In one of the first pieces of news since it announced a strategic five-year operating plan, the newly renamed Radisson Hotel Group on Tuesday said it signed new deals for a Radisson hotel for New York City in Times Square, as well as a Radisson Blu for Anaheim, California. The announcement was made at its Americas Business Conference in Orlando, Florida.
Radisson Hotel Group’s new business plan includes clear brand segmentation and investing in brands and hotels that meet the needs of the changing travel sector. Radisson leadership said it has identified 21 key markets in the Americas where it plans to be aggressive with expanding its footprint, particularly in the U.S. with the Radisson Blu brand.
In reference to the Radisson Hotel New York City — Manhattan/Times Square being developed by Sam Chang of McSam Hotel Group, Ken Greene, Radisson Hotel Group president, Americas, said, “I think it’s huge in terms of our opportunity to reposition and refresh the Radisson brand. It starts with improving the quality of the system, but it takes a billboard property like a Times Square property to represent that mission.”
Greene added that developer Chang is among the premier developers in New York City and that his confidence in the company and Radisson brand is “really huge.” “It’s a big, big play for us,” he said.
The New York City property will include 320 rooms; it is already under construction and will open within the next 12 months.
The Radisson Blu Anaheim will be located a half-mile from Disneyland Park and Disney California Adventure Park. A new-build hotel by developer Walter Bowen of BPM Real Estate Group of Portland, Oregon, is expected to be open by Summer 2020 with 326 guestrooms. It will be the tallest hotel in Anaheim at 12 stories.
These signings drive Radisson Hotel Group toward the company’s goal of adding 13,000 across EMEA and 56,000 more rooms across the Americas and Asia Pacific by 2022.