Danish Design Landmark, Rezidor Hotel Group Turn 50
Wednesday, June 02, 2010 - Brussels
Arne Jacobsen-Designed Radisson Blu Royal Copenhagen Hotel Debuted in 1960, Launched Major International Hotelier
Brussels-based Rezidor Hotel Group celebrates 50 years in
hospitality, and marks the 50th anniversary of design landmark Radisson Blue Royal Copenhagen, Denmark.
Renowned 20th Century architect
and designer Arne Jacobsen created the historic hotel, which opened in
partnership with SAS Airlines in 1960. The property also launched
Rezidor itself, now one of the fastest growing hotel companies
worldwide with over 400 hotels in operation and under development
across Europe, the Middle East and Africa. Earlier this year, Rezidor’s
Radisson Blu brand overtook Marriott and Hilton to become the largest
upscale hotel brand in Europe.
“Rezidor has developed from a
small Scandinavian group and ‘new kid on the block’ to a major
international player,” commented Kurt Ritter, President & CEO of
Rezidor. “We look back on a successful history and forwards toward an
exciting future – towards further profitable growth, mainly in young
and emerging markets.
The World’s First Designer Hotel
Radisson
Blu Royal Copenhagen debuted in 1960 following the inauguration of a
new route between the US and Scandinavia on SAS Airlines. SAS
commissioned Arne Jacobsen for the hotel project, which brought the
best of modernist Scandinavian design to Copenhagen’s city center,
minutes from Tivoli Gardens.
Jacobsen oversaw every detail of
the 260-key hotel; from drafting the proportions of 22-story structure,
to choosing light greys and blue-greens for the exterior to reflect the
Scandinavian skies, to creating signature AJ door handles for
guestrooms.
Several of Jacobsen’s now-archetypal Danish
Modernist pieces were created for the hotel, including the Egg chair,
Swan chair, Drop chair and Royal lamp. Interiors also feature such
trademark Jacobsen designs as the Series 7 chair, Series 3300 sofa, AJ
cutlery, AJ pendant lamp, and now-rare Pot chair.
Room 606 at
the hotel retains Jacobsen’s original design and operates as a fully
functional guestroom as well as mid-century design timepiece. The
485-square-foot space features Jacobsen’s grey and blue-green color
palette, built-in vanity and shelving made of wengé wood, and Egg, Drop
and Swan chairs.
Family-Run Hotel Offers Designer Dining and Amenities
Radisson
Blu Royal Copenhagen’s Alberto K restaurant is named for the hotel’s
first General Manager, Alberto Kappenberger, who lived with his wife
and children in a suite on the 20th floor for over 20 years. Roy
Kappenberger, Alberto’s son, grew up in the hotel and today serves as
Hotel Manager.
Located on the 20th floor with sweeping
Copenhagen views, Alberto K restaurant offers an Italian-influenced
menu featuring local Danish ingredients, served on Jacobsen’s AJ
cutlery and Cylinda Line tableware.
Additional culinary
outlets at the hotel include all-day international dining at Café
Royal, and the Royal Bar, which serves an AJ Cocktail, among others, on
tall Series 7 chairs.
The hotel also offers over 3,000 square
feet of meeting space, spanning 300-seat auditoriums to 10 flexible
smaller rooms, and a 6,500-square-foot fitness center.
Hotel Milestone Highlights Rezidor’s Global Expansion, Longest-Serving CEO in Hospitality
This
Copenhagen property was instrumental to Rezidor’s continued
achievements. Behind Rezidor’s success story stands Kurt Ritter, who
has served at the top of the company since 1989 and is the longest
serving CEO in the hospitality industry. Ritter, who was born in
Switzerland in 1947, spent his childhood in his parents’ hotel. He
graduated from the prestigious “Ecole Hotelière de Lausanne” before
beginning a career with Rezidor in 1976, as General Manager of a hotel
in Luleå, Sweden.
Focused on growth from the beginning, the
group opened its first hotel outside Scandinavia in Kuwait in 1980.
Since 2002, Rezidor has operated four hotel brands throughout Europe,
the Middle East and Africa: Radisson Blu, Regent Hotels & Resorts,
Park Inn and Country Inn. Rezidor’s fifth brand, Hotel Missoni, was
created in 2005 through a worldwide licence agreement with iconic
Italian fashion house Missoni.
Growth is still Rezidor’s
engine: in 2010, the company hit 400 properties in operation and under
development, with a special focus on emerging markets. Rezidor manages
almost 60 hotels in Russia and CIS, and almost 30 hotels in Africa.
Celebrate with Rezidor and Radisson Blu Royal Copenhagen
To celebrate this anniversary, the hotel and its award-winning Alberto
K restaurant will debut special offers valid throughout 2010.
The 50th Anniversary Jubilee Package:
• Accommodations in a Junior Suite or Royal Club Room, with panoramic views of Copenhagen
• Welcome bottle of Champagne
• Breakfast in Alberto K restaurant
• Late check out
• Commemorative “606 Book,” chronicling Arne Jacobsen’s creative process, by Michael Sheridan
Package starts at DKK 1148 (approx. $190). Rates are subject to availability and valid through December 30, 2010.
Alberto K Jubiliee Menu
Ranked among Denmark’s top restaurants,
Alberto K Chef Soren Selin and Sommelier Werner Nymo celebrate the
milestone with a new seasonal, five-course menu that blends Italian
influences with traditional Danish ingredients, paired with Champagne
and wine.
Five-course menu starts at DKK 1600 (approx. $260) per person, including Champagne and wine pairings.
For additional information and reservations, please visit: www.rezidor.com.
About The Rezidor Hotel Group
The Rezidor Hotel Group is one of the fastest growing hotel companies in the world. The group features a portfolio of more than 380 hotels in operation and under development with 83,000 rooms in more than 60 countries.
Rezidor operates the brands Radisson Blu Hotels & Resorts, Regent Hotels & Resorts, Park Inn and Country Inns & Suites in Europe, Middle East and Africa, along with the goldpoints plusSM loyalty programme for frequent hotel guests. Under a worldwide licence agreement with the iconic Italian fashion house Missoni, Rezidor also operates and develops the new lifestyle brand Hotel Missoni.
In November 2006, Rezidor was listed on the Stockholm Stock Exchange. Carlson Companies is the main shareholder.
The Corporate Office of the Rezidor Hotel Group is based in Brussels, Belgium.
For more information on Rezidor, visit www.rezidor.com
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