Six Continents Hotels to focus on 4 key European markets

Six Continents Hotels has announced that Germany, France, Spain and Italy have been identified as the key strategic targets for growth and investment in continental Europe.

Following John Bamsey’s appointment as area president Europe in autumn 2001, Six Continents Hotels has also announced a management re-organisation for the European region.

The changes in the Six Continents Hotels operations structure will see Europe split into four regions instead of six, each headed by an area vice president (AVPO) reporting to Mr Bamsey. The company said this will enable the integration of the sales, marketing and operations capabilities into a ‘one team’ culture to drive revenue and improve competitiveness. In addition, John Ludlow has been appointed as vice president operations development Europe to co-ordinate and implement standard operations across the region.

Mr Bamsey said: “These changes and the new teams will give us a strong base for consolidating resources and creating centres of excellence in order to grow our revenue. They will also enable clearer focus and direction on key management projects – such as the major renovations of Le Grand Hotel Inter-Continental Paris and the Castellana Inter-Continental Madrid.”

The four newly created AVPO’s will oversee the brands of Inter-Continental, Crowne Plaza, Holiday Inn and Express by Holiday Inn that fall within their region. For Western Europe (UK, France, Benelux) Heinz Strobel, based in Amsterdam, will oversee an area that includes flagship properties such as the Mayfair Inter-Continental London and the Amstel Inter-Continental Amsterdam, plus new developments such as the Crowne Plaza Brussels Airport, opening in 2003 and The Holiday Inn at Disneyland® Paris Resort opening later this year.

In Northern Europe Stephen Mulligan will oversee the German, Czech and Polish properties such as the Inter-Continental Praha, the recently refurbished Inter-Continental Berlin and the Express by Holiday Inn Frankfurt, which opened in February 2002.

Southern Europe will be looked after by Luciano Lusardi. His remit will cover Italy and Spain – where the De La Ville Inter-Continental Roma and Castellana Inter-Continental Madrid are coming out of renovation in the autumn and the new Inter-Continental Malta opens.

Hans Olbertz will oversee Six Continents Hotels properties in Central and Eastern Europe, such as the recently refurbished Hotel Inter-Continental Wien, Austria and Inter-Continental Budapest, Hungary and the Athenaeum Inter-Continental Athens.