In Argentina, casinos, spas and convention centers have replaced the orange roof and 28 flavors.
It’s hard to remember the last time you heard about a new Howard Johnson hotel opening in North America. That’s because the chain peaked in 1975 with 1,500 properties in the U.S. and Canada. The Carter-era oil embargo and rapid rise of fast food joints crushed the company’s motor lodge/sit-down restaurant model.
Do a Google News search today for “new Howard Johnson hotel” and you get no results. But change new to nuevo or novo, and you get a different story. That’s because HoJo’s parent, Wyndham Hotel Group, is moving the chain aggressively in an international direction toward, what can be considered EMTs, Emerging Markets for Tourism.
Just yesterday, Wyndham announced the next Howard Johnson hotel in Chaco, Argentina. While this type of announcement would go virtually unnoticed in the States, the news was a big deal in Argentina. In fact, a large throng of government officials and media trumpeted the announcement as validation of Chaco’s new tourism plan, Chaco Explota 2015.
With 22 existing properties, the chain is already the largest in Argentina and second only to China (33) for HoJo’s outside of North America. And these aren’t your grandfather’s HoJo’s with an orange roof and 28 flavors of ice cream. The Chaco property will have 150 rooms and a convention center. Other HoJo’s in Argentina even feature polo fields, spas and casinos.
Bottom line: It’s a fascinating case study of reinventing an aging brand for emerging markets, as Howard Johnson has tapped the fountain of youth and success in Argentina. For more information about lifestyle, travel and unique destinations in Argentina and Uruguay, download the new issue of InvestBA Privada.
