MINNEAPOLIS (Feb. 22, 2011) -  Carlson Rezidor Hotel Group, one of the world’s largest and most dynamic hotel groups, today announced the winner of its 2011 Global Hotel of the Year Award, the Radisson Blu Hotel, Amsterdam. The hotel was selected from the group’s global portfolio of more than 1,300 hotels and honored at the company’s global hotel business conference last week in Nassau, Bahamas. The hotel was recognized for its outstanding performance in terms of employee engagement, guest satisfaction, revenue generation and economic performance.

“This hotel has truly raised the bar on achieving operations and service excellence and helped move us closer to fulfilling our strategy of having segment-leading global brands,” said Kurt Ritter, president and chief executive officer, The Rezidor Hotel Group.

The 248-room Radisson Blu Hotel Amsterdam stands out with its unique architectural touches in the heart of Amsterdam. The hotel’s atrium was carefully designed to encompass several 18th-century merchant houses, a former paper factory and a 19th-century vicarage.  In 2011, the hotel was awarded the “Certificate of Excellence” by TripAdvisor and currently ranks as the 13th best hotel in Amsterdam. In 2010, the hotel made the “Insiders’ Select Award” list by Expedia.

About Carlson Rezidor Hotel Group
Carlson Rezidor Hotel Group – born in early 2012 – is one of the world’s largest and most dynamic hotel groups. The portfolio of the Carlson Rezidor Hotel Group includes more than 1,300 hotels, a global footprint spanning 81 countries and territories, a powerful set of global brands (Radisson Blu, Radisson®, Park Plaza®, Park Inn by Radisson, Country Inns & Suites By CarlsonSM and Hotel Missoni). In most of the group’s hotels, guests can benefit from the loyalty program Club CarlsonSM, one of the most rewarding loyalty programs in the world. Carlson Rezidor Hotel Group and its brands employ more than 80,000 people.

Carlson Rezidor Hotel Group is headquartered in Minneapolis, Minn., and Brussels, Belgium.