Radisson Hotel Group continued its growth plan in the first half of 2023, focusing on strategic geographical expansions and a new brand architecture with the addition of the art’otel brand, blending art and lifestyle.
Asian advance
In APAC, H1 2023 growth included more than 60 hotels to its portfolio, representing over 8,000 keys, in Vietnam, India, Thailand, the Philippines, and China. In Thailand, the group has more than doubled its portfolio by signing seven new hotels with over 1,300 rooms in the last 12 months.
Key signings include Radisson Hotel Ploenchit Bangkok which will become the group’s flagship Radisson property in Thailand when it opens in 2024, Radisson Red Phuket Patong Beach Hotel in Phuket, and the debut of the Park Inn by Radisson brand in Thailand with the signing of Park Inn by Radisson Bangkok Don Mueang.
Future Asia
APAC leads the way in the Radisson group’s high end hotel pipeline, with at least 133 on the books, according to the latest THP data. This represents over half of the group’s projects in the database, compared to a minimum of 53 for Europe and 40 for Africa.
Asian countries also take the top spots in the national count, with at least 45 properties headed to China, closely followed by India on 42, and Saudi Arabia a distant third on 11.
European expansion
Across EMEA, the company added more than 8,000 keys through signings and openings across different brands in key destinations such as Greece, Germany, UK, Italy, Switzerland, France, Saudi Arabia and Nigeria.
Major signings included Radisson Blu Hotel, Rome EUR and Radisson Blu Hotel, Abuja CBD, Radisson Red Edinburgh Airport, as well as Radisson Residences Limassol in Cyprus and Radisson Hotel Mersin in Turkey, scheduled to open in Q1 2024.
Middle Eastern target
In the Middle East, Radisson Hotel Group is looking to grow its portfolio to reach 150 properties in operation and under development by 2030. The group has been making waves across crucial feeder markets including the plan to open seven properties across the Kingdom alone in 2023.
Elie Younes, executive vice president and global chief development officer commented: “Over 65% of our owners have more than one hotel with us and this is thanks to the trust of our partners, relevance of our brands and servanthood of our people. We look forward to an exciting second half of the year.”
Newbuild dominance
For forthcoming high end hotels, the group looks to be eager to develop new properties. Within THP records we see that out of 254 entries, 214 of them (84%) are newbuilds. Just 24 are refurbishments, 14 are conversions and two are extensions.
In terms of star categories there is a preponderance of four star projects, with 73% (185 sites) in that classification while the remaining 69 are five stars.
Resort preference
The group’s resort brands are leading the high end hotel charge, with the THP database containing 76 Radisson Hotels & Resorts projects, while Radisson Blu Hotels & Resorts comes runner up in the list on 52. Radisson Red prospective properties globally number at least 44.
Next year seems to be the peak for openings with 90 scheduled, though a further 55 are lined up for the rest of this year. Another 36 additions are slated for 2025, with 2026 expected to deliver 19 high end hotels. The remaining 54 are either due further in the future or have yet to be designated a delivery date.
