Wyndham Hotels & Resorts is in the initial stages of adding an economy extended stay brand, according to Geoff Ballotti, CEO, speaking on a fourth quarter earnings call. Extended stay demand, said Ballotti, “has proven to be just about absolutely recession- and pandemic-proof.” He said that demand is growing, with “corporate accounts asking for it.” There are over 10 million construction workers “out there,” said Ballotti, who travel every week. In addition, he said, relocation and long-term assignments are going to pick up. These business accounts, said Ballotti, “are our customers.” He said a developer’s council with many extended stay developers ishelping to design a prototype for a new brand. Like other hotel companies, Wyndham had a strong fourth quarter, with revenue at $392 million, up from $296 million the prior year; and net income totaling $48 million, compared with a net loss of $7 million in 2020. Hilton also saw a strong fourth quarter, reaching about 80% of 2019 levels, according to CEO Christopher Nassetta. He said that small and medium-size enterprises (SMEs) are leading the recovery. “We found that, surprisingly, large corporates disappeared [in 2020],” said Nassetta, “but the SMEs were still out there more than others. Why? Because their business requires them to be out there.”

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