1
                                                                     EXHIBIT 5.1


                    [LOCKE PURNELL RAIN HARRELL LETTERHEAD]


                                                      (214) 740-8675




May 14, 1996

Wyndham Hotel Corporation
2001 Bryan Street, Suite 2300
Dallas, Texas 75201

       Re:  Registration Statement on Form S-1
            (No. 333-2214)

Ladies and Gentlemen:

       We have acted as counsel for Wyndham Hotel Corporation, a Delaware
corporation (the "Company"), in connection with the registration under the
Securities Act of 1933, as amended (the "Act"), of an aggregate of 3,852,500
shares of the Company's Common Stock, $.01 par value per share (the
"Securities"). We have examined such documents and questions of law as we have
deemed necessary or advisable for purposes of this opinion.

       Based upon the foregoing, we are of the opinion that the Securities,
when issued and delivered against payment of the purchase price therefor as
described in the above referenced Registration Statement (as amended, the
"Registration Statement"), will be legally issued, fully paid and
nonassessable.

       The opinion expressed above is limited in all respects to the laws of
the State of Texas, the General Corporation Law of the State of Delaware and
the federal laws of the United States of America, each as presently in effect.

       This letter is furnished by us as counsel to you in connection with the
above referenced public offering and is solely for your benefit and not for the
benefit of any other person. This letter may not be relied upon by you for any
other purpose or relied upon or furnished to any other person without our prior
written consent.
   2
Wyndham Hotel Corporation
May 14, 1996
Page 2

       We consent to the filing of this opinion as an exhibit to the
Registration Statement and to the reference to our firm in the prospectus
contained therein under the caption "Legal Matters." In giving this consent, we
do not thereby admit that we come within the category of persons whose consent
is required under Section 7 of the Act or the rules and regulations of the
Securities and Exchange Commission promulgated thereunder.

                                        Respectfully submitted,

                                        LOCKE PURNELL RAIN HARRELL
                                        (A Professional Corporation)

                                        By: /s/ JOHN B. MCKNIGHT
                                           -----------------------------------
                                           John B. Mcknight