The COO of Wyndham talks about the Middle East.

The Wyndham Hotel Group recently announced plans to open its first property in Dubai, marking the latest step in the chain's Middle Eastern growth. In the Middle East, Wyndham operates 35 hotels, 27 of which are under the Ramada brand. Chats

Bob Loewen, executive vice president and chief operational officer of Wyndham Hotel Group, is in charge of the company's foreign operations. He discussed the group's growth in the Middle East and other global expansion goals in an interview with the World Property Channel.

What distinguishes Dubai from the other Wyndham hotels in the region?

There has been a significant surge in incoming travel to Dubai. The government and the Dubai Department of Tourism and Commerce want to double the number of tourists by 2020, from 10 million in 2012 to 20 million per year, and quadruple tourism's contribution to the city's economy, as a result of Dubai's Vision for Tourism, which was signed early this year. The city's significant infrastructure investment is supporting this effort, and as a result, the city will be able to handle that kind of rapid expansion, which will benefit hotel companies and owners operating there.

What are some of the difficulties of competing in Dubai?

Every brand wants to be in Dubai because of its tremendous growth potential, which creates a healthy level of rivalry. It's also a very expensive market to do business in; as a result, Wyndham Hotel Group is currently focusing on introducing and growing our higher-end offerings in the city, such as Wyndham Hotels and Resorts and Ramada, as well as looking for the right opportunities in the future to introduce our economy and/or midscale brands.

What are the sources of your customers?

Visitors come from all around the world, but mostly from Russia and Eastern Europe, as well as Saudi Arabia and Egypt. While visas are not currently required for Americans to enter the country, there has been discussion of allowing Americans to clear customs in the Emirates before returning to the United States; if this were to happen, the amount of travel into Dubai from the United States would greatly increase, making travel to the Emirate much more convenient.

What are the intentions for the chain's future expansion in the Middle East?

We believe the Middle East has a bright future ahead of it, with several chances to expand the Wyndham Hotels and Resorts brand throughout the region and introduce it to new markets...

We opened our first Wyndham in Turkey at the end of last year, Wyndham Istanbul Kalamis Marina, and have plans to open another in Istanbul this year. We're enthused about the brand's potential for expansion and aspire to have a Wyndham Hotels and Resorts location in every major Middle Eastern city. We're also looking for potential to promote the brand in major African countries, where hotel development is booming.

Is Wyndham's performance in the Middle East as expected?

Our hotel owners and franchisees in the region who operate hotels under our brands are quite pleased with the results they are experiencing.

How is the region doing in general compared to this time last year?

The region's performance is improving, with industry analysts STR reporting an increase in RevPAR of more than 11% in Dubai alone in the first quarter of 2013 compared to the same period last year. So far, the results from 2013 have been excellent, and we expect the region to continue to do well.

What has been the performance of the Doha hotel?

The Wyndham Grand Regency Doha's owners are extremely happy with the hotel's performance. We plan to continue working with this ownership group on other opportunities in the region, as they manage two properties under our Wyndham Hotel Group brands.

What have you discovered about your Middle Eastern clientele?

Travelers to the Middle East must be aware of cultural variations and traditions; for example, food and beverage requirements are particularly distinctive to the region and may alter between countries. As a result, if hotels are to succeed in the region, they must fulfill these distinct and diverse needs, and hotel firms and brands must recognize and accept such requirements.

Are there any other global places with similar intentions for the brand's expansion?

Yes, we believe the Wyndham Hotels and Resorts brand has a lot of room to grow, not only in the Middle East but also in Europe and Latin America. Wyndham Hotel Group inked an agreement with Grand City Hotels in February to introduce the Wyndham brand in Germany, with the addition of 18 properties to the Wyndham Hotel Group family. This was part of a broader deal to link 43 hotels under the Wyndham Hotel Group brand.

We want to spread the brand across major Latin American regions, particularly Brazil, where hotel building is booming. Finally, China will continue to be a growth market. We're constantly on the lookout for new ways to establish or extend the brand in new regions with new partners.