Luxury Hotelier - April 2008 - (Page 8)

8| Inform Resurrecting a legend ith a new expansion strategy, core focus and brand leader, Regent Hotels & Resorts is poised to boost its presence among global luxury brands, Carlson Hotels Worldwide executives said at the company’s global summit in February. By some standards, the Regent luxury brand isn’t an old one. Established in 1970, the brand expanded from hotels and resorts into cruises, amassing a fleet of luxury liners, all united under the Carlson brand family. Now with several partnerships and new leadership on board, Regent is back on the radar, poised to double its global property count over the next two years. Bjørn Gullaksen “Now we have two partners joined to create the best cruises in the world and the best hotels in the world,” said Bjørn Gullaksen, president of the Regent Luxury Group and executive vice president for Carlson Hotels Worldwide Managed Hotels & Resorts in the Americas. In December, Carlson announced that Prestige Cruise Holdings, a subsidiary of Apollo Management, would acquire the Regent Seven Seas Cruises operation, while Carlson would retain the hotels and resorts segment, forming Regent Hotels & Resorts. The group includes representatives from the hotels and resorts side, along with the cruise business. Under Mr. Gullaksen’s leadership, Carlson will further expand the Regent brand globally, paying special attention to building unique design and overall experiences while retaining core quality. Eight properties are open now—in the Turks and Caicos; Berlin; Zagreb, Croatia; W REGENT HOTELS & RESORTS The Regent Bordeaux (France) [top] was renovated with the help of designer Jacques Garcia. The 72-room Regent Palms, Turks & Caicos [right] sits on 12 acres at Grace Bay Beach. Shanghai; Taipei, Taiwan; Singapore; Beijing; and Bal Harbour, Florida. Boston is scheduled for a summer opening. The group has eight properties in the pipeline, scheduled to open by 2009. Locations include Bangkok; Manila Bay, the Philippines; Phuket, Thailand; and Dubrovnik, Croatia, among others. “This world is not standing still, and innovation will drive us forward,” Mr. Gullaksen said. “But we need perseverance in the tough luxury market where there is a lot of competition.” The essence of the brand, Mr. Gullaksen said, is bringing guests personalized service and a world-class product. “The brand focus is, ‘all senses, every day,’” he said. Indigenous design trends and top- notch dining take center stage. Expansion is backed by the Carlson name and all that goes with it, he said. “In Carlson, value is of great importance. There is no way we can build this brand unless we can create value for the owners and value for the shareholders.” Carlson’s recently revitalized revenuegeneration team will support the brand’s growth plans. “The legend was there,” Mr. Gullaksen said. “Now we’re bringing Regent to life.” » BY STEPHANIE RICCA Luxury Hotelier | April 2008 | www.LuxuryHotelier.com http://www.LuxuryHotelier.com

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Luxury Hotelier - April 2008 Contents Editor's Letter Inform Network Personalities Insight Properties Inspire Deliver Innovate Development Indulge Advertisers Index Editorial Index Source Listing Dossier

Luxury Hotelier - April 2008

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