Carlson Adds 74 Hotels to Portfolio in 2007
Eight New Properties Added in December; More than 270 Hotels in Development
LOS ANGELES, CA, January 28, 2008. Carlson Hotels Worldwide today announced strong growth and financial results for 2007, adding a total of 74 hotels to its five brands globally and achieving record systemwide revenues of nearly $7 billion, a 13 percent increase over the previous year. The year was highlighted by major global initiatives including a significant new investment in the Rezidor Hotel Group which operates four of the company's brands in Europe, the Middle East and Africa (EMEA). Carlson now owns 41.7 per cent of Rezidor.
Other highlights of the year included the worldwide launch of a new generation guest reward program, goldpoints plus, the rollout of a new revenue optimization program that has spurred record financial performance and the announcement of a strategic alliance with Lotus Hotel Investment Fund to set up a new US$1 billion private equity fund to grow the company's brands in China, India, Thailand and other key Asia Pacific destinations.
Of special note in the company's 2007 global expansion are several showcase properties including The Regent Palms, a preeminent luxury resort in Turks & Caicos in the British West Indies; a destination Radisson resort on Denarau Island in Fiji; a high style Radisson SAS hotel in Marseille, France, and a contemporary new Radisson Edwardian hotel in London's burgeoning New Providence Wharf business district.
At year end, the company added eight new hotels in December, including Radisson properties in Lubbock, Texas; and Jamestown, N.Y.; Country Inn & Suites By Carlsonsm hotels in Goa, India; and Valparaiso, Ind.; Park Inn(R) hotels in Hamburg, Germany; St. Helens, England; and Montreal, Canada; and a Park Plaza in Bangkok, Thailand. Carlson hotel brands also include Regent Hotels & Resorts. Carlson's worldwide portfolio now totals 969 hotels with 146,000 rooms in 70 countries.
"We are excited about the increased growth in the number of hotel properties across our five brands, as well as double-digit revenue growth in 2007," said Jay Witzel, president and CEO of Carlson Hotels Worldwide and CEO of Regent. "We are focused on growing a high quality portfolio of owned, managed and licensed hotels worldwide. In 2008, we expect to open our 1,000th hotel, a landmark event in our continuing expansion. We have 145 new agreements signed globally in 2007 and more than 270 hotels under various phases of development around the world." Ball.
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