HOSPITALITY TRENDS
RADISSON BLU | July 11, 2022
Cluj-Napoca, Romania’s second largest city, is growing in popularity as a leisure and business destination and attracts visitors year-round with its artistic vibe, chic cafés in which to linger, peaceful green spaces, and cutting-edge festivals, including Untold, Romania’s biggest electronic-music festival with famous international DJs, held at Cluj Arena, directly across the street from the hotel.Located in the central-western part of the city, Radisson Blu Hotel, Cluj offers contemporary elegance after an extensive, two-year long renovation and conversion of a 1980s hotel to a modern, upper-upscale Radisson Blu property. The architects and designers took inspiration for the new design concept from the location of the hotel and the surrounding nature, including the city’s Central Park, one of the oldest recreational public gardens in Europe, and the contemporary buildings in the local neighborhood.The hotel’s 149 rooms feature large windows with stunning views of the city and the Central Park. Spacious family rooms include an additional sofa bed, while the suites offer the ultimate comfort. The largest suite is the 79-sqm Presidential Suite, which offers guests a separate living room, dining area, and a luxurious bathroom with an aromatherapy shower.
The modern Lobby Bar at Radisson Blu Hotel, Cluj is the perfect place to enjoy signature drinks, specialty coffee and snacks, or a quick business lunch. The Park, the hotel’s modern international restaurant, is open for breakfast, lunch, and dinner, and offers a terrace for outdoor dining on warmer days. Hikari, the hotel’s Japanese restaurant is inspired by the “Land of the Rising Sun” and serves sushi, seafood, as well as Japanese spirits and wine in a setting inspired by nature, with views overlooking the adjacent Central Park from its floor-to-ceiling windows.For meetings and events, the hotel includes five meeting rooms for up to 60 people, featuring the latest meeting technology. The private ballroom can host events with up to 300 attendees. Radisson Blu Hotel, Cluj has partnered with the adjacent BTarena, also known as Polyvalent Hall, to provide external meeting and events space for up to 10,000 people. A fitness room is also available with weight training and cardio equipment.
“We are excited to open the first Radisson Blu hotel in Transylvania in vibrant Cluj and are thrilled to welcome our first guests this summer. With our attention to detail and personalized service, each stay with us is sure to be a memorable experience”
-George Miu, General Manager.
With the health and safety of guests and team members as its top priority, Radisson Blu Hotel, Cluj is implementing the Radisson Hotels Safety Protocol program. The in-depth cleanliness and disinfection protocols were developed in partnership with SGS, the world’s leading inspection, verification, testing and certification company, and are designed to ensure guest safety and peace of mind from check-in to check-out. The Safety Protocol is an integral part of Radisson Hotel Group’s Safety and Security program ensuring we always care for our guests and team members.
ABOUT RADISSON BLU
Radisson Blu is an upper upscale hotel brand that delivers positive and personalized service in stylish spaces. Characterized by attention to small details and the Yes I Can! service philosophy, Radisson Blu hotels are designed to make a big difference and inspire unforgettable experiences with every stay. Through personalized service and local nuance, each stay at a Radisson Blu hotel becomes a true meaningful and memorable experience. Radisson Blu hotels can be found in major cities, key airport gateways, and leisure destinations. Guests and professional business partners can enhance their experience with Radisson Blu by participating in Radisson Rewards, a global loyalty program offering exceptional benefits and rewards. Radisson Blu is part of Radisson Hotel Group, which also includes Radisson Collection, Radisson, Radisson RED, Radisson Individuals, Park Plaza, Park Inn by Radisson, Country Inn & Suites by Radisson, and prizeotel brought together under one commercial umbrella brand Radisson Hotels.
ABOUT RADISSON HOTEL GROUP
Radisson Hotel Group is one of the world's largest hotel groups with nine distinctive hotel brands, and more than 1,700 hotels in operation and under development in 120 countries. The Group’s overarching brand promise is Every Moment Matters with a signature Yes I Can! service ethos. The Radisson Hotel Group portfolio includes Radisson Collection, Radisson Blu, Radisson, Radisson RED, Radisson Individuals, Park Plaza, Park Inn by Radisson, Country Inn & Suites by Radisson, and prizeotel brought together under one commercial umbrella brand Radisson Hotels. Radisson Rewards is our international rewards program that delivers unique and personalized ways to create memorable moments that matter to our guests. Radisson Rewards offers an exceptional experience for our guests, meeting planners, and travel agents at over 640 hotels in Europe, Middle East, Africa and Asia Pacific. Radisson Meetings provides tailored solutions for any event or meeting, including hybrid solutions placing guests and their needs at the heart of its offer. Radisson Meetings is built around three strong service commitments: Personal, Professional and Memorable, while delivering on the brilliant basics and being uniquely 100% Carbon Neutral.
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HOSPITALITY TRENDS
388 Venture | May 27, 2022
Following extensive renovations, three storied boutique properties located in downtown Lenox are reopening together as part of The Lenox Collection, a newly reimagined family of inns connected by their deep historical roots in the town and elevated contextual design. As part of the reopening is Ophelia's, a 66-seat restaurant and bar offering farm-to-table comfort food in an intimate indoor-outdoor setting, with locally sourced ingredients and curated cocktail list. New York-based firm 388 Ventures acquired the properties in 2021 and brought on independent hotel management company, Life House, to lead design and branding, as well as oversee all hotel and F&B operations leveraging their tech-enabled management platform.
At the heart of the collection is the Whitlock - formally The Church Street Inn - built in 1771 by John Whitlock, a local farmer who turned his two-room farmhouse into an inn for stagecoach travelers. The property now takes cues from its natural surroundings with a rustic and warm feel reminiscent of its farmhouse origins. The Whitlock’s bar and restaurant, Ophelia’s, pays homage to the ingredients and labors of the hotel’s namesake. With locally-inspired farm-to-table cuisine with dishes featuring herbs & garnishes from local purveyors, Ophelia’s is already becoming a favorite among locals, guests, and downtown passerbys.
Located in the historic center of town is The Constance - formally the Rookwood Inn - which was built in 1825 as The Williams Tavern. In the 1880s it was purchased by Frederick Constance Peters, a businessman from England, who turned the property into ancillary lodging for owners of Lenox’s famed Gilded Age estates. The inn has been completely reimagined with an extensive renovation to restore and enhance the elegant charm and whimsical character of the storied property with the benefit of modern guest amenities.
On the north side of town is The Dewey - formally the Birchwood Inn - which was originally built by Israel Dewey, a founding member of Lenox’s Continental Congress Committee when the town was incorporated in 1767. Over the years, the site has taken on many lives, owned by various influential figures in the Berkshires. Today, the newly-reappointed inn carries on its rich tradition of hospitality with elevated guest room interiors and stately common areas.
About Life House
Life House is a vertically integrated hotel software & operations platform focused on increasing profitability and reliability for independent hoteliers. Life House was founded in 2017 as one of the only vertically integrated asset-light hotel companies backed by institutional venture and private equity investors. The company is ambitiously investing in operational systems to make it far more profitable, predictable, and seamless for owners while making the guest experience more reliable for travelers. Today the company has nearly 60 hotels in its portfolio across North America. For more information visit www.life-house.com.
About 388 Ventures
388 Ventures is a real estate investment firm focused on regional leisure destinations across the United States, with an emphasis on hospitality assets with differentiated market positioning. 388 Ventures invests primarily in lifestyle boutique product in the upper-upscale and luxury segment, with in-house development capabilities to take on transformative renovations. www.388ventures.com.
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HOSPITALITY TRENDS
kasada | March 26, 2022
Funds advised by Kasada Capital Management (“Kasada”) announced the acquisition of the 120-key Cape Grace hotel in Cape Town, South Africa.
This acquisition marks Kasada's entry into the South African hospitality market and the continued fulfilment of the platform’s strategy to expand its presence in key cities across Sub-Saharan Africa. Kasada will now deploy its expertise in Cape Town with an asset voted one of the “Top Luxury Hotels” in the continent.
Originally opened in 1996, the Cape Grace is located in Cape Town’s Victoria & Albert Waterfront district and is one of Africa’s most iconic hotels. This acquisition will mark a new chapter in the property’s history. With high ambitions for this Cape Town landmark, Kasada will renovate the hotel with the view of obtaining the EDGE green-building certification while keeping its legacy, unrivalled quality, and exceptional service which have been the essence of this exceptional property.
"This acquisition marks our entry into the South African hospitality market, the largest in Africa. The Cape Grace is a great addition to our existing hotel portfolio and we look forward to bringing our knowledge and expertise to this iconic asset. Our value creation strategy will be driven by our sustainability values and highest ESG standards for the benefit of our guests, employees and local communities."
-Olivier Granet, Kasada's Managing Partner and CEO
David Damiba, Kasada’s Managing Partner and CIO added: We are delighted to have completed this important acquisition in Cape Town. It demonstrates our continued ability to structure and execute transactions across hotel segments and geographies. With the acquisition of the Cape Grace and our subsequent capex commitment, we continue to believe in the resilience of the African hospitality market and confirm our positioning as a leading investor and solution provider in the hospitality sector on the continent.
About Kasada
Kasada Capital Management is part of the Kasada group, an independent investment platform dedicated to hospitality in Sub-Saharan Africa. The firm was launched in 2018 with the backing of Qatar Investment Authority, the sovereign wealth fund of the State of Qatar, and Accor, a world leading hospitality group. The Kasada group’s strategy spans all segments from economy to luxury and targets both greenfield and brownfield projects. The Kasada group’s hotels are operated under the banner of Accor’s wide range of internationally renowned brands. By investing in a region which offers robust growth opportunities, the Kasada group aims to deliver both attractive risk-adjusted returns to investors, and a long-term positive impact on local economies. In April 2019, the Kasada group held a close on its maiden fund, Kasada Hospitality Fund L.P., with equity commitments of over USD 500 million. For more information, visit www.kasada.com and follow us on LinkedIn.
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