Travel + Leisure Co. Partners With Wyndham To Develop Hotels Under the Sports Illustrated Resorts Brand

Travel + Leisure Co. is advancing the next phase of Sports Illustrated Resorts through an expanded partnership with Wyndham Hotels & Resorts that establishes the framework to build, operate and scale hotels under Sports Illustrated Resorts as a complementary, yet differentiated, hospitality and mixed-use development platform.

First introduced by Travel + Leisure Co. in 2023, the Sports Illustrated Resorts platform spans a range of hospitality, vacation ownership and residential offerings brought together in sports-focused destinations. The partnership with Wyndham builds on that foundation—bringing the brand into the traditional hotel space through a differentiated model that pairs Travel + Leisure’s brand stewardship, mixed-use development and management expertise with Wyndham’s global scale, distribution, development engine and commercial infrastructure.

The model is designed to give developers and asset owners greater flexibility in how they bring Sports Illustrated Resorts to life, from hotel-only developments to larger mixed-use destinations that combine multiple components of the platform. Wyndham will leverage its relationships across the hotel community to help identify potential development partners and asset owners as Travel + Leisure Co. expands the business.

Sports Illustrated Resorts is bringing the power of the Sports Illustrated brand to life through travel and hospitality, building on the brand’s legacy in sports, culture and entertainment. Opening the door to traditional hotels, in partnership with Wyndham, is the next chapter for the platform, giving us new ways to extend the Sports Illustrated experience to travelers while creating distinctive opportunities for developers and asset owners. We’re excited about the potential to unlock even more of what the Sports Illustrated brand can deliver in hospitality

Michael Brown, President & CEO, Travel + Leisure Co.

Sports Illustrated is one of the world’s most iconic lifestyle and entertainment brands, and its connection to sports creates a powerful opportunity in hospitality. Together with Travel + Leisure Co., we have an opportunity to create immersive, year-round destinations across college towns and major urban markets, anchored in unique experiences, distinctive programming and premier sports-centric events. The result is a highly differentiated offering for developers looking to get into the high-yield sports tourism sector and one we believe is well-positioned to generate strong, year-round demand.

Geoff Ballotti, President & CEO, Wyndham Hotels & Resorts

Expanding the Sports Illustrated Resorts Platform

Travel + Leisure Co. introduced Sports Illustrated Resorts in 2023 as a concept for a network of sports-themed resort and lifestyle destinations in college towns and leisure markets. From the outset, the vision contemplated a range of offerings, including vacation ownership, residential and other resort experiences designed around the Sports Illustrated brand and its nearly 70-year legacy in sports, culture and entertainment.

Since then, Travel + Leisure Co. has continued to advance the Sports Illustrated Resorts platform across a growing portfolio of sports and entertainment markets.

Sports Illustrated Resorts Nashville is now welcoming owners and guests, marking the debut of the first fully branded Sports Illustrated Resorts destination. Located on Music Row, the 185-suite resort brings the brand to life through sports-inspired amenities, social spaces and experiences designed to connect travelers with Nashville’s sports, entertainment and cultural offerings.

Additional Sports Illustrated Resorts destinations are underway in Chicago, Baton Rouge and Tuscaloosa. Chicago is currently operating in its “preseason era,” with project completion and the full brand offering expected in early 2027. Baton Rouge, the first confirmed resort to feature a hotel component, is planned for a phased opening later in 2027, while Tuscaloosa represents the brand’s first ground-up resort and is expected to open in 2028.

The expansion of Sports Illustrated Resorts into the traditional hotel space builds on a decades-long relationship between Travel + Leisure Co. and Wyndham Hotels & Resorts. That relationship extends across Travel + Leisure’s cornerstone vacation club brand, Club Wyndham, as well as experiential brands Margaritaville Vacation Club and Eddie Bauer Adventure Club, which connect with Wyndham’s thousands of hotels globally through Wyndham Rewards. With more than 126 million enrolled members, the industry’s #1 rated hotel rewards program serves as a powerful blue thread between the two companies, driving engagement, loyalty and long-term value across their portfolios.

Sports Illustrated Resorts is operated by Travel + Leisure Co. under license from Authentic Brands Group.

For more information on Sports Illustrated Resorts, including development opportunities or upcoming stays, visit SportsIllustratedResorts.com. Follow @SIResorts on Instagram.