Brussels, Rezidor SAS Hospitality has signed agreements for the development of two new Radisson SAS hotels in Ireland. The first agreement is with Earl`s Construction Company Ltd. to manage a hotel in Athlone, located on the banks of the Shannon River. The second project is an agreement with Ballincar House Partnership for the management of a hotel in Sligo, the largest town in the northwest area of Ireland. Construction of the two hotels has already started and they are both scheduled for completion in Spring 2004.
Currently, Rezidor SAS operates three hotels in Ireland, in Dublin, Galway and Limerick, with a hotel in Letterkenny scheduled to open in the Fall. In Northern Ireland, the company operates a hotel in Limavady, with a hotel in Belfast scheduled to open in 2004.

The 116-room Radisson SAS Hotel in Athlone is centrally located at Silver Quay, an exclusive development located on the banks of the Shannon, considered one of the most desirable locations in Athlone due to its riverside location and scenic views. The hotel is located at the marina overlooking Althone Castle and within walking distance to the train station and the city center.

Athlone is situated in the center of Ireland in the County Westmeath, midway between Dublin and Galway, and is easily accessible via Shannon airport and Dublin. The city offers heritage trails and guided tours. A selection of championship golf courses are within a two-hour drive of the town.

Facilities will include a restaurant, a bar, a 1,600 square-foot main ballroom (which can be divided into three separate rooms) which can accommodate up to 500 people as well as six additional meeting rooms. The hotel will also feature an expansive fully-equipped health and fitness center with a swimming pool. Public parking will be available for hotel guests.

“The £25 million (approx. $41.5 million U.S.) investment by Earls Construction in providing a first class hotel for Athlone is testament to the company`s ongoing belief in the midland city as a modern vibrant town with the headquarters of multi-national companies and industries,” said Vincent Earls, managing director of Earl`s Construction.

He added, “The Silver Quay complex with its marina and the Radisson SAS Hotel will certainly move Athlone into one of the country`s foremost conference and function destinations.”

The Radisson SAS Hotel in Sligo will offer 132 rooms, a restaurant and a bar. The hotel is located just outside of Sligo`s city center on the road to Rosses Point, one of the area`s main tourist attractions. Other facilities in the hotel will include a state-of-the-art spa and health club with 20 treatment rooms and a large conference center, able to accommodate up to 900 people as well as a ballroom which can accommodate up to 600 people. The conference center will have a variety of boardrooms, meeting and break-out rooms providing the most advanced technology systems.

Sligo is the cultural capital of the northwest of Ireland. It is located at the mouth of the Garavogue River and is easily accessible either from Sligo Airport or Knock International Airport. Sligo has a wealth of natural and man-made attractions and due to the varied coastal zones and interior landscapes, there is a wide range of sporting activities available.

Bernard Mullen, spokesperson for Ballincar House Partnership, said, “We are excited about the future of Sligo and especially our investment in this hotel project as well as our faith in Radisson SAS to manage it.”

“Our expansion plans in Ireland are entirely in line with the ambitious targets we have set for the chain. To complement the success of Radisson SAS, we will soon introduce Rezidor SAS` other brands to Ireland,” said Kurt Ritter, president & CEO, Rezidor SAS Hospitality.

He added, “We are dedicated to remaining the market leader and are proud to contribute to the economy of Ireland by adding 1500 direct and over 5000 indirect jobs by the end of 2007.”

Rezidor SAS Hospitality, one of the fastest growing hospitality companies in the world, has a portfolio of five brands. Rezidor SAS is the sole franchisor in Europe, the Middle East and Africa for the Carlson brands: Radisson, Park Inn, Country Inn and Regent. In March 2003, Rezidor SAS announced its new lifestyle hotel brand Cerruti, a joint initiative with the international fashion house. Rezidor SAS currently includes 188 hotels in operation and under development in 40 countries. The company aims to include 700 hotels under the different brands by 2012. For more information on Rezidor SAS and its five brands, visit www.rezidorsas.com.
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