HVS Hospitality Enews - Week Ending 29 May 2009

Hilton Helps Itself To A Slice Of Turkey

Hilton Hotels Corporation has got together with Turkish company Durmazlar Makina Sanayi ve Ticaret AS and signed a franchise license agreement which will result in two new Hilton hotels for Turkey. The 170-room Hilton Bursa Convention Centre & Spa and the 106-room Hampton by Hilton Bursa are to be developed adjacent to each other in the city of Bursa, in northwest Turkey. Both hotels are expected to open in the second quarter of 2011 and they will bring the number of Hilton hotels in the city to three, alongside a Hilton Garden Inn property which is scheduled to open in 2010.

It’s No Hassle For Roberto Wirth

The 95-room Hotel Hassler Roma, in Rome, Italy, is currently an only child. However, it will soon have a family of siblings as Roberto Wirth, the hotel’s owner and general manager, has signed an agreement with Moreno Occhiolini (a former chief operating officer of Rocco Forte Hotels) to create an international chain of Hassler properties under the banner of Hassler Hotels & Resorts. Mr Wirth will take on the role of chairman for the new chain and Mr Occhiolini will be the chief operating officer. Hassler properties are planned for business and leisure destinations such as New York, in the USA; London and Zürich, in Europe; and Doha and Jeddah, in the Middle East.

One Plus Two Makes Three

The Corinthia Hotel St Petersburg, in St Petersburg, Russia (formerly the Corinthia Nevskij Palace Hotel), has just reopened after an extensive refurbishment and expansion which started in June 2005. The hotel has been extended and integrated into the two adjoining buildings on either side of the property. International Hotel Investments (IHI) acquired the adjacent buildings when it bought the hotel in 2002. IHI invested €100 million in the project, which included the transformation of one of the buildings into executive guest rooms, bringing the hotel’s room count to 400, and the other into mixed-used retail and commercial space.

Hotel Development To Make A Splash On The Banks Of The Thames

Plans have been submitted for a £250 million luxury hotel development on the River Thames, at Blackfriars, in London, UK. If planning permission is granted, the 120-room hotel, designed by Alsop Architects for developers Heatherfield Ltd, will form part of the redevelopment of the Mermaid Conference & Events Centre and it will replace Mermaid House, an office building adjacent to the centre. Will Alsop’s unique futuristic design includes a five-storey building with four floors of hotel accommodation.

Anantara To Debut In Oman

Thailand-based hospitality company Anantara Resorts has signed a management deal with Blue City Company 1, a subsidiary of Al Sawadi Investment and Tourism Company, for the management and operation of a 122-room beachfront hotel in phrase one of the Al Madina A’Zarqa waterfront city development, in the Sultanate of Oman. The construction of the Anantara Al Madina A’Zarqa Resort & Spa is already underway and it is expected to be completed by the end of 2010. The Al Madina A’Zarqa development is expected to include 20 hotels in total.

Here Comes The Sun To Nigeria

South African hotel group Southern Sun has opened its first property in Nigeria: the 195-room Southern Sun Ikoyi, which opened in the port of Lagos, on the Atlantic coast, in the southwest of the country. The group signed a ten-year management contract with the hotel’s owner the Betar Consortium, which bought the property five years ago. Southern Sun reportedly invested US$50 million in the hotel.

Interval International Takes A Break In South Africa

The US-based timeshare company Interval International has affiliated the Zorgvliet Private Residence club, in South Africa, into its worldwide network. The residence club has signed a long-term affiliation agreement with Interval which covers six resorts: the Ka’lngo Private Reserve and Spa and the 21-lodge Dinkweng Safari Camp at Ka’Ingo, in the Waterberg region, in the northwest; the five-star Riviera on Vaal Hotel and Country Club, in Johannesburg; the Zorgvliet Vineyard Lodge and Spa and the Alluvia Specialist Winery and Guesthouse, both near Cape Town; and the Protea King George Hotel, in George, in Western Cape.

The International Hotel Conference 2009

If you register for the International Hotel Conference by Sunday 31 May you will be able to save yourself a rather lovely €200. This year’s event is to be held at the Hilton Molino Stucky in Venice, Italy, over the 21-23 October. Russell Kett, Tim Smith and Gabi Baumann, from HVS's London office, are all speaking at this year's event, and Sophie Perret, also from the London office, will be attending. Click here to book your ticket or for more information, or call +44 1274 854 100.

Kiessling’s Corner

The news from Spain by Gabriele Kiessling, Analyst, HVS Madrid. Ibis Hotels recently opened the 147-room Hotel Ibis Barcelona Pza. Glòries 22@ in the city of Barcelona. The Fork and Pillow hotel chain is to open its second establishment in Barcelona; the three-star, 40-room hotel, which is currently under construction, will be located in La Placa Reial and it is expected to open within the next year. InterContinental Hotels Group recently opened the 85-room Holiday Inn Express Vitoria, which is the group’s first property in the Basque Country.

Absolute Share Price Performance Over the Past Week 21-28 May 2009

Starwood Hotels & Resorts - Goldman Sachs upgraded Starwood from "sell" to "buy".

Rezidor Hotel Group - The company's shares dropped 5.1% on high volatility.

NH Hoteles - NH Hoteles traded below its volume weighted price of €4.03.

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