Rezidor SAS Hospitality signs deal with Nordic government
Rezidor SAS Hospitality has joined forces with the governments of Denmark, Finland, Norway and Sweden to expand into Africa. The hotel group plans to have 20 properties in Africa, expanding to 50 hotels within five years. The company currently runs the Radisson Waterfront Hotel and the Park Inn Greenmarket Square in Cape Town.
New voluntary hotel group set up
A new independent marketing group for luxury hotels has been launched. The Exclusive Island Hotels and Resorts directory, which will be published in French and English, lists 52 members on 38 islands worldwide. All resorts were individually inspected and have to comply with the group’s requirements of “art de vivre, excellence, exclusivity and privacy”.
Hampshire Hotels to open in India
Hampshire Hotels and Resorts (HHR) plans to open hotels in Mumbai and Jaipur by the end of 2005. The British hotel group also owns hotels in New York, Washington DC and Beverly Hills.
Bulgarian hotel company to get extra funding
Investment banking group Shore Capital has arranged €30m (£20m) funding for Orchid Development Limited, a Bulgarian company. Organised by the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD), the money will allow Orchid to expand.
The company is hoping to raise a further €20m (£13m) by trading on London’s AIM stock market. It currently owns two hotels in the Black Sea Resort of Golden Sands; the four-star, 224-bedroom Yavor Hotel and a 167-bedroom self-catering unit opening this month.
Kempinski to manage Canary Islands hotel
Kempinski Hotels has signed an agreement with Plazaplain to co-manage the Kempinski Hotel Atlantis Bahia Real with Atlantis Hotels and Resorts. The five-star 250-room hotel was built in 2003 on Fuerteventura and taken over by Kempinski on 1 June. The hotel has five restaurants, a beach club and two bars.
Jumeirah International to go by new name
Luxury hospitality group Jumeirah International has shortened its name to Jumeirah. The Dubai based group announced it is rebranding its hotel portfolio accordingly, with the Emirates Towers Hotel being renamed as Jumeirah Emirates Towers. The company will launch an international advertising campaign later this year.
New Westin Hotel in New Delhi
Starwood Hotels & Resorts Worldwide and Vatika Group are to build a 300-room Westin hotel in Gurgaon, New Delhi. The hotel is due to open in 2007 and will include five restaurants, 17,500sq ft of meeting space, retail outlets and a health and spa centre. Vatika Group is also developing 150 Westin-managed residences near the hotel, comprising 1,500 apartments.