Worldhotels has announced a strategic partnership with Antoitalia Hospitality, an Italian real estate advisory and hotel management firm specialising in the hospitality industry.

Antoitalia combines the experience of an intermediation network dedicated to managing real estate portfolio sales with extensive expertise in hospitality industry advisory.

The company has substantial experience in operating and managing hotels and is well connected to hotel operators in Italy, which makes it a perfect partner in Worldhotels’ drive to develop its newly launched branding solution.

Worldhotels is expanding its current affiliation business model by adding a full licence model for hotels seeking a fully branded solution with global recognition at a fraction of the usual franchise fees.

With 43 Italian hotels under its affiliation model, Worldhotels will focus on acquiring full licence hotels in strategically important cities such as Rome and Milan and in other selected locations.

Antoitalia will support this growth by providing consultancy and valuable contacts in the Italian hotel sector combined with hotel management services for potential full licence properties.

“Italy is a very important market for us and the region will play a crucial role in the development of the full licence model worldwide”, stated Ingo Gürges, vice president global hotel development of Worldhotels.

“With our branding solution, we are offering a brand new service to the Italian market. Our partnership with Antoitalia will be a very significant part of our expansion strategy in Europe.”

Piergiorgio Mangialardi, head of Antoitalia Hospitality, explained: “Antoitalia is seeking significant growth in the hotel management sector in Italy by setting up specific operating companies and establishing high-level partnerships.

“For Antoitalia, being able to count on the commercial and international capacity of Worldhotels also implies having a top-level player on the domestic market. As well as four-and five-star hotels, we are keenly interested in golf resorts and in “fun” locations for hotels and resorts.”

Several projects are in the works, amongst those a prestigious five star luxury hotel in Turin, which will be re-branded as a Worldhotel by the end of 2011 as part of a management change. Worldhotels will support the repositioning of the hotel in the market and provide a 360° service to the hotel through the group’s new branding solution.