The signing of the exclusive development agreement for 10 hotels was recently announced at the headquarters of the prestigious Saudi Commission of Tourism and Antiquities in Riyadh. Invited guests heard how development of the Days Inn portfolio in Saudi Arabia will be spread over the next seven years.

Rui Barros, Wyndham Hotel Group’s senior vice president and managing director for Europe, Middle East and Africa said, “We are delighted to expand our relationship with Riyada International Hotels and Resorts through this deal to launch and grow the Days Inn brand, our largest brand globally with 147,224 rooms, in Saudi Arabia. This brand has exceptional growth potential in this market as it is perfectly suited to the growing number of travelers seeking comfort and quality accommodation without a mid-market or upscale price tag.”

This was Barros’ first visit to Saudi Arabia as Wyndham Hotel Group’s newly appointed SVP and managing director of Europe, Middle East and Africa. Previously, he was brand senior vice president for the Howard Johnson®, Travelodge® and Microtel Inn & Suites by Wyndham® hotel brands and has served Wyndham Hotel Group in a variety of leadership roles since 1998.

Muhammad Al-Amir, founder and managing director of Riyada International Hotel and Resorts said, “We have worked in partnership with Wyndham Hotel Group for the last seven years to successfully build the Ramada brand within the Kingdom. To now work together to launch Days Inn, another leading global brand, represents a significant milestone for us. With Wyndham providing us with up to date global hospitality know-how, coupled with our local knowledge of the market, we have an unparalleled competitive edge in the country’s hotel development sector.”

Days Inn is a leading global brand in the economy segment with more guest rooms than any other economy brand in the world and over 1,830 hotels worldwide. Under its Best Value Under The Sun℠ positioning, Days Inn hotels offer value conscious consumers free high speed internet as well as the opportunity to earn free stays, airline miles or gift cards through Wyndham Rewards, the Wyndham Hotel Group loyalty program. In tune with the needs of the local market, all Days Inn hotels across the Kingdom will also feature extra-large family rooms.

Existing Days Inn hotels in the Middle East which have already proved popular include two hotels in Jordan and one in Bahrain. The agreement with Riyada International Hotels and Resorts marks a step change in the brand’s expansion in the region and gives instant momentum to its growth in Saudi Arabia.

“We are fully committed to growing our presence in the Gulf, both through the expansion of our existing, trusted brands such as Ramada and Wyndham Hotels and Resorts, as well as through the introduction of new brands such as Super 8 and Days Inn, which cater to currently under-served segments in the region,” Barros added.

The Days Inn hotel brand, a member of the Wyndham Hotel Group family of lodging brands, is a chain of over 1,830 hotels worldwide. Within Europe, the Middle East and Africa, typical amenities include comfortable beds, powerful showers, in-room tea and coffee facilities and complimentary internet. Reservations and information are available by visiting www.daysinn.com. Days Inn hotels are independently owned and operated under franchise agreements with Days Inns Worldwide, a subsidiary of Wyndham Worldwide Corporation (NYSE: WYN).

Wyndham Hotel Group, part of the Wyndham Worldwide (NYSE:WYN) family of companies, is the world’s largest hotel company with nearly 7,260 hotels and approximately 618,100 rooms in 66 countries under the hotel brands: Wyndham® Hotels and Resorts, Ramada®, Days Inn®, Super 8®, Wingate by Wyndham®, Baymont Inn & Suites®, Microtel Inn & Suites® by Wyndham, Hawthorn Suites® by Wyndham, TRYP by WyndhamSM, Howard Johnson®, Travelodge® and Knights Inn®. In addition, the company has license agreements to franchise the Planet Hollywood Hotels, Dream® and Night® brands and provide management services globally.

All hotels are independently owned and operated excluding certain Wyndham, Hawthorn Suites by Wyndham and TRYP by Wyndham hotels, as well as certain international Ramada, Days Inn and Super 8 hotels, which may be managed by one of the affiliates of Wyndham Hotel Group.

Wyndham Rewards, the guest loyalty program of Wyndham Hotel Group, is the world’s largest lodging loyalty program as measured by number of participating hotels and offers more than seven million active members the chance to earn and redeem points for stays at more than 7,000 hotels throughout more than 50 countries worldwide.

In addition to free stays, members may redeem their points for hundreds of reward options. For more information, visit www.wyndhamrewards.com.

Wyndham Hotel Group is based in Parsippany, N.J. Additional information is available at www.wyndhamworldwide.com. For more information about hotel franchising opportunities visit www.whgdevelopment.com or email [email protected].