CHICAGO, October 5 — Travel + Leisure Co. and Wyndham Hotels & Resorts have expanded their partnership to develop, operate, and scale hotels under the Sports Illustrated Resorts brand. The collaboration brings together Travel + Leisure’s brand stewardship and mixed-use development expertise with Wyndham’s global scale, distribution network, and commercial infrastructure. Projects are currently underway in Chicago, Baton Rouge, and Tuscaloosa, with hotel openings planned from 2027 to 2028.
Travel + Leisure contributes its experience in lifestyle branding and the creation of integrated destinations that combine lodging with residential, retail, and entertainment components. Wyndham provides access to its worldwide reservation system, loyalty program, and sales channels, which together reach millions of travelers annually.
The Sports Illustrated Resorts brand leverages the recognition of the Sports Illustrated name, associated with sports media and events, to attract guests seeking active and leisure-focused travel experiences. This marks an extension of Travel + Leisure’s strategy to license its portfolio of travel and leisure brands for real-world hospitality projects.
Project Locations and Development Timeline
In Chicago, the development is situated within a mixed-use district undergoing urban revitalization, aiming to serve both business travelers and visitors to nearby cultural and sporting venues. The Baton Rouge project is located near Louisiana State University, targeting alumni, families, and fans attending collegiate athletic events. In Tuscaloosa, the hotel is positioned close to the University of Alabama, with design elements intended to reflect local traditions and accommodate game-day crowds.
Construction and permitting activities are active across all three sites, with teams coordinating on design standards, brand consistency, and operational readiness. The staggered opening schedule from 2027 to 2028 allows for phased market entry and operational testing before full-scale rollout.
Industry Context and Competitive Position
The partnership reflects a broader trend in hospitality where media and lifestyle brands collaborate with established hotel operators to differentiate properties in competitive markets. By combining brand storytelling with operational scale, the joint venture aims to create destinations that generate stronger customer loyalty and premium pricing potential compared to conventional hotels. Wyndham’s involvement provides the partnership with immediate access to its franchising platform, which includes over 9,000 properties globally, and its Wyndham Rewards program, which had more than 80 million members as of prior reporting.
Travel + Leisure’s role ensures that the Sports Illustrated Resorts concept aligns with editorial standards and audience expectations associated with the brand. Going forward, investors will note performance metrics from the initial openings as the key indicator of the model’s scalability.
Additional locations may be considered based on market response, brand resonance, and the ability to secure suitable real estate partnerships in secondary and tertiary markets with strong sports or university affiliations.
