September 25, 2012 - The Rezidor Hotel Group, one of the fastest growing hotel companies worldwide and a member of the Carlson Rezidor Hotel Group, announces the very first Park Inn by Radisson hotel in Senegal: The Park Inn by Radisson Dakar featuring 122 guest rooms is scheduled to open in Q4 2014. This signing brings Rezidor’s total African hotel portfolio to 49 hotels with 11,000 rooms in operation and under development, and further strengthens the group’s position as one of the leading international operators on the continent.

“Park Inn by Radisson is our young and dynamic mid-market brand, and we are delighted to introduce the brand to Senegal”, said Kurt Ritter, President & CEO of Rezidor. “Park Inn by Radisson offers colourful comfort, a hassle free stay, and great value for money. We see a promising growth potential for this brand across Africa where we now have 16 Park Inn by Radisson hotels in operation and under development and will further extend our network”, continued Ritter.

The new build Park Inn by Radisson Dakar will enjoy a premium location between Dakar’s International Airport and the city’s main highway. It will be part of Dakar’s most exclusive mixed-use development (Cité Tobago) which includes retail and offices. Besides 122 rooms, the hotel will comprise a restaurant, a bar, a fitness centre, parking and an outdoor swimming pool. The hotel will also feature 489sqm of meeting space, and will ideally complement Rezidor’s existing Radisson Blu hotel, a First Class property located at the seaside of Dakar.

“We look forward to a long-term, successful cooperation with Rezidor and wish to thank the team of Horwath HTL Switzerland, whose support has been of great value in making this project possible”, said Jamal Oliver Kane, President of the Swiss-based project developer Calabash Development SA.

“Senegal is part of the ECOWAS (Economic Community of West African States) where Rezidor follows a development cluster strategy”, added Andrew McLachlan, Vice President Business Development for Africa & Indian Ocean Islands of Rezidor. Senegal also has been held up as one of Africa’s model democracies. The country is currently recovering from the global financial crisis, and tourism is the predominant area of the Senegalese “Millennium Objectives for Development”. The capital city Dakar acts as a forerunner to this development plan. The city is attractive to both business and leisure travellers, and national and international organizations have been relocating from neighbouring cities to Dakar. The city also features a rich UNESCO heritage.

The fresh Park Inn by Radisson brand has been created for fast and flexible growth. "Our hotels are highly efficient and innovative properties that are global in outlook and local in operation. We are committed to ambitious growth of this Park Inn by Radisson in key cities across West Africa”, ended McLachlan.

About The Rezidor Hotel Group
The Rezidor Hotel Group is one of the fastest growing hotel companies in the world and a member of the Carlson Rezidor Hotel Group. The group features a portfolio of more than 430 hotels in operation and under development with 95,000 rooms in 70 countries.

Rezidor operates the brands Radisson Blu and Park Inn by Radisson in Europe, Middle East and Africa, along with the Club Carlson loyalty programme for frequent hotel guests. Under a worldwide licence agreement with the iconic Italian fashion house Missoni, Rezidor also operates and develops the lifestyle brand Hotel Missoni.

In November 2006, Rezidor was listed on the Stockholm Stock Exchange. Carlson, a privately held, global hospitality and travel company, based in Minneapolis (USA), is the majority shareholder.

The corporate office of the Rezidor Hotel Group is based in Brussels, Belgium.

For more information visit www.rezidor.com