Radisson Blu reopens after renovation
Hotel to ‘steal a lot of business in the competition’
KUWAIT CITY, Nov 27: We look forward to again play our part in making Kuwait more again become an attractive destination for people to visit and for organizations to hold big events, says Wolfgang Neumann, President & CEO of Carlson/Rezidor Hotel Group as he spoke in an exclusive interview with the Arab Times on the sidelines of a glittering re-opening event heralding the return of the Radisson Blu Hotel Kuwait to the local hospitality scene Tuesday night.
The hotel, which has undergone a major renovation, played host to over 500 guests as they gathered for the official launch at the hotel’s newly refurbished Al Bustan restaurant and terrace.
The newly-improved Radisson Blu Hotel Kuwait underwent KD 15 million of investment, which has transformed the property, both structurally and decoratively resulting in a thoroughly modern hotel.
Mr. Neumann, a lifetime hotelier with 30 years experience in the industry, shared his thoughts on changes in the industry, saying that over the years, the industry has gone through lots of transformations in terms of technology, but has stayed the same because “it’s still a peoples’ business and a service business”. It’s the expectations of guests that have developed over time and the industry has remarkably adapted accordingly.
On Radisson’s current growth story, the CEO revealed that Carlson Rezidor Hotel Group has to date 330 hotels in operation and another 100 in development in over 70 countries. Spread across Europe, Africa and the Middle East, America and Asia. Altogether Carlson Rezidor is the tenth largest hotel group in the world.
Regarding the evolution of sales strategy over the years for the hotel group, the CEO stated that sales is local to every single unit in the chain by the local team being close to the customer in the local market.
Established in Kuwait in 1980, the newly refurbished Radisson Blu’s reentry into the market reinforces its reputation as an incredibly great brand and now reflects truly what Radisson is all about; same spirit, same people with same unique service philosophy differentiating Radisson from other competitors. The refurbishment again positions the hotel as the leading entity and meeting place in Kuwait and should “steal a lot of business in the competition”.
The dynamism in the hotel environment currently makes it difficult to predict occupancy rates in the industry. With the markets only just recovering from its recent difficulties in Kuwait, the refurbishment and repositioning of the property will begin to drive good business both locally and from abroad.
The digital world is increasing dramatically and is one of the big drivers in the propulsion of growth. Online and social media are now among the critical movers of the industry. With that in mind, Mr. Neumann said “We’re investing a lot of money in this area and are currently totally building an all new web platform that will make booking easier and digital experience transparent so people on PCs, tablets and mobile phones can access and book easily. It’s part of our loyalty program”.
As to whether there’d be any more brand addition, the CEO stated that there’s currently a brand architecture review going on together with Carlson but the current core brands at hand are Radisson Blu and Park Inn by Radisson.
Regarding the toughest job in the hotel business, Mr. Neumann asserted that the industry, a 24/7 and seven days a week business, is a beautiful industry that provides great experiences for staff to provide service which is what the hospitality business is all about. “That’s a great job to have but it’s not always easy since it’s demanding”.
The defining moment for a hotel guest, says Mr. Neumann, should be any moment since Radisson’s overall aim is to ensure a unique memorable experience and creating bright spots for its guests.
Social media is revolutionizing all aspects of life, the hospitality industry included. It allows brand promotion bringing businesses closer to the younger audience who are on various social media vehicles and platforms.
Trip advisor, a good example of where the world of hotels come closer to the customer, allowing operators and customers to share experiences and equally forces people to react to complaints very quickly. He added that the hotel business is all about providing experiences but equally, Radisson as an entity, has a responsibility to do more to care about the planet since the industry is a big producer of CO2, wastes.
There’s an ambitious project of 25% reduction in energy consumption in the next five years. “Since tourism is about experiences in nature and the environment, we need to preserve that as well”.
With thirty hotels in operation and fifteen under development in the GCC, particularly focused on Saudi Arabia and UAE, the focus now is on Park Inn and “we look forward to again playing our part in making Kuwait more again become an attractive destination for people to visit and for organizations to hold big events”.
The Radisson Blu Hotel Kuwait reopens as a local landmark - combining Arabian traditions and hospitality with the contemporary style and services of Radisson Blu. The outstanding result of the renovation allows us to re-position this 5-star property as one of the flagships in the Middle East.
The hotel’s interior design is based on the climate and landscape of Kuwait using light and natural colours. The 191 new-look guest rooms have been designed around three different concepts: the Scandinavian themed ‘Naturally Cool’ rooms; the ‘NY Mansion House’ rooms which are based on the traditional but sophisticated uptown mansion house; and the suitably named ‘And Relax rooms which are designed to create an atmosphere of calm and relaxation;
Finally, Dasman Ballroom is an additional facility which has been developed for events and meetings, with 360sqm of space that can accommodate 200 persons at capacity, or be reconfigured into a variety of configurations. Dasman Ballroom is fully equipped with modern audio-visual and communications equipment, three adjacent meeting rooms, and a pre-function area, as well as separate lobby entrance for car access. As a Radisson Blu hotel, Dasman Ballroom also offers the “Experience Meetings” concept for meetings and events; which promises to deliver high-end products and services, including the main three core components: Brain Box, Brain Food and free internet.
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