Wyndham Hotels & Resorts announced it has launched a strategic partnership with WaterWalk, an upscale extended stay lodging provider. The deal, according to the announcement, adds 11 hotels and over 1,500 rooms to the Wyndham ecosystem, rebranding them under the newly created WaterWalk Extended Stay by Wyndham brand, the 25th in Wyndham’s portfolio.

Located in markets that include Tucson, Jacksonville and Wichita, the brand’s offerings, according to the announcement, “perfectly complement Wyndham’s existing economy and midscale extended stay brands.”

WaterWalk was created by the late Jack DeBoer, a pioneer in extended stay accommodations who founded Residence Inn and Candlewood Suites, among others. The brand features a Live/Stay model with fully furnished Stay units catering to traditional extended-stay guests while unfurnished Live units allow guests to design rooms to their liking.

Chip Ohlsson, chief development officer for Wyndham, said that in the last year guest demand for the extended stay segment reached record highs. That trend, he said, has been underscored by demand from owners and developers looking for new opportunities to partner with Wyndham.

Mimi Oliver, CEO of WaterWalk, said joining the Wyndham portfolio is a pivotal moment in her company’s evolution, “one we believe will lead to enhanced efficiencies, performance and growth — all thanks to the Wyndham Advantage” (the marketing, distribution and resources program from Wyndham).

WaterWalk marks Wyndham’s third extended stay brand, joining ECHO Suites Extended Stay by Wyndham and Hawthorn Extended Stay by Wyndham. ECHO Suites launched in 2022 and has over 265 economy new construction hotels in its development pipeline, half a dozen of which are nearing completion. Hawthorn in 2023 saw 30% growth in its midscale conversion and new construction development pipeline.

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