REZIDOR FEATURE

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T H E R E Z I D O R H O T E L G R O U P

2 www.southafricamag.com

fastest O N E O F T H E

W O R L D ’ S

South Africa Magazine profiles The Rezidor Hotel Group, one of the world’s fastest growing hotel chains.

By Ian Armitage

T he Rezidor Hotel Group is one of the world’s fastest growing hotel chains. Since 1994, the number of rooms

has increased tenfold and Rezidor now has a portfolio of over 420 hotels in 64 countries across Europe, the Middle East and Africa.

You could say success has come quickly – and compared to its competitors that is certainly true.

“It is a remarkable tale,” says Andrew McLachlan, VP for Africa & the Indian Ocean Islands, who established the Rezidor Africa development offi ce in Cape Town in 2007.

According to McLachlan, around 40 percent of the group’s total hospitality offering in operation is in the emerging markets of Africa, the Middle East, Russia and CIS.

“What’s more, of the 100 plus hotels or 20,000

The Rezidor Hotel Group FEATURE

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rooms in the pipeline 75 percent is in the emerging markets of Africa, the Middle East, Russia and CIS,” he says.

And it is set to grow.“Africa is a strategically

important market, very much so,” McLachlan adds. “As the mature markets of the West become increasingly saturated, this is where we sees our future.”

McLachlan’s task is clear: grow Rezidor’s presence on the African continent. He says that will be achieved by growing and consolidating the position of Radisson Blu and Park Inn by Radisson – two of Rezidor’s major brands.

“As far as Africa is concerned, I’m convinced that the opportunity is wide open,” he says.

growingH O T E L C H A I N S

“There is clear recognition that this is where our future focus should be.

“The new hotels currently under development will be located in the capitals or fi nancial hubs of these economies.

“The Rezidor Hotel Group is one of the world’s fastest growing hotel chains, and a strong presence in emerging markets is viewed as critical to long-term success.”

Over the last 48 months, McLachlan’s offi ce has added 34 new hotels to the portfolio.

“The goal is to grow quickly,” he says.

Rezidor’s story is all the more remarkable when you consider that, in the early years, growth in Africa was slow.



A PORTFOLIO OF GREAT HOTELS

RADISSON BLU HOTELSRadisson Blu Hotels & Resorts are fi rst class, full service hotels that combine a stylish and contemporary approach to design, with a cultureof innovative thinking

designed to meet the very specifi c needs of its guests. These innovations include its ‘Yes I Can!’ spirit of hospitality, a great choice of concept rooms with Nespresso® coffee machines in Business Class, a 100 percent Guest Satisfaction Guarantee programme, an Easy Connect approach to IT with Free high-speed Internet access for all guests and meeting delegates, and a fantastic range of bars,restaurants, leisure facilities such as spa and wellness centres and meetings and events venues.www.radissonblu.com

PARK INNPark Inn by Radisson is an energetic, family-friendly hotel brand that takes pride in delivering what really matters: a good comfortable bed in a clean and safe environment. From

check-in to the moment of departure, the Park Inn by Radisson experience is committed to being friendly, effi cient, uncomplicated and hassle-free. With colourful lobbies and great, contemporary room styles and restaurant spaces, Park Inn by Radisson promises you the best sleep in town... every time at any hotel in Europe, Africa and the Middle East.www.parkinn.com

Learn more at www.rezidor.com

HOTELSRadisson Blu Hotels & Resorts are fi rst class, full service hotels that combine a stylish and contemporary approach to design, with a cultureof innovative thinking

PARK INNPark Inn by Radisson is an energetic, family-friendly hotel brand that takes pride in delivering what really matters: a good comfortable bed

check-in to the moment of departure, the

Exterior - Radisson Blu Hotel Sandton

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Keep your guests informed by providing real time information direct to their TV. Live news, local flight times and much more.

For more information, please contact:

Ms Nandi MamaboloTel: +271 187 54 302, Mobile: +27 72 215 0788, Email: [email protected], Website: www.otrum.com

Guests are often unfamiliar with the TV channels on offer. Provide them with an EPG so that they can clearly see what programmes are on now and what’s next.

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Unlike established competitors such as Intercontinental, Sheraton or Hilton, Rezidor did not open its fi rst hotel in Africa until 2000.

However, McLachlan says, a shift in executive board strategy in 2006 saw the group focus on creating a “locally-driven, de-centralised structure” and a strong management presence on the ground in Africa.

“I think we were the first international hotel group to open a development office for Africa in Africa and that was a masterstroke by Kurt Ritter, President & CEO of Rezidor, who really drove that idea.

“Having local people on the



The Rezidor Hotel Group is one of the world’s fastest

growing hotel chains, and a strong presence in emerging markets is viewed as critical

to long-term success

Lobby – Radisson Blu Hotel Sandton

CLOUD BASED COMPUTING

Moving to ‘The Cloud’ is no longer a pipe dream. The ethos of OTRUM Enterprise is the collection of all data to a central online storage facility, enabling central data analysis to take place and making hotel server room equipment redundant. Allowing for proactive service monitoring and minimal onsite technical support, as well as reducing energy consumption.

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Know your guest, know your customer. The better you know your guest, the more chance you have to successfully promote in-house services and drive your revenue growth. Anybody can advertise the hotel restaurant by placing posters in the elevator, now it is time to get smart – target individual guests according to their profile type. With OTRUM Enterprise, you can.

How about adjusting pricing of services according to the guest profile? Do you have low demand for Internet during the daytime – then plan a campaign to all leisure guests who might be relaxing in their rooms in the afternoon. Animate banners onto their TV screens, you can even personalise the message and send it in different languages. OTRUM Enterprise provides the tools, and you apply your knowledge of hotel trends.

Imagine this on a global hotel chain level – the possibilities are endless, and there is a revenue stream just waiting. You have full control of the guest experience, with the power to communicate – you just need to decide “what, where and when” and the rest is easy.

CLOUD BASED COMPUTING

Personalised. Branded. Exclusive. � is is OTRUM Enterprise - your information, communication and entertainment portal. Be prepared for a user experience like no other. Empowering hoteliers to harness the potential of guest pro� ling and in-room marketing, this ground-breaking solution is truly changing your world by driving revenue growth and optimising the service o ering.

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PLAY THEIR GAME, RAISE YOUR’S

Guests come to your hotel with a range of gadgets, and their need to be ‘in-touch’ with the wider world is paramount. Okay, so you provide Internet – so does nearly every hotel in the city – it is time to differentiate. Your guests want to know what is happening in the world and they want to know it in real time - news, weather, flight status etc. Imagine this automatically generated and continuously updated on-screen in every guest room. With OTRUM Enterprise, you can.

Technology savvy guests are the norm, this is their playing field and what better than to give them a new toy? OTRUM’s smartphone app can be paired with the guest room, enabling the guest to experience interactive TV in a new way.

CONTACT

OTRUM operates globally, with local presence in key markets. OTRUM South Africa provides sales, consultancy and technical services throughout Africa. With offices in Johannesburg and Nairobi, we are well placed to serve your needs on the continent. Our installed base includes Park Inn Sandton, Radisson Blu Gautrain, Radisson Blu Sandton Isle and Radisson Blu Port Elizabeth in South Africa, Polana Serena in Mozambique and Sankara Hotel in Nairobi Kenya to name a few.

OTRUM South Africa provides a dedicated Sales and Consultancy team as well as having a team of highly qualified After Sales Engineers who can provide remote and on-site support when necessary. All of our technical staff have achieved certification status within OTRUM, and take part in continuous training.


THIS IS OTRUM ENTERPRISEPersonalised. Branded. Exclusive.

OTRUM Enterprise, your information and entertainment portal.

Simple, smooth and sophisticated guest interface. Designed to enable all guests to explore the interactive offering with confidence.

Entertain your guests with a comprehensive range of blockbuster & feature movies, documentaries, children’s programming and comedies.

Keep your guests informed by providing real time information direct to their TV. Live news, local flight times and much more.

For more information, please contact:

Ms Nandi MamaboloTel: +271 187 54 302, Mobile: +27 72 215 0788, Email: [email protected], Website: www.otrum.com

Guests are often unfamiliar with the TV channels on offer. Provide them with an EPG so that they can clearly see what programmes are on now and what’s next.

While your guest relaxes in front of the TV, you can use this opportunity to promote in-house facilities, special offers or third party services.

Guests always appreciate receiving weather information, no matter what the purpose of their stay.

enterprise advert - your portal.indd 1 9/1/11 2:23 PM

ground who understand the market helped us gain an advantage for sure.”

In May, The Rezidor Hotel Group announced that two new Park Inn by Radisson hotels would be built in Africa: The Park Inn Nairobi Westlands, Kenya, and The Park Inn Polokwane in South 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 fi rst guests in Q4 2013.

“Africa is one of our key markets for future business development,” says McLachlan. “Africa is an emerging continent and offers huge natural resources, improved infrastructure and increasingly stable economies and governments. At the same time it lacks internationally branded hotel rooms or has a dated hotel inventory.

“Nairobi defi nitely meets our growth strategy requirements and underlines how important East Africa is for our further development in key cities and resort destinations. We see a promising potential in this region and are glad to be present in Nairobi, East Africa’s commercial and aid hub.”

The hotel will follow a Radisson Blu Hotel featuring 256 rooms located in Upper Hill, the upscale new fi nancial and business district of Nairobi, which is under development, McLachlan says.

The hotel is scheduled to open soon, he adds.“From the wildlife to the nightlife, Nairobi is a city

unlike any other,” McLachlan explains.



Having local people on the ground who

understand the market helped us gain an advantage

Andrew McLachlan, VP for Africa & the Indian

Ocean Islands

Radisson Blu Resort & Thalasso Djerba Tunisia

Tel: +27 (0)11 268 6090Fax: +27 (0)11 268 6091

www.svarchitects.com

4 Chaplin Road, IllovoJohannesburg, 2196South Africa

Stauch Vorster Architects

Pursuit of Excellence Stauch Vorster Architects has earned its reputation as a market leader throughout Africa, by consistently delivering high quality architecture into a diverse number of market sectors including hospitality, residential, commercial, and retail.

By encouraging strong interaction with dynamic clients such as Rezidor, we continue to strive towards exciting tailor-made solutions for each project.

Accra - Ghana

Radisson HotelMaputo - Mozambique

Radisson HotelCape Town

Park-Inn HotelIkeja - Nigeria

Radisson Blu Hotel

Proud to be associated with the Rezidor group

Victoria Island - Nigeria

Park-Inn Hotel

Cape townDurbanJohannesburgMaputoMauritiusPort elizabethPretoria

Offices

Long Beach Resort - 2011Mauritius

The Park Inn Polokwane, meanwhile, is Rezidor’s third Park Inn by Radisson hotel in South Africa, following Sandton, Johannesburg and Cape Town.

Polokwane is a major economic centre and the hotel is seen as “strategically important” for Rezidor.

“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,” McLachlan says.

The brand new property will be located alongside Polokwane Golf Course and across the road from the Peter Mokaba Sports Stadium.



Restaurant – Radisson Blu Hotel SandtonPool – Radisson Blu Hotel Sandton

WSP is proud to have worked with the Rezidor Hotel Group on their recent project in Mozambique. The new Radisson Hotel is situated in Maputo, the prime city of Mozambique, marking Rezidor’s presence in 54 nations.

WSP carried out multidisciplinary engineering services, providing all structural, civil, mechanical, electrical, fire, wet service and IT engineering designs - making this 10 storey property a modern and striking building.

RADISSON HOTEL MAPUTO

www.wspgroup.co.za

The International Airport will be 7km 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.

“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.”

Rezidor has a very flat management structure, which means that reaction times and decision-making are fast and streamlined.

McLachlan sees this as a one of the reasons behind the firm’s success.

Another unique advantage held by Rezidor is its ability to access capital, he says.

Funding is critical to the success of hotel

development, but can be seen as particularly risky in new, untested markets.

Several years ago Rezidor founded AfriNord Hotel Investments, which is an equal partnership between Rezidor and four Nordic government development agencies, which, says McLachlan, it uses “on a case-by-case basis” if funding is needed.

“It means we can provide mezzanine debt funding, which is a competitive advantage,” he explains.

Globally, Rezidor manages a portfolio of three hospitality brands, each designed to capture a distinct segment of the market.

“When we opened our Africa office in 2007, we had a 2015 target of 50 hotels open or under development,” McLachlan concludes. “That target has already been moved forward by three years to 2012, when we will have surpassed our original goal.

“This is a very exciting time for us,” he adds. END

Restaurant – Radisson Blu Hotel Sandton


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