Wyndham Hotels & Resorts is looking to remedy the dearth of its Super 8-branded hotels in Europe, a move to accommodate budget-conscious travelers on the continent.
The franchisor of mostly economy-friendly brands has signed a development agreement with Soliteight Hotel Projects SA to launch the Super 8 by Wyndham brand in Spain and Portugal. The partnership outlines plans to develop 40 hotels over the next decade across key urban and leisure destinations in the region. Wyndham currently only operates 14 Super 8 hotels across EMEA, including locations in Germany, The UK and Saudia Arabia.
The first hotel is slated to open in Leiria, Portugal in the fourth quarter of 2027 with additional locations to be developed across Tier-1 and Tier-2 cities, including key travel hubs like airports, busy retail areas and along popular transportation routes in smaller cities.
The majority of the hotels will be built ground-up using modular construction, which allows units to be built at another site then plopped onto a location.
This marks the brand’s entry into the Iberian Peninsula. “Bringing Super 8 to Spain and Portugal is a strategic move to make quality, affordable travel more accessible,” said Dimitris Manikis, president for EMEA at Wyndham Hotels & Resorts. “Southern Europe has a growing demand for reliable, budget-friendly accommodations and our collaboration with Soliteight allows us to meet that need. We’re looking forward to bringing Super 8’s signature blend of affordability, modern comfort and sustainability to these vibrant markets.”
Wyndham called the launch of Super 8 in the region as a way to satisfy and addressable market need for more affordable accommodations. In 2024, Spain had its best year for tourism on record, welcoming a 94 million international visitors. Portugal also saw significant tourism growth.
Spain’s strong economic performance, with a 3.2% GDP increase that same year, is further fueling domestic and business travel, particularly in secondary cities and emerging markets.
Soliteight is a Portugal-based hotel development company, founded as a joint venture between private equity firm FundBox Holdings and Estoril 8023, a hotel management company. Soliteight focuses on asset-light investment models and long-term lease agreements.
“Spain and Portugal continue to lag other European markets in branded economy hotels, with a 10% gap in budget brand penetration, despite a 142% surge in RevPAR since 2019,” said Rui Alpalhão, CEO of Soliteight. “We are delighted to partner with Wyndham as the exclusive developer for Super 8 in Iberia, addressing the need for well-branded economy hotels that offer comfort, consistency and value for both international and domestic travelers.”
The first properties under the new agreement are expected to break ground in the near future. Specific locations have not been announced. Wyndham currently has more than 550 hotels across Europe, including several in Spain and Portugal under brands such as Ramada, Wyndham Grand, and Dolce.
