First Park Inn Opens in Russia
Rezidor SAS Hospitality Becomes Largest International Hotel Operator in Region with Eight New Hotel
BRUSSELS, Belgium, June 5, 2006. Rezidor SAS Hospitality, the Brussels-based, multi-brand hospitality management company, announces the opening of the Park Inn Ekaterinburg, in the third largest city in Russia. Rezidor SAS is the largest international chain in Russia and the Commonwealth of Independent States, with management agreements signed for eight new hotels within the last 15 months. This is the first hotel in Russia to open under the Park Inn brand.
The Park Inn Ekaterinburg features 160 guestrooms with flat-screen televisions; a conference room with natural daylight; 'Magellan,' an all-day restaurant offering popular local cuisine; and free broadband service, including wireless Internet access, throughout the hotel.
Ekaterinburg is the administrative center of Sverdlovsk Region, located at the crossroads between Europe and Asia, on the eastern slopes of the Ural Mountains. It is a major industrial city and one of the largest centers for the Russian heavy machine-building industry. The city has a strong economic base and is the main commercial center of the Western Siberian region. The Ural University and the Ural Scientific Center of the Academy of Science of Russia are both located in Ekaterinburg. The city is home to the main airport in the region, which also acts as a hub for trans-national and international flights.
Marko Hytonen, area vice president for Rezidor SAS Hospitality, said: "We are very happy to announce the opening of the first Park Inn hotel in Russia. The arrival of the international brand in Ekaterinburg is especially significant, as it comes at a time when the city is going through such an amazing development. We are proud to be part of that."
"With this hotel, Rezidor SAS is pursuing its strategy of strengthening the company's presence in the Russian hotel market. The Park Inn opening represents a significant step in the new multi-brand expansion strategy for Rezidor SAS in Russia. Our goal is to reach 20 hotels within the next five years. The fastest growth is planned for Park Inn, focusing on large regional cities of Russia where the demand for mid-market hotels is very high," he said.
Park Inn hotels are known as highly efficient, fresh and innovative mid-market hotels. Park Inn puts an emphasis on mastering the essentials of a great hotel experience within its class and having warm and friendly service. The newly-built hotel in Ekaterinburg serves as a prototype for further expansion of the Park Inn brand in Russia.
The Park Inn hotel project is a joint venture between Rezidor SAS Hospitality and three Nordic government investment funds: Swedfund International AB (Sweden), The Investment Fund for Central and Eastern Europe (Denmark) and the Finnish Fund for Industrial Cooperation Limited (Finland) where each party is making an equal contribution, including Rezidor SAS.
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