First TRYP Hotel: Medellín’s Latest Stride in Becoming Tourist Destination

It was roughly four years ago at TravelMart Latin America in Cartagena, Colombia when Travel Agent first learned that the one-time Pablo Escobar drug empire of Medellín was set to follow in the footsteps on Bogota and Cartagena in becoming Colombia’s next big tourist destination.

Sonesta Hotels opened a 125-room hotel in the destination in 2010. And in 2008, the destination unveiled a Radisson Hotel. For years, Medellín has been known as one of the most dangerous areas in Colombia. But with events like the annual Flower Fair in August, along with its revitalized infrastructure and booming nightlife, Medellin has become a safe destination for business travelers as well as young clients looking to dance the night away.

The latest attempt in replacing Medellín’s negative past with a bright tourism future came this Thursday with the announcement that Wyndham Hotel Group’s first TRYP by Wyndham opened there.

The 140-room, 14-story, four-star, TRYP Medellín is located on Calle Colombia in the heart of the Colombian state of Antioquia’s capital city. The hotel’s opening reflects Wyndham Hotel Group’s strategy of introducing the TRYP by Wyndham brand in key urban markets throughout the Americas.

“Colombia is a fast-growing travel destination for both business and leisure travelers, offering booming business hubs and sought-after attractions in key destinations like Medellín,” said Daniel del Olmo, brand senior vice president of TRYP by Wyndham, in a written release.

The hotel’s 140 rooms include junior suites and TRYP by Wyndham’s signature family rooms, which feature a large bed for parents and bunk beds for children. The hotel also offers the brand’s specialty fitness rooms, equipped with elliptical machines, treadmills or stationary bikes and a complimentary fitness kit complete with a workout outfit, exercise mat, mineral water and extra towels.

Continuing its expansion in the Americas, the TRYP by Wyndham brand will welcome its second Colombian property, TRYP Bogotá, in the fourth quarter of 2011 and will introduce its first location in North America with the summer 2011 opening of the 173-room TRYP New York City Times Square South.

Visit www.wyndhamworldwide.com.