Sugee Group and Wyndham Hotels & Resorts have signed a partnership to develop the world’s first Vienna House Residences by Wyndham on Al Marjan Island, Ras Al Khaimah, bringing the Vienna House brand to the Middle East for the first time, Hotel & Catering reported on October 23, 2026.
The agreement was formally signed at a ceremony in Dubai attended by senior leadership from both companies. Govind Mundra, Head of Development for the Middle East and Africa at Wyndham, represented the franchisor. The article describes the project as a global expansion of Vienna House into the Middle East and the start of a new chapter of residential hospitality for the brand.
Vienna House by Wyndham is a European lifestyle brand rooted in culturally rich destinations, built around contemporary design, intuitive service and a relaxed social spirit. The announcement describes Wyndham as one of the world’s largest hotel franchising companies.
The residences will be fully furnished and hospitality-led. According to the announcement, the project will be the only development on the island offering short-term rental, which the announcement says combines the consistency of hotel service with the privacy and comfort of home. Residents will receive a one-year complimentary Wyndham Rewards Platinum membership and access to preferred rates across more than 8,400 hotels worldwide.
Sheikh Saqr bin Omar Al Qasimi, chief executive of Marjan Development, said the project reflects an ambition to:
“curate growth by bringing the right partners and distinctive concepts”
to Ras Al Khaimah. Wyndham’s EMEA president, Dimitris Manikis, said the partnership introduces the brand to the Middle East alongside its first branded residences.
The deal illustrates a common route for hotel franchisors into the Gulf: the brand supplies the concept and loyalty network, and a local developer brings the land, construction and sales. Branded residences with short-term rental rights are one way to pair hospitality brands with real estate capital. Readers tracking brand entries in the region can compare this with hotel franchising in Asia Pacific and MENA, Radisson Hotel Group’s Middle East pipeline and Wyndham’s earlier Vienna House move into India.
The source article gives no unit count, opening date or financial terms for the Al Marjan project, so investors should treat those as open questions.
