Safari Group take the time to talk with Gary – one of our lead architects from Studio 37

Design Insight: A partnership constructed on success

Safari Group’s long-standing partnership with Wyndham Hotels & Resorts dates back to the development of the Ramada Suites Christchurch. Over the years, we’ve worked alongside this global market leader to develop high-performing hotels across New Zealand.

We chatted to Benjamin Trotter, CFO and COO at Safari Hotels, to discover why the partnership has proved so successful. Fittingly, he took our call during a visit to the Ramada Queenstown Central – one of the more recent additions to Wyndham Hotels & Resorts’ New Zealand portfolio.

In a nutshell, why has the partnership with Wyndham Hotels & Resorts proved so successful?

A few of the key reasons would be a shared vision, commitment to quality and our combined expertise. We’ve built a great relationship with them after working so closely together over the years.

It’s a partnership that’s helped set a new standard for this market. One small example of that would be apartment-style accommodation. It’s relatively commonplace today but, back then, that room type was a rarity in New Zealand. It’s also been a pleasure to help their team introduce new brands to the local market – like the recently completed LQ Queenstown, which is the first LQ Hotel in Australasia.

What are the benefits of Wyndham Hotels & Resorts’ global footprint?

The team at Wyndham Hotels & Resorts have an incredible depth of knowledge with their fingers-on-the-pulse when it comes to global market insights and trends. And of course, there’s their prestigious suite of globally-recognisable brands.

For end-users, that global presence means they can be confident about the quality of the guest experience. There’s also all those extra special touches, like being able to join the world-renowned Wyndham Rewards programme.

How do you work together to ensure each development has a distinct personality?

We’ve certainly perfected this process and it means that each hotel has its own character, while incorporating Wyndham’s global best-practice standards. This also gives us the benefit of being able capitalise on new opportunities that arise over time through positioning two hotels in close proximity. They complement, and don’t compete, with each other.

How does the Wyndham connection benefit investors?

Our partnership with Wyndham Hotel & Resorts means each project is set-up for success from the get-go. As a long-standing relationship, we have a proven track-record and those looking to invest in hotel units in New Zealand can be confident they’re making a sound decision.

What are some of the recent project highlights?

I’m staying at one right now! Ramada Queenstown Central is in an ideal location in the heart of Queenstown CBD. Ramada Victoria Street would be another recent highlight – a flagship property which also happens to be where our Safari HQ is.

Both of these projects are a great showcase of our team’s expertise (particularly when it comes to working with more challenging sites) and our focus on perfecting every detail. In the case of Ramada Queenstown Central, it was also a unique project because of all the love and attention we paid to preserving that historic Frankton Road tree! (More about that here)

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