionally good month for extended-stay hotels which outperformed the overall industry and the economy segment reported a monthly RevPar gain for the first time in more than one year," said Mark Skinner, The Highland Group's partner. The U.S. Extended-Stay Hotels Bulletin for July 2024 reported a 13.9 percent rise in economy extended-stay supply, with smaller gains in mid-price and upscale segments, largely due to conversions. New construction in the economy segment accounts for about 3 percent of rooms open compared to last year.

U.S. EXTENDED-STAY ROOM supply increased 3 percent in September, outpacing the average monthly growth of the past two years, according to The Highland Group. This rise partly reflects the addition of WaterWalk by Wyndham, a mid-price extended-stay brand included in the database in May 2024 after its Wyndham affiliation. September marked 36 consecutive months of 4 percent or less supply growth, with annual supply change under 2 percent for two years-both below the long-term average, as revealed in The Highland Group's U.S. Extended-Stay Hotels Bulletin: September 2024. A 10.9 percent rise in economy extended-stay supply, along with modest gains in mid-price and upscale rooms, is largely due to conversions, as new economy construction represents only about 3 percent of rooms open compared to last year. Supply change comparisons have been affected by rebranding shifts between segments, hotel de-flagging for non-compliance with brand standards, and sales to multi-family apartment companies and municipalities.

U.S. EXTENDED-STAY ROOM supply increased by 3.3 percent in August, surpassing the average monthly growth over the past two years, according to The Highland Group. This rise is partly attributed to the inclusion of WaterWalk by Wyndham, a mid-price extended-stay brand, in the database starting in May after its affiliation with Wyndham. August also marked the 35th consecutive month of supply growth at 4 percent or less, with the annual supply change remaining below 2 percent for the past two years, as revealed in The Highland Group's U.S. Extended-Stay Hotels Bulletin. However, both metrics are well below the long-term average, the report found. The 11.9 percent increase in economy extended-stay supply, along with modest gains in mid-price and upscale segments, is primarily due to conversions. New construction in the economy segment is estimated at only 3 percent of rooms compared to last year, the report noted.