The Rezidor Hotel Group’s focus on growth and market diversification saw the group open 36 hotels in 2009, despite the global downtown.
The numbers beat 2008, when the group opened 33 hotels. The group’s strategy has been to diversify its portfolio. As well as establishing itself as a leading airport hotel operator (it opened the Radisson Blu Hotel Hamburg Airport in 2009), it also expanded its resort rooms with Radisson Blu Resort and Spa hotels in Dubrovnik, Cesme in Turkey and Monastir in Tunisia all opening in 2009.
President and CEO Kurt Ritter said: “Further highlights in 2009 include the launch of our dynamic mid-market brand Park Inn in the Middle East where we opened the Park Inn Al Khobar, Saudi Arabia, and the Park Inn Muscat , Oman.”
The group also introduced its upmarket designer brand Hotel Missoni last year, developed alongside catwalk show-stealers Missoni. Hotel Missoni debuted in Edinburgh and the brand’s future locations include Kuwait, South Africa, Oman and Brazil.
Ritter added: “2009 has been a challenging year, but even in tough times Rezidor believes in growth.”
by Dinah Hatch
