Dive Brief:
- Wyndham Hotels & Resorts debuted its luxury Registry Collection Hotels brand in the U.S., opening the first property in Colorado Springs, Colorado, the hotel company announced today.
- The Mining Exchange, a renovated 128-key boutique hotel situated in the foothills of the Colorado Rocky Mountains, features “modern luxuries,” including multiple on-site dining concepts, a full-service spa and an art gallery, according to Wyndham.
- With the opening, Wyndham expands its U.S. luxury portfolio and furthers its strategy to grow in upper-tier segments. The company is among several of its competitors making a push in upscale as travelers increasingly seek unique, experience-based accommodations.
Dive Insight:
The luxury Registry Collection brand launched in 2021 and has since amassed a portfolio of more than 20 hotels worldwide, including in Greece and Panama City, with 10 more hotels in its pipeline. According to Wyndham, Registry Collection prides itself on distinct design, service and experiences.
The Mining Exchange property was once home to the stock exchange for gold and silver sourced from the Rockies. The renovated hotel features coffee bar BLK MGK and indoor-outdoor bar and courtyard Golden Hour, offering artisanal bites and live jazz music. The property also includes 15,000 square feet of functional event space, spanning a ballroom, two meeting rooms, an outdoor terrace and a boardroom.
The brand comes to the U.S. as “affluent travelers increasingly crave the bespoke and immersive experiences that boutique, independently minded operators can offer,” Wyndham CEO Geoff Ballotti said in a statement.
“Today more than ever, travelers are looking for immersive experiences,” Leonardo Danese, brand leader for Registry Collection Hotels, echoed in a statement to Hotel Dive.
Travelers want to “take in their surroundings, and they want their hotels to be a reflection of that,” Danese added. “With The Mining Exchange, it’s bringing its community directly into its environment with things like local coffee, local artists and other small, but meaningful, details that make a big impact on guest experiences.”
Expanding Registry Collection in the U.S. strengthens Wyndham’s value proposition, Danese said, which is “especially important” as the company invests in its loyalty program. As of February, Wyndham’s loyalty program member count lagged behind several competitors, including Marriott International and Hilton, but led peer Choice Hotels International’s by roughly 42 million.
As Wyndham looks at additional brand growth, it will “look for the white space that offers opportunity for our owners to grow with Wyndham and brings exciting destinations to our portfolio,” Danese said.
The hotel company is in the midst of an upscale push. In April, Wyndham entered the upscale extended stay market, bringing hotel brand WaterWalk under its portfolio. And the company has recently dabbled in the rapidly growing lifestyle space, partnering with SBE in January to launch a new brand, dubbed Project HQ.
Other hotel companies are similarly expanding in upscale to meet changing guest demands, including Choice Hotels, which made enhancements to several of its upper-tier brands and expanded its Cambria portfolio this year with new groundbreakings and openings.
Marriott, which has a more significant luxury presence, is also prioritizing the segment, with a particular focus on immersive experiences, Marriott Chief Development Officer for U.S. Luxury Brands and Global Mixed-Use Dana Jacobsohn told Hotel Dive in June.
