Carlson Rezidor Hotel Group, Russia’s leading international hotel operator, has announced that it will open two, new-build hotels in Moscow in 2016. The Radisson Congress Hotel, Moscow will add 400 rooms and a conference center to the portfolio, and the adjacent Park Inn by Radisson Hotel, Moscow will add 600 rooms. The hotels will be located on the grounds of the historic “All-Russian Exhibition Centre,” which was originally built in 1935 and is now a popular city park and tourist attraction. LLC Renaissance of VVC is the developer for both projects.
“These signings bring our portfolio in greater Moscow to 11 hotels with 3,700 rooms in operation and under development,” said Wolfgang M. Neumann, president and chief executive officer of The Rezidor Hotel Group, who spoke at the Russia & CIS Hotel Investment Conference in Sochi. “The properties will further strengthen our network in the capital city and open new opportunities, especially in the MICE segment. The Radisson Congress Hotel will have the largest conference facilities of any internationally branded hotel in Moscow.”
The All-Russian Exhibition Centre is located 4.3 miles north of the Kremlin and occupies an impressive area. It attracts some 15 million visitors per year, and features exhibition centers, World Expo pavilions, gardens, pools and fountains, a cinema and an amusement park. A $1.5 billion re-development plan will further upgrade the complex.
LLC Renaissance of VVC has also initiated Eastern Europe’s largest Oceanarium “Water Planet” to be built at the Centre, featuring aquariums for tropical fish and dolphins, and offering marine shows. An Aqua Park and new, year-round entertainment areas for adults and kids will complement the offer.
The upper upscale Radisson Congress Hotel will offer Radisson signature services such as free, high-speed Internet access; an extensive conference center, also accessible for guests of the adjacent Park Inn by Radisson; restaurants, bars and lobby lounge facilities; a fitness area and parking bays. The midscale Park Inn by Radisson Hotel will feature meeting rooms, a restaurant and lobby bar facilities, a fitness area and parking bays.
Carlson Rezidor operates and develops a total of 60 hotels with 15,300 rooms in Russia/CIS and has identified the region as a core market for future business.
“We were the first international hotel group to arrive in Russia in 1991 and have been committed to this emerging market ever since,” said Wolfgang. “Due to its natural resources, financial and economic hubs and mega events, like the Olympics 2014, Russia offers great growth potential that we aim to pursue further in co-operation with powerful regional partners.”