Park Inn set for major take off at Heathrow Rezidor SAS launches new hotel brand to the UK

Brussels, 15th May 2004……. Park Inn, the fastest growing mid-market hotel brand in Europe, is launching its first UK hotel at Heathrow today, by converting the existing Le Meridien Heathrow. The hotel, which has recently been subject to a £15m investment programme, will have another £10m spent on it over the next two years to ensure that the conversion to the Park Inn brand is complete.

Kurt Ritter, President and CEO of Rezidor SAS Hospitality, comments: “The UK is one of our primary markets and therefore the introduction of Park Inn is a logical step forward. I am thrilled to be launching the Park Inn brand at a global gateway such as Heathrow, which is an ideal location for our first UK Park Inn.”

Park Inn hotels are highly efficient and innovative – global in outlook, national in scale and local in operation. The brand prides itself on ‘mastering the essentials’ to deliver a great, affordable hotel experience, that’s best in its class. Efficient, uncomplicated service results in hassle free visits. Rooms are functional, comfortable, practical and most importantly clean and well maintained. Park Inn aims to provide ‘the best sleep in town’ and places the bed at the top of its list of product priorities. The brand already performs successfully in a variety of locations from capital cities and regional gateways to high-traffic travel hubs.

Its aim is to challenge the current mid-market hotel segment with this unique offer; a contemporary brand concept, ambitious growth plans and efficient hotel conversions.

Since 2002, when Rezidor SAS Hospitality secured the master franchise agreement for Europe, the Middle East and Africa from US based Carlson Hotels Worldwide, the company has opened 35 Park Inn hotels and is well on track to have a total of 75 hotels contracted by this year-end.
The brand has aggressive growth projections and aims to have 150 hotels in operation and under construction by the end of 2006 and plans to become Europe’s number one mid-market hotel brand.

Park Inn Heathrow joins other brand flagship hotels in Berlin and Nice and destination airport hotels in Copenhagen, Zurich and Stockholm. There are currently 70 hotels throughout the world.

Park Inn Heathrow, formerly Le Meridien Heathrow, features 880 rooms and 9 suites. Latest developments include the renovation of 415 rooms that typify the Park Inn concept and offer guests the essential in-transit business facilities. The hotel’s well-equipped conference centre can host up to 220 delegates and is a key focus for the hotel’s operation.


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