Rezidor to launch two new concepts

Hotel group Rezidor has teamed up with bar consultancy Gorgeous Group to launch two new bar and restaurant concepts across its entire portfolio.

The Brasserie de Verres en Vers and Sure Bar concepts, which made their debuts at the Radisson SAS Royal Hotel in Dublin, will be rolled out across the group's global portfolio over the next two years.

Rezidor, which operates the Radisson SAS, Country Inn, Park Inn and Regent brands, is aiming to open 20,000 new rooms by 2009.

Brasserie de Verres en Vers is a "modern take" on the classic French brasserie, offering an all-day menu and French wine list with interiors featuring dark wooden finishes and floral detail. Sure Bar is a design-led Irish bar concept offering cocktails and a menu of bar food. While 24 locations have been earmarked for the brasserie concept, 17 hotels have been identified for future Sure Bars, including new-build properties in Bristol and Durham.

Marko Hyotonen, Rezidor's vice-president of future openings and corporate food and beverage (F&B), said that the venues would compete with high-street outlets rather than rival hotel restaurants and bars.

He told Caterer: "As a group, we felt that there were too many hotel-type restaurant concepts and there was a need to introduce something new to improve the quality of our F&B offer. The new concepts go hand-in-hand with our existing Filini restaurant concept and, while there are further concepts in the pipeline, we are focusing on rolling these out across the Rezidor portfolio for now."

The design and decor of the concepts will include 15 key elements to maintain an overall feel but, Hyotonen added, Rezidor aims to maintain individuality and make each restaurant and bar different.


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By Kerstin Kühn

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