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                                                                     EXHIBIT 5.1

                     [LOCKE PURNELL RAIN HARREL LETTERHEAD]

                                 (214) 740-8525





January 27, 1997


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

         Re:     Registration Statement on Form S-1
                 (No. 333-18507)

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 646,669 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 distributed in accordance with the terms and conditions set forth 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.
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Wyndham Hotel Corporation
January 27, 1997
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         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/ M. CHARLES JENNINGS
                                            ------------------------
                                              M. Charles Jennings