Carlson Rezidor Announces Five Portfolio Additions in Saudi Arabia

Radisson Blu Hotel, Riyadh

By Adriana Pop, Associate Editor

Saudi Arabia—Carlson Rezidor Hotel Group is expanding its network in Saudi Arabia with the signing of five new projects.

Three of the planned hotels will open under the company’s upper upscale brand Radisson Blu, while the remaining two will open as midmarket Park Inn by Radisson properties.

The recently announced portfolio additions planned for the cities of Riyadh, Jeddah and Damman are:

• The Radisson Blu Hotel & Residence, Jeddah Corniche, a newly built property scheduled for completion in the first quarter of 2017. Located only about three miles from the King Abdulaziz international airport, the new property overlooking the Red Sea will offer 100 guestrooms and 60 serviced apartments, along with a variety of amenities, including an all-day dining restaurant, a dining hall, a coffee shop, a banquet hall, a health club & spa and an outdoor swimming pool.
• The Radisson Blu Red Sea Palace Hotel, Jeddah, a 261-key property, which resulted from the conversion of the existing Red Sea Palace Hotel in downtown Jeddah. Slated to open by this year’s third quarter, the hotel will offer guests easy access to the city’s major shopping and dining venues, as well as an all-day dining restaurant, a café and a coffee shop, conference space, a fitness center and a spa.
• The Radisson Blu Plaza Residence, Jeddah Salihiyah, located on King Abdullah Road in the south east district of Jeddah. Scheduled for completion in the first half of 2015, the property will feature 120 apartments, an all-day dining restaurant, a lobby lounge café, meeting space, a gym and an outdoor swimming pool.
• The Park Inn by Radisson Hotel, Riyadh Nasiriyah, resulting from the conversion of an existing hotel located on Al Matheer street in Riyadh’s Nasiriyah district. The 184-key midscale property is slated to open in late 2014. Amenities will include two restaurants, a coffee shop, a gift shop, a ballroom and two meeting rooms, a wellness center, a gym and a swimming pool.
• The Park Inn by Radisson Hotel Damman, a centrally located property on Corniche Road. Upon completion in the first quarter of 2015, the new hotel will offer 90 guestrooms, two meeting rooms, an all-day dining restaurant and lounge, as well as a wellness center with spa and gym.

“Saudi-Arabia is a key focus country for our group and offers considerable growth potential. We are committed to this emerging market and to our strong business partners whom we thank for their trust in us. Together, we aim to become major players supporting the Kingdom’s ambitious development within the travel and tourism sector,” Wolfgang M. Neumann, president & CEO of Rezidor, says.

Upon completion of the new projects, Carlson Rezidor’s presence in the Kingdom will reach 22 lodging facilities totaling nearly 4,000 guestrooms.