As part of the strengthening of its presence in Latin America, Wyndham Hotels & Resorts, the largest hotel franchise company in the world, with more than 9,200 properties, today announced the start of work of the new Wyndham Garden hotel in Cartagena, with the commemoration ceremony of laying the first stone. The 90-room hotel will be operated by Wyndham, the growing management company that operates more than 400 properties worldwide.
The event that took place in the Blue Crab Park in front of the land where the hotel will be built, was attended by around 100 guests, among which the presence of company executives for Latin America and the Caribbean, such as Alejandro Moreno, President and Director, stood out General; María Carolina Pinheiro, Vice President of Development; Luis Fernando Estefan, Development Director and Hernando Osorio, legal representative of Promotora Cibeles S.A.S., the company that owns the project together with Irvin Muñoz Pérez, Executive President of the Cartagena Tourism Corporation. In addition, political and tourism authorities, businessmen of the sector, travel agents, journalists and members of the Cartagena community attended.
"It is an honor to be present at the beginning of the work of our first managed hotel, in one of the most popular booming destinations in the world and continues to grow in Colombia," announced the President and CEO of Wyndham Hotels & Resorts for Latin America and Caribbean.
Expansion in Colombia
Tourist visits to Colombia increased from one million to more than six million in the last five years, according to the World Tourism Organization (UNWTO). In 2017 alone, tourism increased by 27% compared to the previous year and in 2018, the country received a record seven million international visitors, making Cartagena the second most popular city after Bogotá.
Wyndham Hotels & Resorts continues to expand its presence in Colombia. Wyndham Garden Cartagena joins the nine existing hotels in Barranquilla, Bogotá, Bucaramanga, Villavicencio and Medellín, through the Wyndham, Wyndham Garden, La Quinta by Wyndham, TRYP by Wyndham and Howard Johnson by Wyndham brands.
Across the region, Wyndham opened 19 hotels in Latin America and the Caribbean in 2018. The midscale brand Wyndham Garden has a presence with 118 hotels worldwide, of which 23 belong to Latin America and the Caribbean, in major cities such as São Paulo, in Brazil; Playa Del Carmen, in Mexico; Panama City, in Panama, and Quito, in Ecuador.
Wyndham Garden Cartagena
The hotel, whose investment will be six million dollars, is expected to open at the end of next year, generating about 300 jobs in the construction phase and more than 100 once it is operating.
It will offer 90 rooms distributed over 14 floors, including a swimming pool and a gym located on the last level, with an incredible view of the sea and towards the "Walled City". The property will also offer a restaurant on the first level and a pool bar. In addition, it will have four meeting and event rooms, a minimarket and complementary parking.
Wyndham Garden Cartagena will be located just four minutes from Rafael Núñez International Airport and seven from the Historic Center, where guests can discover tourist attractions such as restaurants, bars and nightclubs, museums, churches and boutiques. Guests can easily access the Convention Center and the tourist area of Bocagrande, with shopping centers and beaches.
You can also easily visit one of the most notable destinations in Colombia, Cartagena de Indias, known as "La Heroica". It is a city that has colonial jewels, walls and narrow stone roads that give life to history, along with the breeze and the warm waters of the Caribbean Sea.
The hotel will offer the benefits of the award-winning Wyndham Rewards® loyalty program, the most revolutionary and easy to use, offering more than 77 million members a generous point structure and the possibility of redeeming for free nights.