Rezidor Hotel Group: Radisson Blu remains Europe's largest upper-upscale hotel brand


Berlin/Brussels, 8 March 2017


A brand leader in Europe
At 2017 IHIF (International Hotel Investment Forum) in Berlin, Rezidor reconfirmed its leading position in Europe with Radisson Blu, the largest upscale hotel brand featuring 186 hotels with almost 45,000 rooms in operation, as per the latest ranking published by MKG Hospitality-On.

"We are proud of the journey of our industry-leading brand. Iconic, stylish and sophisticated, Radisson Blu is a multi-award-winning, full service, upper-upscale brand delivering genuine and relevant guest experiences with a distinctive Yes I Can! attitude. Such a leading position confirms that the Radisson Blu brand, and Rezidor, are a most compelling solution to the needs of both guests and investment partners. We are confident to eventually lead the upper-upscale segment with Radisson Blu, outside of Europe, too," said Elie Younes, Executive Vice President & Chief Development Officer of Rezidor.

A leading player in Poland
"With an average GDP growth of 3.6 percent in 2015 and the rise of domestic tourism, Poland has become an important economic player in Europe and a focus country for Rezidor. Radisson Blu is the largest upscale brand in Poland also, amongst several other European countries," said Younes. "With a portfolio of 13 hotels already, we will strengthen our Polish portfolio together with our national and regional partners, and to actively support the country's growing travel & tourism sector", added Younes.

The newly signed Radisson Blu Hotel, Sopot is Rezidor's fourth resort in Poland, following Zakopane, Swinoujscie and Szklarska Poreba. Sopot is one of the country's most famous towns and is extremely fashionable, particularly in the summer months, as a top destination seaside resort town in the heart of Poland's Tricity Metropole (Gdansk, Gdynia, Sopot).

The Radisson Blu Hotel, Sopot will be located just 250m away from the Baltic Sea Beaches and provide easy access to the Gdansk Business District as well as Gdansk's Old Town. This business and resort hotel, expected to open by Q1 2019, will feature an all-day restaurant, a lobby bar, more than 900m² of extensive conference and meeting areas, parking and a 900m² spa wellness area with a gym and indoor pool.

The project is being developed with Grupa Inwestycyjna Hossa S.A.; a Gdynia-based design and architectural firm with 25 years of experience in real estate.

The Rezidor Hotel Group's Polish portfolio spreads from Gdansk to Krakow, Warsaw, Szczecin, Zakopane, Swinoujscie, Szklarska Poreba, Poznán, and Wroclaw.

For further media information, please contact:

Martin Melzer, Area Manager PR & Communications, Central & Southern Europe
martin.melzer@carlsonrezidor.com

Lucie Cardona, Director Media Relations & Reputation Management
lucie.cardona@carlsonrezidor.com

About Radisson Blu®
Radisson Blu® is one of the world's leading hotel brands with nearly 300 hotels in operation in 69 countries and territories. Radisson Blu's vibrant, contemporary and engaging hospitality is characterized by a unique Yes I Can!SM service philosophy, and all of its first class hotels offer a range of signature features that are empathetic to the challenges of modern travel, including the 100% Satisfaction Guarantee. Distinguished the world over as the brand with Hotels Designed to Say YES!SM, Radisson Blu offers a vivid visual celebration of leading-edge style where the delight is in the detail. Radisson Blu hotels are located in prime locations in major cities, airport gateways and leisure destinations across the world.

Radisson Blu is a part of Carlson Rezidor Hotel Group, which also includes Quorvus Collection, Radisson®, Radisson RED, Park Plaza®, Park Inn® by Radisson and Country Inns & Suites By CarlsonSM. For reservations and more information visit, www.radissonblu.com. Connect with Radisson Blu on social media: @RadissonBlu on Twitter and Instagram and Facebook.com/RadissonBlu.

About The Rezidor Hotel Group
The Rezidor Hotel Group is one of the most dynamic hotel companies in the world and a member of the Carlson Rezidor Hotel Group. The group features a portfolio of more than 480 hotels in operation or under development with 105,000 rooms in 80+ countries.

Rezidor operates the core brands Radisson Blu® and Park Inn® by Radisson in Europe, the Middle East and Africa (EMEA), along with the Club CarlsonSM loyalty program for frequent hotel guests. In early 2014 and together with Carlson, Rezidor launched the new brands Radisson RED (lifestyle select) and Quorvus Collection (luxury). In 2016, Rezidor acquired 49% of prizeotel. Rezidor has an industry-leading Responsible Business Program and was named one the World's Most Ethical Companies by the US think-tank Ethisphere.

In November 2006, Rezidor was listed on the Nasdaq Stockholm, Sweden. HNA Tourism Group Co., Ltd., a division of HNA Group Co., Ltd.-a Fortune Global 500 company with operations across aviation, tourism, hospitality, finance and online services among other sectors-became the majority shareholder in December 2016.

The Rezidor Hotel Group and its brands employ 43,700 people in EMEA and is headquartered in Brussels, Belgium.

For more information, visit www.rezidor.com
Twitter @carlsonrezidor
LinkedIn www.linkedin.com/company/2364
Instagram www.instagram.com/rezidor_ourpromise