| Kurt Ritter, President & CEO
of Rezidor SAS Hospitality, says: �Contemporary style and unsurpassed service
standards are the hallmarks of our company and we felt that the SAS International
Hotels name did not reflect that clearly enough.� He continues: �This
name change is anything but cosmetic. It reflects a new strategic
direction. The addition of the lifestyle brand Malmaison in November 2000,
established our company as a multi-brand operator. But our potential
is greater still.�
�Deciding on Rezidor SAS Hospitality has been a long and meticulous
process. But the work has paid off. With an unmistakable character of its
own, �Rezidor� echoes words like �reside� and �door�, �residence� in many
languages and �d�or� in French, meaning golden. Adding �SAS� to the
name puts us aptly on the global arena.�
Ritter, who is also President & CEO of Radisson SAS Hotels &
Resorts, stressed there would be no change to the existing brands, which
have their own, distinct brand identities and great potential for future
development.
Radisson SAS Hotels & Resorts currently includes 142 hotels in 38
countries and there are five Malmaison properties in operation, with a
number of new destinations in the pipeline. Rezidor SAS Hospitality
is a wholly owned subsidiary of SAS Scandinavian Airlines System. |
|
Why Change the Name?
A new potential
Today we are a hospitality management company with nearly
150 hotels in 38 countries. Over the past six years expansion has been
a priority, resulting in growth as regards properties, revenue and profits.
Since 1994 we have developed Radisson SAS into one of the most successful
hospitality brands in Europe and the Middle East. There is still a large
potential for our core brand, and we will escalate our efforts to develop
Radisson SAS into the leading 4 star brand in the markets we serve. But
our potential as a company is greater still.
A new direction
Our focus has shifted from property ownership to hospitality
management. The next step is to expand our brand portfolio in order to
meet the demands of the changing market. Our new concept is to manage brands,
properties, people and relationships, delivering superior value to all
stakeholders.
A new vision
The addition of the Malmaison lifestyle hospitality brand
established the company as a multi-brand operator. More brands will soon
be included. Our vision is to become one of Europe's leading hospitality
management companies, with a focused collection of high-performing brands
in various market segments.
A new strategy
The core strategy is to offer a variety of well defined
and easily understood hospitality products and the best possible solution
for each property through a diversified brand portfolio. Obviously brand
management will be our key competence and success factor. Our track record
with managing the Radisson SAS brand gives us all the confidence we need
to venture into multi-brand territory.
A new corporate name
Going multi-brand calls for a new corporate name, neutral
to the various product brands and with the potential to establish the company
as a major player in its own right. |
|
Brussels,
1st October 2001� Today, SAS International Hotels (SIH), the parent company
and operator of Radisson SAS Hotels & Resorts and Malmaison, is to
change its name to Rezidor SAS Hospitality.