SINGAPORE, March 22, 2002 - Raffles International
Ltd (RIL) is pleased to announce that it has signed agreements to manage
two deluxe hotels in Turkey in the cities of Izmir and Bursa. The
sealing of the contracts for the two hotels owned by the Pension Fund of
the Republic of Turkey translates into an increase of 527 rooms to RIL's
current portfolio. These two hotels, currently The Hotel Celik Palas
in Bursa and The Grand Hotel Efes in Izmir are undergoing extensive redevelopment,
and will be re-launched in 24 months. The hotels will be renamed
and managed as Swissotel Bursa -- The Celik Palas and Swissotel Izmir --
The Grand Hotel Efes.
Mr. Richard Helfer, Chairman & Chief Executive Officer of RIL says,
"The addition of these two hotel management contracts fits in with our
strategic thrusts of increasing global reach and enhancing brand equity
through increased focus on management contracts. These new management
agreements present us with an excellent opportunity to further increase
the recognition of the Swissotel brand, as well as the master brand of
Raffles International in Turkey and the neighbouring Mediterranean countries.
The World Travel & Tourism Council has projected Turkey to be the
leading tourist destination in the next 10 years, with tourism growing
at more than double the rate of the rest of the world.
"Raffles International (RIL) currently manages two hotels in Turkey,
namely, the Swissotel Istanbul -- The Bosphorus and Swissotel GOcek.
Hence, we have strong knowledge of the hotel market and the operating environment
in Turkey. Swissotel Istanbul -- The Bosphorus has been operating
for 10 years, and since its opening in 1991, has been a market leader in
the city. The addition of these two new hotels will enable RIL to
tap on synergies in operations which arise from regional aggregation and
purchasing, shared services in finance, administration, human resource
management and regional reservations, sales and marketing," says Mr. Richard
Helfer, Chairman & Chief Executive Officer of RIL. With 17 hotels
in operation and due for opening in The Mediterranean and European |
Michael Smithuis Named General Manager, Swissotel Amsterdam,
The Netherlands
ZURICH, March 18, 2002 - Raffles International Hotels & Resorts
is pleased to announce the appointment of Michael Smithuis as General Manager
of the Swissotel Amsterdam. He replaces Ms. Yvette Thuering, who
has been appointed as General Manager of Brown's Hotel London, A Raffles
International hotel, effective 1 March.
Mr. Smithuis was the Executive Assistant Manager of Hotel Vier Jahreszeiten,
Hamburg for the past three years prior to this appointment.
Trained at Steigenberger Hotel Berufsfahschule - Bad Reichenhall in
Germany, and at the prestigious International Hotel Tourism Training School
Neuchatel in Switzerland, Michael has more than fourteen years of experience
in the hotel industry.
He started his career in Germany and has worked with international
deluxe five star properties in the United Kingdom, the Sultanate of Oman
and Indonesia.
A Dutch by nationality, Mr. Smithuis speaks fluent English, German,
French and Dutch. |
|
regions, RIL is well poised to further strengthen and consolidate its presence
in these fast growing tourism markets.
Mr. Naci Yatbaz, General Manager & Chief Executive Officer of the
Pension Fund of The Republic of Turkey says, "Raffles International (RIL)
has hotels in 33 destinations, including proven track record of operating
successful hotels in Europe and the Mediterranean. We are pleased
to note that a good number of RIL managed hotels world-wide and in these
regions are rated among the world's top hotels, such as Swissotel Istanbul,
The Bosphorus, Raffles Hotel Vier Jahreszeiten and Le Montreux Palace.
We are indeed very pleased to be a partner of a well-respected international
hotel chain."
Swissotel Bursa -- The Celik Palas
 Located
in the city of Bursa, southeast of the Sea of Marmara, The Hotel Celik
Palas originally opened in 1975. The hotel is currently under construction
and expected to re-open as Swissotel Bursa -- The Celik Palas in 24 months'
time.
The city of Bursa lies on the lower slopes of Uludag on Mt. Olympos
of Mysia, one of the most important ski resorts in Turkey. Known
as the Green Bursa, the city is filled with gardens and parks. It
is also the centre of an important regional fruit market. Bursa is
famous for its silk trade, towel manufacture and thermal springs.
It also plays an important role in the Turkish economy with its strong
positioning in car manufacturing (Renault, Peugeot, Ford, Toyota), machinery,
textile and food industries. With 27 archaeological, cultural and
civic monuments, the former capital of the Ottoman Empire -- Bursa is one
of the most important cities and meeting places for explorers and historians.
The hotel's 174 rooms and suites overlook the green city of Bursa and the
botanic gardens. Within walking distance from the city centre, the
hotel will feature an Amrita Spa incorporating a thermal water pool and
a traditional Turkish bath. In addition, it has a congress parlour
for 100 persons, three meeting rooms and an open amphitheatre for 250 people.
The inter-connecting meeting rooms have a combined capacity of 1,000 persons.
Swissotel Izmir -- The Grand Hotel Efes
 The
353-room hotel is prominently located in the heart of Izmir in a lush garden,
overlooking the Corniche (the equivalent of the Promenade des Anglais in
Nice) on the Aegean Sea. It is an important social gathering place
of the city and has become an icon of Izmir through the years. The
hotel is within walking distance from the Archaeological Museum and the
commercial centre of the main Izmir Cultural Park where the International
Izmir Fair takes place each August and September.
As the second largest harbour in Turkey, Izmir has enjoyed significant
increase in trade activities since the establishment of the Aegean Free
Zone several years ago. The first luxury hotel to be opened in Izmir
in 1964, The Grand Hotel Efes is sited in the hub of commerce. The
Izmir Efes Convention Centre, located adjacent to the hotel, and operational
since 1995, will also be managed by RIL. To be re-launched as the
Swissotel Izmir -- The Grand Hotel Efes, this landmark hotel will feature
RIL's signature Amrita Spa, inclusive of a Turkish bath, saunas, an Olympic-sized
indoor swimming pool, as well as an outdoor swimming pool. It will
also have 14 meeting and banquet rooms with a combined capacity of 1,500
persons for indoor functions and a capacity of 3,000 persons for outdoor
functions. The fully renovated Conference Centre will feature an
auditorium for 1,550 people.
Raffles International Limited, formed in 1989, is a name well respected
in the industry for its standards of quality, award-winning concepts and
innovative approach towards hotel management. Raffles International's hotels
and resorts are marketed under a two-tiered brand structure. The
"Raffles brand" hotels distinguish themselves by the highest standards
of products and services available in major cities on an international
level. The "Swissotel" and "Merchant Court" hotels offer quality
accommodation and the full range of modern facilities and amenities expected
by today's discerning traveller, with an emphasis on quality and comfort.
Raffles International Limited is the hotel management subsidiary of
Raffles Holdings Limited. Raffles Holdings Limited's portfolio comprises
hotels and resorts in 33 destinations across the six continents of Asia,
Europe, North America, South America, Australia and Africa. Raffles
Holdings is a subsidiary of CapitaLand Limited. Both companies are
listed on the Singapore Stock Exchange. |
