CORINTHIA HOTELS HOSTS ANNUAL PRESS BREAKFAST IN CENTRAL PARK, NEW YORK AND ANNOUNCES HONOREES OF THE WORLD TOURISM AWARDS 2008
(September 24, 2008, New York)
Tony Potter, Chief Executive Officer and Managing Director of CHI Hotels & Resorts, the exclusive developer and operator of the luxury Corinthia Hotels brand worldwide, was the keynote speaker at Corinthia Hotels’ annual media business breakfast held at the Tavern on the Green in New York City. During the event, Tony revealed major developments concerning the luxury Brand’s new positioning on the market and gave details on its rapidly expanding portfolio of luxury hotels.
Mr Potter also announced that the UNESCO World Heritage Centre and Dr Zahi Hawass, Secretary General of Egypt’s Superior Council of Antiquities, were the nominees for this year’s World Tourism Awards, which Corinthia Hotels co-sponsors in collaboration with American Express, International Herald Tribune and Reed Travel Exhibitions. The award is now in its 11th year.
Addressing the media present at Tavern on the Green Mr. Potter stated “More than ever, the Corinthia Hotels brand is poised to play an increasingly prominent hospitality role worldwide. As CEO of its exclusive operator, CHI Hotels & Resorts, I can confirm that we will be operating a stunning 296-bedroom luxury Corinthia Hotel soon to be opened in Whitehall, central London. And this is just the beginning. We are also looking at properties in other leading destinations, such as Paris, Moscow, Rome and New York. “
This represents a strategic move for the luxury Corinthia Hotel brand, which to-date has been steadily building a five-star portfolio in key European destinations and the Mediterranean basin.
“At the same time,” Mr. Potter noted, “expansion and redesign in our traditional markets is also underway, and remains an important source of future growth for Corinthia Hotels. The existing upscale portfolio of Corinthia Hotels in Prague, Budapest, Lisbon, St. Petersburg (Russia), Tripoli (Libya) and Malta has recently seen the addition of the new Corinthia Beach Resort in Sharm el Sheikh, Egypt. This property comprises the five-star Corinthia Resort Hotel and other facilities, to be operated by CHI Hotels & Resorts.”
In keeping to the Corinthia Brand’s positioning in the luxury market, Mr. Potter points to the recent re-opening of the main entrance, lobby and public areas of the five-star Corinthia Nevskij Palace Hotel in St. Petersburg, Russia. “The entire renovation of the existing hotel and the extension of the property into the adjoining buildings includes the creation of a conference center with a capacity of 1,000 – the largest, most advanced and most opulent in St. Petersburg,” he states. “On the other side of the hotel, an elite commercial center with retail and office space will be built. Scheduled to open in 2009, the cost of the initial renovations alone will be $142 million dollars.” With new energy and excitement invigorating Corinthia Hotels, many more changes are underway.
Mr. Potter summarized some of the developments:
• The joint venture with Wyndham Hotel Group has expanded and globalized CHI Hotels & resorts’ sales and marketing activities, and continues to provide a broader reach worldwide as well a pipeline for development flow.
• Ongoing upgrading and refurbishments of the Corinthia Hotels properties, particularly the Corinthia Hotel St. Georges Bay and the Corinthia Palace Hotel & Spa in Malta, the Corinthia Lisbon Hotel in Portugal, and the Corinthia Nevskij Palace Hotel in St. Petersburg are proceeding at a steady pace.
• Increased and renovated Spa offerings, including those at the Corinthia Grand Hotel Royal in Budapest, Corinthia Palace Hotel and Spa and Corinthia Hotel St. Georges Bay in Malta, and the soon-to-be opened Spa at the Corinthia Hotel Lisbon, will offer even more luxurious ambience and services.
• The ascension of Corinthia Hotels as a top choice for the Meetings, Incentives, Conference and Events (MICE) market, as well as the corporate travel sector, has achieved peak performance through marketing and the specialized Events@Corinthia program. Newer conference centers such as the one in St. Petersburg, Russia, are predicated to maintain Corinthia’s edge.
• Re-branding: the Aquincum Hotels in Budapest and the Khamsa Hotel in Tunisia have now been incorporated into the Ramada Plaza portfolio.
• Complete livery re-designs will be updated and consistent in all Corinthia Hotels properties. An entirely new Corinthia Hotels website is also being launched in the coming weeks.
While retaining the Warm Smiles - exotic flavours - pleasant surprises of its Maltese heritage, Corinthia Hotels is clearly entering a new era in five-star hotel choices and amenities.
ABOUT CORINTHIA HOTELS
Corinthia Hotels is an internationally acclaimed Brand of luxury hotels in the Czech Republic, Hungary, Libya, Malta, Portugal and Russia. Founded by the Pisani family of Malta in the 1960s, the Corinthia brand stands in that proud tradition of Mediterranean hospitality and its signature services communicate the ‘Warm smiles, Inspired Flavours and Pleasant Surprises’ of its Maltese heritage. All Corinthia hotels feature state-of-the art conference areas, extensive leisure and business traveller facilities, and are each renowned for their uniqueness of character. Corinthia Hotels’ portfolio includes two award-winning properties: The Corinthia Grand Hotel Royal In Budapest, Hungary - winner of Europe’s ‘Best Hotel Architecture Award’ and member of ‘The Most Famous Hotels in the World’ and The Corinthia Hotel Prague in the Czech Republic - the first hotel ever to win Best Gastronomy Concept in the Czech Republic and a recipient of the ‘5 stars and 6 stripes’ designation from renowned US reviewer Seven Stars and Stripes. The Corinthia Hotels portfolio also features the elegant Corinthia Palace Hotel and Spa and the splendid Corinthia Hotel St Georges Bay in Malta, The superior five-star Corinthia Bab Africa Hotel in Tripoli, Libya, the modern Corinthia Hotel Lisbon in Portugal and the renowned Corinthia Nevskij Palace Hotel in St Petersburg, Russia. The Corinthia Hotels brand is associated with the ‘Wyndham Grand Collection’ tier of upscale hotels worldwide.
ABOUT CHI HOTELS & RESORTS
Based in Malta, CHI Hotels & Resorts (CHI) is a leading hands-on hotel management company that provides the full range of technical assistance and management services to hotel owners worldwide. CHI is the exclusive operator and developer for the luxury Corinthia Hotels brand as well as the Wyndham and Ramada Plaza brands in Europe, Africa and The Middle East.
CHI draws on a heritage of over 45 years in delivering high quality services to hotel guests and an optimum rate of return to owners and investors in diverse business environments. Our experience across our three brands extends to management of luxury and upscale properties in city and resort locations and products ranging from boutique to conference and Spa hotels. CHI also operates various restaurants under brands such as ‘Rickshaw’ and has its own Spa division.
CHI Hotels & Resorts has won the coveted title of ‘Leading Provider of Travel Deals, Europe’ at the ‘Travelzoo Awards 2008’ gala ceremony held recently in Chicago, USA.
CHI Hotels & Resorts is a joint venture between International Hotel Investments plc (IHI) – 70% and The Wyndham Hotel Group (WHG) – 30%.