Wyndham Hotel Group has announced the appointment of Dimitris Manikis to the role of president and managing director for Europe, Middle East, Eurasia and Africa.
He will be based at the company’s London offices.
Manikis will be responsible for the development of all of Wyndham Hotel Group’s brands in the EMEA region as well as maximising the performance of all new and existing franchise and managed hotels.
He will focus on driving the strategic objectives of Wyndham Hotel Group including quality and technology solutions as well as loyalty, sales and marketing.
A 27-year veteran of RCI, the worldwide leader in vacation exchange with more than 4,300 affiliated resorts in nearly 110 countries, Manikis possesses deep knowledge of the hospitality industry, an extensive network and strong relationships with developers and customers across the EMEA region.
He recently served as vice president of business development for RCI EMEA, where he steered a team spanning three regions.
At RCI, he held several key positions in the EMEA region including as managing director of RCI Greece and RCI South Africa.
“The EMEA region has a diverse hospitality landscape and is witnessing exciting trends such as the emergence of new feeder markets, a younger demographic and fast-paced technology adoption.
“With our focus on providing everyday travellers with a breadth of choice, we have cemented our reputation as the industry leader,” said Bob Loewen, Wyndham Hotel Group chief operating officer.
“Dimitris’ wealth of experience in the shared ownership industry and strong relationships with hospitality providers across EMEA make him an ideal professional to lead our operations in this rapidly growing region.”
Wyndham Hotel Group expanded its footprint across EMEA with a number of significant openings throughout 2017, bringing the total number of hotels across the region to nearly 470.
“I am looking forward to strengthening the operations and footprint of Wyndham Hotel Group in EMEA, a region I have been associated with for nearly three decades.
“With the robust performance of the industry in several key markets in EMEA last year, the potential for Wyndham Hotel Group to expand its operations further in the region is tremendous,” said Manikis.
Manikis has a master of science in tourism marketing from the University of Surrey, UK, and a degree in tourism and administration from the Technical University of Patras in Greece.