Rezidor Announces two new Park Inn by Radisson Hotels in Africa

BRUSSELS, June 7, 2011 /PRNewswire/ --

The Rezidor Hotel Group, one of the fastest growing hotel companies worldwide, announces two new Park Inn by Radisson hotels in Africa. The Park Inn Polokwane in the South African province Limpopo will feature 160 rooms and is scheduled to open in Q1 2013. The Park Inn Nairobi Westlands in Kenya will add 126 rooms to Rezidor's pipeline and welcome the first guests in Q4 2013.

"Africa is one of our key markets for future business development. This emerging continent offers huge natural resources, improved infrastructure and increasingly stable systems. At the same time Africa lacks internationally branded hotel rooms or shows a dated hotel inventory in many cities," said Kurt Ritter, president & CEO of Rezidor.

The Park Inn Polokwane is Rezidor's third Park Inn by Radisson hotel in South Africa; following Sandton and Cape Town. Polokwane ("place of peace") is located in Limpopo, the country's northernmost province, and is a major economic centre. Its proximity to the neighbouring countries of Botswana, Zimbabwe, Mozambique and Swaziland, as well as a convenient distance from Kruger National Park make it the ideal regional gateway to South Africa.

The brand new property will be located along the existing Polokwane Golf Course and across the road from the new Peter Mokaba Sports Stadium. The International Airport will be 7 km away. Besides 160 modern and comfortable guest rooms, the hotel will offer a signature RBG grill restaurant, 580 square meters of meeting facilities, a gym, an outdoor swimming pool, and ample parking.

Kurt Ritter continued: "South Africa offers considerable development opportunities for our young and dynamic mid-market brand Park Inn by Radisson. We aim to enter all nine provincial capitals in the future in addition to the larger cities of Johannesburg, Cape Town and Durban."

The Park Inn Nairobi Westlands is Rezidor's first Park Inn by Radisson in Kenya and also the first in East Africa. It will be located in Woodvale Grove in the popular commercial and economic Westlands area of Nairobi, 5 km northwest of the city centre. The local headquarters of the United Nations and several international businesses are nearby. Nairobi itself is Kenya's capital - a thriving modern city with 3 million inhabitants and the commercial centre of East Africa. Nairobi is also nicknamed the "Safari Capital City of the World."

The new hotel will offer 126 rooms, an RBG grill restaurant, a bar & lobby lounge, 2 meeting- and 2 board rooms, a business centre, a gym, and a rooftop swimming pool and terrace.

"Also East Africa is a very suitable development region for Park Inn by Radisson with Nairobi as a centre. We will target cities and larger towns which fall within a two hours flying time north, south, east and west of Nairobi, and develop a regional network," ended Kurt Ritter.

About The Rezidor Hotel Group:

The Rezidor Hotel Group is one of the fastest growing hotel companies in the world. The group features a portfolio of more than 400 hotels in operation and under development with 86,300 rooms in over 60 countries, including a wide range of Manchester airport hotels ( http://www.radissonblu.co.uk/hotels/united-kingdom/manchester), hotels in Limavady (http://www.radissonblu.co.uk/hotels/united-kingdom/limavady), hotels in Glasgow city centre ( http://www.radissonblu.co.uk/hotels/united-kingdom/glasgow), hotels in Durham (http://www.radissonblu.co.uk/hotels/united-kingdom/durham) and hotels in Cardiff (http://www.radissonblu.co.uk/hotels/united-kingdom/cardiff).

Rezidor operates the brands Radisson Blu Hotels & Resorts, Park Inn by Radisson and Country Inns & Suites in Europe, Middle East and Africa, along with the goldpoints plusSM loyalty programme for frequent hotel guests. Under a worldwide licence agreement with the iconic Italian fashion house Missoni, Rezidor also operates and develops the new lifestyle brand Hotel Missoni.

For further information please contact:

    
    Christiane Reiter
    Director Corporate Communications
    The Rezidor Hotel Group
    Avenue Du Bourget 44
    B-1130 Brüssel
    Belgien
    +32-2-702-9331
    http://www.radissonblu.com