India Rising, Wyndham Soaring: A Hospitality Success Story

In an exclusive and delightful conversation, Wyndham's global and regional leaders — Geoff Ballotti, Dimitris Manikis, and Rahool Macarius — share insights on the brand's India journey and future plans.

- By Vinodini Rao

Wyndham Hotels & Resorts — the world’s largest hotel franchising company with over 9,300 hotels in 95 countries — has its sights set firmly on India, a market it calls pivotal to its global expansion plans. With more than 65 hotels already welcoming guests across the country and another 50 in the pipeline, India is now Wyndham’s fifth-largest market globally — and its fastest-growing.

On a quiet Sunday morning in Delhi, we sat down over steaming cups of coffee with some of the key voices shaping Wyndham’s India story. The setting was relaxed, but the conversation crackled with insight, ambition, and a genuine excitement about what’s next.

At the table were Geoff Ballotti, President & CEO of Wyndham Hotels & Resorts; Dimitris Manikis, President, EMEA; and Rahool Macarius, Market Managing Director, Eurasia — the trio leading Wyndham’s aggressive expansion in the region. Incidentally, they were all together in India for the grand unveiling of their elegant new property in Udaipur, Wyndham Grand Fatehsagar Lake, a shining example of Wyndham’s growing footprint in the country.

Geoff kicked things off with a smile, “Honestly, I was thrilled — and a little surprised — when I saw the numbers. More than 50% of our development pipeline is already under construction in India. That’s not future talk — those hotels are happening right now.”

Dimitris leaned in, reflecting on the changing face of India’s hospitality market. “Franchising is no longer just an American concept; India’s rising middle class of developers wants control, and Wyndham’s model gives them just that.”

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