Wyndham Hotels & Resorts launched the new Arbor prototype for its upper-midscale Wyndham Garden brand during the Americas Lodging Investment Summit this week in Los Angeles.
The new-construction prototype is meant to be cost-effective with “a fresh perspective on guest experience and a smart layout designed to maximize efficiencies and challenge rising construction costs,” the company claimed in a statement. The four-story, 110-room prototype is reportedly “inspired by the harmony of nature,” incorporating dappled light, textured wood, natural fabrics and flexible outdoor space.
The blueprint offers developers a scalable option at under 58,000 square feet, fitted for fewer than two acres of land. Designed by architectural firm CallisonRTKL, the Arbor prototype offers simple framing and foundation across approximately 57,500 gross square feet to help reduce construction costs and meet land requirements in a range of markets. The brand enlisted a developer advisory council, made up of a dozen developers across multiple brands and segments, to provide feedback on critical elements of the prototype including back-of-house design and lobby configuration.
The interior design brings the outdoors in with expanded natural light, a focus on texture, naturally inspired materials and wood-look accents. The entry experience includes an abstract interpretation of an arbor against the ceiling, starting from the porte cochere and extending through the lobby into the back patio, accented by wooden features and clustered pendent lighting creating an anchored path.
Related: Using outdoor elements to improve hotel design
Public spaces incorporate intimate gathering areas, including a flexible outdoor space with communal seating, a fire pit and a recreation area for lawn games.
Wyndham also expects to offer hotels the option to provide upgraded, premium wellness features through Delos’ Fresh by Stay Well program, including air purifiers, mood-enhancing aromatherapy and shower infusers that neutralize chlorine.
New Menu
The brand also introduced a new food-and-beverage concept: Nice&Vice was created by celebrity chef Jet Tila, offering dishes “strategically streamlined” from just a few ingredients—also designed to ease impact to the bottom line, streamlining supply costs and kitchen space. The menu relies on a condensed selection of ingredients that can be combined to create multiple dishes, all of which can be cooked in a Turbo Chef oven.
“With the majority of Americans spending less than 7 percent of their day outdoors, we wanted to create spaces that bring the outside in, honoring our brand’s identity with a connection to nature to help our guests travel at ease,” said Danica Boyd, Wyndham Garden brand leader. “We also recognize the importance of thoughtful planning in today’s construction climate, and designed Arbor as a breath of fresh air for both guests and developers.”
New Normals
According Wyndham, the launch of Wyndham Garden’s new Arbor prototype is a critical next step in the company's new-construction growth strategy, which began with Microtel Inn & Suites by Wyndham’s Moda prototype last year. With a newly expanded design and construction team led by the experts behind the La Quinta by Wyndham brand, the company is introducing new prototypes across some of its growing brands that are poised to “build a foundation for long-term growth.”
Related: Moda Prototype takes Microtel by Wyndham into the future
Wyndham Garden continues to be one of the fastest-growing brands in the company’s portfolio with 68 percent system growth over the last five years. The brand is expanding its global presence, debuting its first hotels in Argentina, Oman and the Philippines in 2019 and preparing to debut in the countries of Georgia and Australia next year.
Wyndham Hotels & Resorts has more than 9,200 hotels in more than 80 countries.