Rezidor Hotel Group, part of Radisson Hotel Group, has announced nine new hotel openings -  representing close to 1,700 rooms - in the first quarter of 2018.

This includes the addition of the Radisson Blu Hotel, Dubai Waterfront – a new 432-room flagship named the 'friendliest five-star hotel in Dubai'.

"2018 is off to a great start for Rezidor with great new signings and openings, following the launch of Radisson Hotel Group at IHIF, Berlin. Our new global entity, a new brand architecture, a new five-year operating plan and a renewed asset-right development strategy is in motion, and the first quarter development results show a positive progression across EMEA," said Elie Younes, executive vice president and chief development officer, Radisson Hotel Group.

One of the key milestones in Q1 was the recognition of Radisson Blu as Europe's largest upper-upscale hotel brand since 2010, according to the global ranking by MKG Hospitality-ON. The brand leads the European hotel market in size and scale, making it number one across the 28 European Union nations plus Norway, Switzerland, Turkey and the Baltics.

"The sheer size and geographical coverage of Radisson Blu demonstrates that it’s a brand of choice for guests and investors alike, and a key driver of our growth strategy worldwide,” added Younes.

One of the key signings of the quarter was the Palazzo Montemartini in Rome, which will join the Radisson Collection in July 2018. The signing of the Palazzo Montemartini – an Italian style icon that opened in 1881 – is a demonstration of how Radisson Hotel Group aims to drive growth in mature markets.

Other notable new hotel openings of this quarter included the Radisson Blu Hotel, Dubai Waterfront, with 432 rooms and suites, located in Dubai’s new trend-setting Business Bay neighbourhood. The hotel is the company’s sixth in Dubai and boasts spectacular views of the iconic Burj Khalifa, as well as the newly-opened Dubai Water Canal.

The Austrian capital of Vienna was also a focal market, with the city seeing both the opening of the modern 233-room Radisson Blu Park Royal Palace Hotel, Vienna and the signing of the prizeotel Vienna-City – marking the affordable high design brand's entry into Austria.

A second Radisson Blu hotel opened in Lagos, Nigeria with 155 rooms, and three new Park Inn by Radisson hotels were added in Saudi Arabia (Najran, Dammam Industrial City and Jubail Industrial City) and one in Katowice, Poland.

The group also signed a new Radisson Red in Reykjavik, two prizeotel in Vienna and Düsseldorf, and a Radisson Blu in Timisoara, Romania. - TradeArabia News Service