Hotel Online  Special Report

Park Plaza Hotels Europe Adds First Franchise Hotel,
the Park Plaza Trier; Appoints Hans J. Keller
to Lead Franchise Operation

MINNEAPOLIS, Minn. (July 24, 2003) � Park Plaza Hotels & Resorts today announced that its London-based partner, Park Plaza Hotels Europe, has added its first franchise location as part of a new European franchise growth strategy aimed at small chains of four-star properties and independent hotels. 
 
Park Plaza Hotels Europe is the development partner in Europe, the Middle East and Africa for Park Plaza Hotels & Resorts, part of Minneapolis-based Carlson Hotels Worldwide.  Although the company currently manages 26 hotels throughout Europe, Africa and the Middle East operating under the Park Plaza and art'otel brands, it has added its first franchise hotel, the stunning Park Plaza Trier. 

The hotel is located in the heart of Trier, Germany's oldest and most 


Park Plaza Trier
Nikolaus-Koch-Platz 1
Trier, Germany
historic city and just three minutes from the famous Dom.  The award-winning new hotel, with its 150 stylish guest rooms, presents a unique contemporary offering in a remarkable ancient city once home to several Roman Emperors. 

"The Park Plaza Trier provides attractive hospitality facilities and services for business travellers and meeting delegates, as well as tourists exploring the city and the Mosel area," said Bjørn Gullaksen, executive vice president of full-service hotels and brand leader for Park Plaza Hotels & Resorts.  "Park Plaza Trier has great potential to become the market leader in the region and has been very well received by its customers." 

The hotel offers Caesar's restaurant, specialising in authentic regional dishes, eight state-of-the-art meeting rooms providing striking views of the city and accommodating up to 370 delegates.  A car park and extensive health club with a sauna, massage and beauty treatment rooms is also available exclusively to guests.  All superior, executive rooms and deluxe suites offer business travellers ISDN telephone, fax and modem ports and Internet access as well as Cable TV, Pay-TV, safe, radio and mini-bar. 

Park Plaza Hotels Europe has also announced the appointment of an international hotel industry executive, Hans J. Keller, to lead its new franchise operation. 

Keller has been president of HSC, a hotel consultancy group, since 1991 and has more than 35 years of experience in the hospitality industry.  He began his career with Rockresorts in the USA in 1968, he then moved on to Sonesta International where he was responsible for Sonesta's entry into the Egyptian and Israeli markets.  Since 1991, through his HSC organisation, Keller has worked as consultant to many of the world's leading hotel chains. 

Boris Ivesha, President of Park Plaza Hotels Europe, is confident of the strength of the new franchise offer. "We have identified a growth opportunity for a quality franchise to serve owners of small chains of properties or individual hotel owners," said Ivesha.  "Our package allows our partners to become part of a dynamic and award-winning brand that is backed by one of the biggest hospitality companies in the world.  The benefits of being part of the global Carlson Hospitality Worldwide organization provide partner hotels access to markets on a scale that they could not possibly reach as independents."

The franchise offer is one of the key elements of Park Plaza Hotels Europe's growth plans, which include Park Plaza properties in Leeds (UK) and Nahariya (Israel) this summer, Cardiff in 2004 and a 550-room hotel in central London in 2005. 

Park Plaza Hotels & Resorts is part of Carlson Hospitality Worldwide, a global leader in hospitality services, encompassing more than 1,690 hotel, resort, restaurant and cruise ship operations in 82 countries.  In addition to Park Plaza Hotels & Resorts, specific brands include: Regent International Hotels; Radisson Hotels & Resorts; Country Inns & Suites By Carlson; Park Inn hotels; Radisson Seven Seas Cruises; T.G.I. Friday's and other restaurant brands; and Provisions, a worldwide procurement division. 

Park Plaza Hotels Europe is the master franchisor of Carlson Hospitality Worldwide for the Park Plaza brand in 55 countries in Europe, the Middle East and Africa.  Park Plaza Hotels Europe is one of Europe's fastest growing hotel management companies with 26 hotels open and under development in nine countries, including the four-star art'otel brand. 

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Contact:
Julia Stone 
Park Plaza Hotels Europe 
Tel:  +44 (0) 20 7034 4817 
Fax: +44 (0) 20 7034 4819 
Email:  [email protected]

Kristi Arndt, Corporate Public Relations
Park Plaza Hotels & Resorts
Tel: 763-212-5626
Fax: 763-212-3400
E-mail: [email protected]

www.parkplaza.com



 
Also See Park Plaza Hotels in North America, Europe and India Unify to Form One Brand / Nov 2002
Carlson Hotels Worldwide Seeks to Add Two Brands to Canada; Regent International Hotels and Park Inn / April 2003


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