By James Wilkinson in Minneapolis, USA
Carlson has reported a strong 2013 from a revenue and development perspective.
Speaking today (Feb 18 local time) at the Radisson and Radisson Blu Americas Annual Business Conference, taking place at Radisson Blu Mall of America in Minneapolis, Carlson’s President and CEO Trudy Rautio (pictured above) said it was the most successful development year for the company since 2008.
She also said system-wide revenue increased 4% to USD$7.5 billion in 2013.
“We saw a surge in signings and revenue gains, thanks to the efforts and continued progress against our Ambition 2015 goals,” she said.
“We continue to invest in and improve our brands, and we strive to exceed guest expectations. The success is evident in our 2013 results.”
Asia-Pacific has been a key to the company’s development success, with the region, headed by President Simon Barlow (pictured below), reporting a 71% increase in signings in 2013 over the year prior.
Speaking exclusive to HM at the Conference, Barlow said 2013 was a record year for Carlson Rezidor in Asia Pacific, “not only in terms of signings of new hotels, but also the signing of two strategic partnerships in India and Indonesia that will bring more rapid growth for the company in both countries”.
“We also saw the opening of two new next generation Park Inn by Radisson hotels in Davao in the Philippines and Bilaspur in India, heralding the beginning of the rapid roll out of this brand in Asia over the next few years,” he told HM.
Another stand out region was the Americas, with 111% growth in new signings. Overall, the group’s signings increased 43% over 2012.
At the Conference, Rautio also announced Vision 20/20, an extension of the company’s successful Ambition 2015 growth strategy.
She said Vision 20/20 “renews the company’s focus on the guest experience and the delivery of the brands’ promises by focusing on developing talent, creating a service culture that is unrivalled in the industry and fostering a culture of innovation and collaboration”.
Rautio said the strategy would “drive development, deliver value to owners and operators and better align Carlson resources”.
“Our recent success securely positions us to achieve our goal of 1,500 hotels in operation and under development,” Rautio said.
“Having just completed 75 years in operation, Carlson is excited to hearken back to its heritage of innovation as we forge a strategy dedicated to the delivery of exceptional customer experiences.
“Vision 20/20 will build upon a strong foundation of success and accelerate our progress,” she said.
Carlson today also revealed it would launch two new global brands – Radisson Red and the Quorvus Collection. For that story, click here.
HM is reporting live from the Radisson and Radisson Blu Americas Annual Business Conference and stay tuned for more exclusive reports over the coming days.