Reval-Radisson rebranding exercise made simple
By Anatol Steven.
11.06.2010
If you hadn't already noticed, a deal between the Rezidor Hotel Group and Linstow AS has rebranded the popular pan-Baltic chain Reval Hotels. So what are the hotels called now?
The management agreement between Rezidor Hotel Group, one of the world’s fastest growing hotel companies, and the Norwegian company Linstow AS has resulted in the pan-Baltic Reval Hotels chain being rebranded as either Radisson Blu or Park Inn establishments.
This means that since June 1, 2010, the Reval Hotel Latvija is now the Radisson Blu Hotel Latvija, the Reval Hotel Elizabete has become the Radisson Blu Elizabete Hotel and the Reval Hotel Ridzene is the Radisson Blu Ridzene Hotel.
In addition to the already well-established Radisson Blu Daugava Hotel Riga, that makes a potentially confusing four hotels in the Latvian capital with the same brand.
Rezidor’s Radisson SAS hotel brand was ditched in another marketing exercise worth €3 million when it renamed its hotels Radisson Blu, after a partnership with SAS International Hotels came to an end.
In Tallinn, instead of there being three Reval hotels, now there are the Radisson Blu Hotel Olümpia and the Park Inn Central Tallinn, while the Reval Park Hotel & Casino will not be rebranded. Reval Hotels’ recently opened property in St Petersburg has become the Radisson Sonya Hotel St Petersburg.
In Lithuania, the former chain’s Vilnius and Kaunas hotels will be rebranded during the month of June, to the Radisson Blu Hotel Lietuva and the Park Inn Kaunas.
Linstow, a Norwegian real estate developer, explains the agreement by saying that it wants to concentrate on its core business. The deal between Linstow and Rezidor, which came into effect on June 1, adds a total of 2,367 rooms to Rezidor’s portfolio.
“As an internationally renowned hotel player in expansion, Rezidor has a very strong sales organization and presence with well-known brands in all markets outside the Baltics and St Petersburg that are important to bringing new customers to our hotels,” Per Mortensen, CEO of Linstow, explained.
“The management deal therefore assures further revenue growth for our hotels both in the Baltics and in Russia. This will happen through, among other things, more effective marketing of the hotels.”
Kurt Ritter, president & CEO of Rezidor, commented that he was “delighted and proud” that Linstow had chosen Rezidor as a business partner. “Reval Hotels is the leading hotel chain in the Baltics. This portfolio agreement gives Rezidor, which is the number one among the international hotel operators in Russia, a strong market position in the Baltics too,” he said.
“We will be able to substantially strengthen our position in the key markets of Riga, Tallinn and Vilnius, where we are already present with our upper upscale brand Radisson Blu and a total of 760 rooms.”
Rezidor has opened a new regional supervisory and support office in Riga, while Linstow will continue to own and develop the properties. All 1,200 hotel employees will remain in their present positions, according to the agreement, and there will be no change in terms of employment, benefits or employee relations.
At the start of May, the group announced Jan Petter Eilertsen, 47, as Regional Director for the Baltics. Based in Riga, Eilertsen is responsible for the operational business of all Rezidor properties in Latvia, Lithuania and Estonia. The new position was created in the context of the Reval Hotels deal.
