Wyndham Grows Aggressively in the Caribbean Region

Wyndham Hotels and Resorts is on the move in the Caribbean. Slated to open early next year is the 251-unit Wyndham Cacique Royal on Pirate’s Bay on the west coast of Grand Turk, Turks and Caicos. The island currently has less than 100 guest rooms in small inns and guesthouses, and drew fewer than 1,000 stayover visitors in 2007, according to the tourist board.

The presence of the Wyndham brand “will elevate our visibility and bring us a much-needed presence in the tourism arena,” according to a tourism spokesperson.

The small island, reached via a 19-minute flight from Providenciales, jumped onto the radar screen of cruise lines when its modern cruise facility opened last year and brought more than 300,000 cruise visitors to the island in the first nine months of operation.

The new Cacique Royal will feature one-, two- and three-bedroom beachfront condominium units, some of which already are for sale. The units will be available for rent when not owner-occupied.

Wyndham’s flag also will unfurl over St. Croix next year, and a Wyndham property is planned for an area south of Punta Cana, Dominican Republic.

In addition, Wyndham is in discussions with the government of Trinidad and Tobago to manage the former Hilton Tobago Golf & Spa Resort. Hilton terminated its management contract with the property earlier this month.