Despite the challenges, due to the current circumstances, Radisson Hotel Group has started moving towards normality with a host of expansion and opening announcements over the past months. 

From the first Radisson RED in the region to making history with the appointment of the world’s first female Saudi General Manager in the hospitality industry, Radisson Hotel Group looks back on a year of mixed emotions and many great achievements.

Looking back at 2020, Radisson Hotel Group has announced more than 40 new hotel signings across EMEA, five of which comprising 1,500 keys fall within the Middle East region. With that in mind, Radisson Hotel Group is confident that travel will continue to rebound, and more capital will be invested in the industry from both the private and public sectors.

While customer preferences, financial markets, and real estate dynamics may evolve, the group continues to put their owners and guests at the heart of its initiatives. While many hotel groups have put their development plans on hold, Radisson Hotel Group and its shareholders have remained committed towards their ambitions.

The group remains focused on its  mission to be recognized as one of the top three hotel brands in the world and the brand of choice for owners, guests, and talent. The recently announced signings re-affirm the group’s commitment to its owners, employees, guests, and partners and further strengthens its global scale of over 1,100 hotels in operation and another 300 in the pipeline.

Elie Milky, Vice President Business Development Middle East, Cyprus, Greece and Pakistan said: “Moving forward we aim to continue expanding our brand architecture covering all product types and hospitality models as we strengthen our presence across the Middle East, primarily through conversions. We have a very proactive and engaging approach with our partners and investors, and we believe in building long-standing relationships with our owners based on trust and responsibility. Our growth journey continues across sub-markets and key owners where we are selectively targeting high profile developments and, where available, benefiting from the tourism funds with some of our major partners where we could add value.”

With the recent launch of the Radisson Individuals affiliation the group aims to respond to the evolving demands of the modern market for both hotel owners and guests by improving further its conversions proposition. Allowing regional hotel brands and independent operations seeking to explore additional distribution channels and/or co-branding options, Radisson Individuals is an ideal first step for such hotels with strong service scores who wish to remain independent or who may be considering transitioning to a global brand one day.

Due to the increasing demand for spacious offerings and the extended stay product, Radisson Hotel Group aims to expand its serviced apartments portfolio even further not only in the Middle East but globally. Over the past months this hospitality model has proven to be very resilient and an attractive asset proposition to investors which has further strengthened the group’s commitment to this product offering.

Moving forward the Middle East remains a key focus for Radisson Hotel Group’s global strategy as it is set to reinforce its position as a global leader across the region. The region currently has 73 hotels, resorts and serviced apartments in operation and 38 under development. Contributing to 50% of the group’s Middle East portfolio, Radisson currently operates over 20 hotels, resorts and serviced apartments with over 3,500 keys in Saudi Arabia alone – with a pipeline set to double the portfolio by 2025. 

The group’s aggressive conversion strategy has yielded results as Radisson aims to open six properties across the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia and two hotels within the United Arab Emirates in 2021. From the first airport hotel in Saudi Arabia located in Riyadh to the first Radisson for the UAE located in Dubai, Radisson Hotel Group continues to further strengthen the position of its brands within the region, especially during these unprecedented times.