Twenty Ramada hotels are to open across the UK over the next 10 years as part of a new development deal.
The first two hotels, the 45-room Ramada Resort Cwrt Bleddyn in Usk, Wales and the 79-room Ramada Leicester Stage Hotel in Leicester, are expected to start accepting guests from next month, taking the number of Ramada properties open across the country to 40.
A third hotel, in Finchley, north London, is planned to open next year.
The expansion of the midscale brand is the result of a development agreement between Ramada parent Wyndham Hotel Group and Lester Hotels Group.
The deal also saw a licence agreement for an existing Ramada Hatfield hotel renewed for a further 20 years.
All properties will be managed by Lester Hotels, which becomes a preferred management partner for Wyndham Hotel Group in the UK.
Wyndham Hotel Group development vice president for the UK and Europe Nima Davoodzadeh said: “We look forward to working with Lester Hotels Group to aggressively accelerate the growth of the iconic Ramada brand in the UK.
“With a 60 year heritage that has seen the brand grow to over 820 locations across more than 50 countries, Ramada offers guests a welcoming environment for work or rest, as well as significant development potential for owners looking for a renowned brand, award-winning marketing and an extensive global distribution system.”
“We are delighted to extend our association with Wyndham Hotel Group and become a preferred management partner and have already developed an excellent working relationship with their UK team,” said Simon Lester, CEO and chairman of Lester Hotels Management Services.
“The diversity and appeal of the Ramada brand in the UK perfectly complements both our own portfolio and a number of current opportunities and we look forward to opening more Wyndham Hotel Group branded properties in the UK over the next few years.”
In addition to the Lester Hotels development agreement, Wyndham has taken over the management of Ramada Encore Leicester and extended the brand’s franchised presence with a new hotel in Oxford.
Additional Ramada properties are due to open in Wakefield and Hounslow before the end of the year.