Wyndham Hotels & Resorts, the hospitality giant with an unparalleled global portfolio of more than 9,000 hotels, has appointed Joon Aun Ooi to the role of President and Managing Director for South East Asia and Pacific Rim.  

In his new role, Mr Ooi will lead the post-spin development and growth of the Wyndham Hotels & Resorts family of brands across the South East Asia and Pacific Rim region and drive its strategic objectives including the company’s brand transformation and its focus on loyalty, distribution, sales and marketing. 

Mr Ooi reports to Bob Loewen, Executive Vice President and Chief Operating Officer of Wyndham Hotels & Resorts. He replaces Barry Robinson who has been named President and Managing Director, Wyndham Vacation Clubs, a division of Wyndham Destinations, Inc. the world’s largest vacation ownership and exchange company.

Read our article about this announcement here:

Wyndham's Barry Robinson to head international growth of Wyndham Vacation Clubs

Mr Ooi joined Wyndham in 2013 as Vice President, Openings and Operations for Wyndham Hotel Group Greater China. During this time, he successfully introduced four new brands to the market and played a pivotal role in growing the combined franchise and management portfolio to over 1,400 hotels. 

Before joining the hospitality industry in 2002, Mr Ooi spent more than 7 years at The Boston Consulting Group where he was a Principal. He made his first foray into the hospitality industry as Vice President Strategy at InterContinental Hotels Group before moving to China in 2005 to take on the role of Vice President, Hotel Openings (Greater China) where he played a key role in establishing and implementing the China growth strategy for the group.

In 2009, he was appointed Vice President Strategy and Hotel Openings (Asia Pacific) at Hilton Worldwide where he oversaw the successful growth of the Hilton portfolio in China. 

Mr Ooi has exclusively spoken with The Hotel Conversation giving his insights and making key annoucements for the group.

Are there any upcoming announcements for the company in the region?

Wyndham Hotels & Resorts has a strong growth pipeline and will continue to gain strong traction in the various markets in which we operate.  

Over the course of this year, we will be opening more than 13 hotels across South East Asia and the Pacific Rim with new brands introduced into selected markets. Australia and the Philippines will soon welcome the Wyndham Garden brand while Malaysia will see a new Days Hotel and Suites by Wyndham launch this year.  

The Ramada brand will also debut in Brisbane following the signing of an impressive upper-midscale hotel – the former Windsor Hotel Brisbane - nestled in the city’s northern suburbs, just five minutes from downtown Brisbane and close to an array of local attractions, including the Brisbane RNA Showgrounds, The Royal International Convention Centre and The Gabba. 

The 60-room hotel will now be rebranded as Ramada Windsor Brisbane following the signing of a franchise agreement with the property’s owners, Butterfield Projects Pty Ltd.

Other openings include the 88-room Ramada Encore by Wyndham Christchurch in New Zealand which is centrally located in the city’s business district; and in Malaysia, we will soon open the 644-room Ramada Meridin Johor Bahru, a landmark development with two towers equipped with extensive business and leisure facilities including a retail complex. 

The region can also expect to see more of our lifestyle brand, TRYP by Wyndham which is designed to immerse guests in the individual culture and spirit of destinations across the region. 

Within Australia, New Zealand and South Pacific, we have an ongoing strategic partnership with our affiliated business partner Wyndham Destinations. The team at Wyndham Destinations will continue to fortify our presence in these key markets and will play an integral role in our growth and successful operations of our portfolio of more than 120 hotels and over 40 openings in the pipeline. 

Which hotel market is most suited to Wyndham's growth strategy?

Wyndham Hotels & Resorts has over 120 hotels across the South East Asia and Pacific Rim region and our portfolio continues to grow strongly at an admirable rate, in excess of 30% year-on-year. 

We are on a mission to “make hotel travel possible for all”, and our portfolio of 20 iconic brands is strategically designed to offer our hotel owners, franchisees and customers a brand that suits every opportunity. We will continue to leverage our leadership position in this region to propel our future growth. Within specific markets, we have put in place locally-adapted strategies to ensure we are successful in our growth in each of those markets. 

What changes do you see within the next 5 years to the hotel industry?

At Wyndham Hotels & Resorts, we will continue to focus on delivering the best value to our owners and franchisees. The hospitality industry is experiencing strong competition from both traditional and non-traditional players. These changes are inevitable and expected – as a leading player in the industry, Wyndham Hotels & Resorts will remain focused on developing new programs or enhancing current ones to ensure that our brands remain top of mind for current and prospective owners, franchisees and guests. 

The needs of guests are constantly shifting and evolving, definitely in the direction of increased sophistication and complexity. Within the short to medium term, we can expect to see how advances in technology will change and shape their experiences. From booking to check-in and then to payments, we are already seeing rapid advancements across similar industries like the aviation sector. If customers can select a seat before they board a flight, why can’t they select a room prior to their arrival or upon self-check-in? 

Another shift we are seeing is the proliferation of new brands with new offerings that cater to different customer segments and their specific needs. We recognise that guests desire more choices and better value, and our diverse portfolio of 20 brands is elevating the hotel experience at every price point to ensure there is a brand for every type of traveller. 

The evolution of technology, changing customer segments and their corresponding needs will continue to shape the way in which we operate; we can expect to see how backend processes can be further enhanced to enable us to focus on what truly matters – delivering great guest experiences.  

Mr Ooi continued to comment on Asia Pacific, stating that it's one of the world’s strongest travel markets, underpinned by rising middle class affluence and increased intra-regional travel driven by low cost carriers.

"We are accelerating the growth of our brands across the region to meet this demand which will make travel more accessible to all groups of travellers."

“Wherever they choose to go, our guests can expect the largest, most diverse collection of hotel experiences, tied together by the most generous loyalty program in the business, Wyndham Rewards,” he added. 

“Going forward, we will be focused on our strategic transformation laser-focused on our brands, technology and marketing which will unlock even greater value for our franchisees, owners and management partners.”  

“Joon Aun is a strategic leader with a strong regional expertise and operational experience across China and South East Asia. He has played an instrumental role in our rapid growth in China where we are now the largest international hotel chain, and will now lead the way for Wyndham’s continued success in the South East Asia and Pacific Rim region,” said Bob Loewen, EVP & Chief Operating Officer of Wyndham Hotels & Resorts.

Mr Ooi was born in Penang and is a permanent resident in Singapore where he will be based. The Singapore office has been established as the region’s new headquarters and is supported by offices in Australia, Indonesia, Thailand and South Korea.  

Mr Ooi holds a Bachelor’s degree in Mechanical Engineering from Massachusetts Institute of Technology, and a Master of Business Administration from Stanford University.

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