Alexandra will be responsible for all group PR & Communication activities across a portfolio of more than 60 hotels and 15,000 rooms in Norway, Sweden, Denmark, Finland and Iceland.
Scandic Hotels, the largest hotel operator in the Nordic countries, will open a new hotel in 2018 – Scandic Portalen – at Norway's largest congress center, Norway Trade Fairs, in Lilleström. Lilleström is one of Norway's most important hubs for business travel and the only stop on the train line between the airport and Oslo Central Station.
One-off costs related to a hotel closed for renovation and the challenging business climate will impact the 2014 results of the Rezidor Hotel Group and delay the delivery of the company's Route 2015 margin enhancement objectives. Launched in 2011 and targeting an EBITDA margin increase by 6-8pp by the year 2015, the turnaround programme focusses on revenue generation, fee-based growth, cost savings, cap utilization and asset management.
Scandic Hotels continues to expand in the Norwegian hotel market by acquiring hotel operations in Bergen from owner Bergen Hotel Gruppen AS. Scandic will take over three hotels: Scandic Neptun, Scandic Bergen City and Scandic Strand with a total of 630 hotel rooms and some 40 conference rooms. Scandic will then operate six hotels in one of Norway's most expansive hotel markets, which is also the second largest hotel market in Norway.
Strategic technology trends are talking about mobile devices continuing to proliferate, and predict an increased emphasis on serving the needs of the mobile user in diverse contexts and environments. The innovative mobile key service and system, developed by Zaplox AB, is an excellent example, that will change and improve the hotel and travel experience: The app that you download to your smartphone, offers on top of its mobile key function a range of useful services, for example check in and check out. Zaplox is now part of HTL hotels expansion to Norway, and their digital initiatives for the modern traveller.
This spring, HTL hotels introduced a completely new hotel concept in Stockholm, where the best city center location, high quality and attractive prices are offered in combination with a digital travel experience for today's modern and discerning traveller. Now, HTL hotels is expanding with two new hotels in Oslo.
Scandic Stavanger City officially opened this spring. Now Scandic is further strengthening its presence in the oil city, when signing a major new hotel: Scandic Stavanger Congress.
It is expected a slight slow down in the Norwegian economy for 2014. However a ca 10% weaker exchange rate (NOK/ Euro) is considered positive as to development of foreign tourism, which could reach 2013 level.
Scandic is continuing its expansion in the Nordic market, with today's opening of Scandic Kristiansand Bystranda in Norway. The hotel is situated in idyllic Bystranda, in the centre of Kristiansand, with over 800 beds and 229 rooms, 23 of which are adapted for disabled guests. Scandic Kristiansand Bystranda, which is Nordic Ecolabelled, offers design and architecture clearly inspired by mankind's relationship with the sea.
Scandic Hotels is the biggest hotel chain in the Nordic countries and continues to expand. The new hotel project will have an unique location in the area Lerkendal, nearby the technological center of Trondheim.The hotel will have 400 rooms with more than 1 200 beds and will be an important contributor to the city´s room capacity. The hotel will also take over the position as the meeting point of the region, with room for 2 800 conference participants. The biggest conference room of the hotel will be as big as 1 430 square meters.
The Rezidor Hotel Group, one of the fastest growing hotel companies worldwide, announces two new hotels in Oslo: The Radisson Blu Hotel, Oslo Alna with 135 rooms and the Park Inn by Radisson Oslo Alna with 208 rooms will be located in adjacent towers, with shared facilities and management. Their opening is scheduled for Q3 2013. Both properties are owned by Norwegian-based Wenaasgruppen, which is one of Rezidor's most important development partners.
The architectural unique hotel will get a prime location, close to the heart of Stavanger. The hotel will have 210 rooms, including rooms for disabled guests. At street level there will be a restaurant, lobby bar and meeting rooms. There will be meeting facilities for the total of 300 persons, where the largest meeting space can cater up to a group of 100 persons. The building will also have a underground garage, and of course everything you can expect from a Scandic hotel such as a lobby shop, a gym and a leading sustainability program.
The Rezidor Hotel Group, one of the fastest growing hotel companies worldwide, announces two new hotels in Oslo: The Radisson Blu Hotel, Oslo Alna with 135 rooms and the Park Inn by Radisson Oslo Alna with 208 rooms will be located in adjacent towers, with shared facilities and management. Their opening is scheduled for Q3 2013. Both properties are owned by Norwegian-based Wenaasgruppen, which is one of Rezidor's most important development partners.
The Rezidor Hotel Group, one of the fastest growing hotel companies worldwide, announces the Park Inn Trysil Mountain Resort in Norway. The property featuring 369 rooms is scheduled to open in December 2011 - just in time for the next ski season. Park Inn by Radisson is Rezidor's young and dynamic core brand in the mid market segment; offering a hassle free stay, a relaxed and personalized ambiance, and comfortable rooms with modern amenities.
Ariane Systems, the world leader in self-service check-in/out technology for the hospitality industry, today announced that Nordic Choice Hotels has implemented its Allegro Online/Mobile/Kiosk check-in solution with the launch of the hip new Comfort Xpress brand concept. The first Comfort Xpress branded hotel, which opened January 10th in Oslo, Norway with 180 compact rooms, features the hospitality industry's first 100% automated check-in solution.
The Rezidor Hotel Group, one of the fastest growing hotel companies worldwide, announces the Radisson Blu Sortland in Norway - the new built resort- & conference hotel featuring 168 guest rooms is scheduled to open in 2013. Sortland, a small city in Northern Norway between Tromsø and Bodø, is a beautiful destination for activities such as hiking, cycling, boating, whale watching and fishing in the summer and dog sledding and views of the Northern Lights during winter. It is also a stop on the popular Hurtigruten cruises.
Hilton Worldwide has announced that it has signed a multi-year franchise license agreement with Key Hotels Group s.r.o. to open the Doubletree by Hilton, Oslo-City Centre this spring -- the company’s first hotel in Norway and the Doubletree by Hilton’s first location in Scandinavia. This latest announcement reinforces the continued growth of Hilton Worldwide and the further development success of the upscale, full-service Doubletree by Hilton brand throughout Europe.
Scandic, the leading hotel chain in the Nordics, is entering into partnership with the Lunde Group and will be opening a hotel in Lindesnes, the most southerly tip of Norway, in July. The aim is for Scandic Lindesnes to become one of the country’s leading centres for watersport activities.
The Rezidor Hotel Group, one of the fastest growing hotel companies worldwide, announces the 7th Park Inn in Norway: Park Inn Steinkjer will feature 110 rooms and open its doors in Q1 2011. “Norway is one of our most important home markets – with almost 6,000 rooms in operation, the country accounts for 10% of our existing portfolio”, says Kurt Ritter, President & CEO of Rezidor.
Norwegian hotel chain Norlandia has decided to abandon its brand name and change to a multibranding strategy. Six of the company's hotels will join the Best Western chain and negotiations are in progress for the remainder of the company's around 40 hotels. Kristian Adolfsen of Norlandia says that he expects the brand changes to be completed during the fall of 2009. As a result of the change the staff at the head office will be reduced from 30 to 10.