Vaughn Irons awarded new construction Wyndham hotel franchise coming to the city of Stonecrest

STONECREST, GA–Vaughn Irons, Principal, Stonecrest Resorts, has been awarded a new construction hotel franchise that will be built under the first BOLD by Wyndham, a new program designed to engage and advance more Black entrepreneurs on their path to hotel ownership.

Developed with insight and support from existing and aspiring Black hoteliers, BOLD, which stands for Black Owners and Lodging Developers, aims to expand awareness for the unique challenges faced by Black entrepreneurs while using the scale and resources of Wyndham to help address those challenges and increase the number of Black hoteliers.

Irons said today (July 14) that the 110-room TRYP by Wyndham hotel will be constructed one early 2023 on the site where the former Sears Automotive Center was located at the Mall at Stonecrest. He said the hotel will be a welcome enhancement to Stonecrest Resorts’ current $17 million adaptive reuse project, Priví, which is transforming The Mall at Stonecrest into a family entertainment and lifestyle destination. Stonecrest Resorts has already developed the 25,000-square-foot SeaQuest Aquarium in the first phase of its Priví Stonecrest project, which opened November 2021.

The second phase is already underway and will soon add a health and wellness complex, fine art gallery, bookstore, coffee shop, incubator for creatives and 5,000-square-foot events facility. The new construction hotel is a cornerstone of the project’s next phase, which will introduce new lifestyle elements, including a 50,000-square-foot, chef-driven food hall, history museum, fashion designer emporium and expanded family entertainment. These elements will increase the total investment of the Privi project to $35 million, Irons said.

“We’re not just creating a new one-of-a-kind gathering place for those in east metro Atlanta,” said first-time hotelier Irons. “Priví is an economic development project solidifying Stonecrest as a tourism destination and drawing visitors from all around the Southeast and eventually internationally. Throughout each and every interaction Wyndham has been a true partner in listening to fully understand our tourism potential and delivering on our needs to offer a lifestyle brand experience in Stonecrest. Having the backing of Wyndham, means having the support and resources of the world’s largest hotel franchising company behind our community’s desire to be a safe haven for Black excellence and wealth creation.”

The National Association of Black Hotel Owners, Operators, and Developers (NABHOOD) reports that Black employment in the hotel industry represents nearly 20% of all team members in the industry, yet, less than 2% of hotel owners are Black. BOLD is Wyndham’s approach to attract more Black entrepreneurs to hospitality as well as to help accelerate those already familiar with the significant opportunities hotel ownership provides, offering the tools and guidance needed to achieve success.

“Wyndham Hotels & Resorts has always championed diversity, equity and inclusion both within our Company and throughout the greater travel industry,” said Geoff Ballotti, President and CEO, Wyndham Hotels & Resorts. “Earlier this year we launched Women Own the Room—the industry’s first-ever program targeting women’s advancement in hotel ownership— and now have more than a dozen by-Wyndham hotels under development with women owners. With today’s debut of BOLD by Wyndham, we’re looking to further leverage the power of Wyndham and create even more development opportunities for underrepresented ownership groups.”

Wyndham Hotels & Resorts is the world’s largest hotel franchising company with more than 8,900 hotels in 95+ countries.

To learn more about BOLD by Wyndham, including details around upcoming events, visit BoldbyWyndham.com. For additional details on franchising opportunities, visit www.wyndhamdevelopment.com. For more information about Priví, please visit www.StonecrestResorts.com