This year’s event has a strong focus on the accommodation sector, so if hotels are your thing you’ll find plenty to keep you busy for the day. Luckily, the major players are all based in one section of the show – the Global Village – so your legs won’t get too tired.
Start with the Best Western people at GV5850; they’ve come all the way from Phoenix to share their news with you. Among other developments, they can tell you about their 1,200 pet-friendly hotels in North America.
Sticking with the US chains, go and see Cendant Hotel group international at GV3300. The world’s largest lodging franchise group, Cendant has eight hotel brands including Ramada Worldwide, Days Inn and Howard Johnson.
A short stroll away is Kempinski at GV3800, which will unveil details of 29 hotel projects under development at WTM. Since the beginning of the year, three distinctive Kempinski properties have opened their doors – The Emirates Palace in Abu Dhabi, The Kempinski Hotel Giardino di Costanza in Sicily, and Courthouse Hotel Kempinski in London. This was Britain’s second oldest magistrates’ court, where Mick Jagger, Oscar Wilde and John Lennon have all been guests. It re-opened as a hotel earlier this year.
There’s lots happening for Louis Hotels at stand EM950. This year saw the successful relaunch of the Colossos Beach Hotel, the first Louis property in Rhodes. Next year the Louis Apollonia Beach in Cyprus will become adults-only and the Louis Ayios Elias hotel will become all-inclusive for the UK market.
Now it’s time to pop by and introduce yourself to the people at Pestana Group (stand no em215). They’re not as well known here as they are in Brazil and Portugal, but this is all set to change when they open the Pestana London in 2008. Now is the perfect time to get acquainted.
It’s all go at Choice Europe, on stand GV6500. The chain will open six Sleep Inn properties in the UK in the next year, aimed at the budget business traveller. The group currently has seven hotels in the UK and plans to open a further 35 properties by the end of 2007, with the next two opening in Derby and Shrewsbury. Next stop is GV7800, where Fairmont Hotels and Resorts will fill you in on their five new Kenyan hotels. The collection includes Nairobi’s city-centre Norfolk Hotel, two destination resorts, the Mount Kenya Safari Club and the Aberdare Country Club, and two premier safari lodges – the Ark and the Mara Safari Club. Plans are underway for $25 million in phased enhancements to these properties, which will be renamed under the Fairmont banner in mid-2006.
Still feeling energetic? Then why not continue your tour by calling by to see Oberoi Hotels at GV2750, Rezidor SAS Hospitality at GV6600, Starwood Hotels and Resorts Worldwide at GV3850, Worldhotels at GV4800, and last but not least, Hilton Hotels at GV2500.
