Wyndham Hotel Group is planning to introduce two of its global brands to China, in addition to its five hotel brands in the country. [Photo provided to China Daily]

They chose to enter the Chinese market from the bottom up, but now the Wyndham Hotel Group is aiming for the top. Xu Lin talks to the main motivators about the latest strategies.

Planet Hollywood Hotels will land in China soon, and they will be part of the master plan by the Wyndham Hotel Group to bring added value to the luxury hospitality sector.

Already known for its predominance in the budget hotels strata with its Super 8 chain, the group plans to use a different approach with two of its global brands - TRYP by Wyndham and Planet Hollywood Hotels.

"We are here to bring innovative brands to the hotel business. This is going to be our milestone. China is always our priority market and the key is how to invest and focus on our presence in the country," says Bob Loewen, executive vice-president and chief operating officer of Wyndham Hotel Group, who was in Shanghai recently.

The US-based group boasts the most hotels in the world, with the widest range spanning the spectrum from economy, midscale, upscale, resorts to extended stay hotels. Most hotels are independently owned and operated.

At the end of 2013, it had about 7,490 hotels and more than 645,400 rooms in 70 countries.

Of its 695 hotels in the Chinese mainland then, about 76 percent were Super 8. The others were midscale and upscale hotels. In 2005, the group only had 57 hotels in Asia Pacific. The number rose to 777 in 2013.

In March, the group won Best International Hotel Management Group of China at the 9th China Hotel Starlight Awards.

Five of the Wyndham Group's 15 brands are in China now, including Ramada, Days Inn, Howard Johnson and Wyndham.