Founded in 1953, Ramada is a large American multinational hotel chain owned by Wyndham Hotels & Resorts. As of December 31, 2018, it operates 811 hotels with 114,614 rooms across 63 countries under the Ramada brand.
The Ramada name derives from the Spanish term rama (meaning “branch”). Temporary open-air structures called “ramadas” (meaning “porch” or “arbor”), made of brush or branches (similar to an arbor) were popular in Arizona during harvest time. Company websites commonly refer to the structure as a “shady resting place”.
Here below is a set of vintage photos that shows Ramada inns in the U.S. during the 1960s.