One of the leading groups for independent hotels worldwide, WORLDHOTELS, is proud to have welcomed 54 new affiliates to its global portfolio, which is an increase of 12% on the number of hotels admitted in the previous year. In total, 318 hotels applied for affiliation, demonstrating the strong demand for the comprehensive range of services offered by WORLDHOTELS. The small percentage of acceptances clearly represents the group’s specific requirements for affiliation. In line with its ambitious expansion plans, WORLDHOTELS plans to add a further 100 properties worldwide in 2010.

The additional affiliate properties include 27 new hotels in Europe, the Middle East and Africa (EMEA); 12 new properties in the US and 15 in Asia Pacific.

New UK hotels
WORLDHOTELS particularly expanded its portfolio in the UK with the addition of the renowned brand City Inn, which has properties in the UK business hubs London, Leeds, Manchester, Glasgow, Birmingham and Bristol. London’s well known Royal Garden Hotel in Kensington also joined the group.

New European hotels
New properties in Europe include additional hotels in several key destinations, such as Budapest, Rotterdam, Berlin and Helsinki. Further hotels of particular note include the brand new Grand Majestic Plaza in Prague, the historic Park Hotel in Amsterdam, the Manhattan Hotel Rotterdam, and the recently opened Atlantic Congress Hotel in Essen, the “European Capital of Culture 2010”. 

New US hotels
In the US, WORLDHOTELS added 12 new hotels and is proud to have a new presence in a variety of key destinations, including Dallas, Atlanta and Chicago.

The group also added its first hotels in Vermont and the Virgin Islands. One of the most recent new hotels in the US is the luxurious Dana Hotel & Spa in Chicago.

New Asia-Pacific hotels
15 new hotels complement the Asia-Pacific portfolio of the group. Among the recent additions are six new hotels in China, among which is the landmark hotel Grand Central Hotel Shanghai; four in Australia; three in India; and one each in Japan and Korea. 

WORLDHOTELS – full service, one stop solution
Ingo Gürges, Vice President Hotel Development at WORLDHOTELS, commented:
“Unlike with any other provider, WORLDHOTELS affiliate hotels commit to a full-service, one-stop solution, which is more convenient and cost-efficient than contracting such a wide range of required services from various suppliers.”

The WORLDHOTELS service range includes, among others:
-    Central reservation system and Internet booking engine WORLDHOTELS Resmaster connecting to the GDS’s and a number of online travel agencies
-    Online reporting software and central commission payment plan
-    RFP software solution (for corporate, MICE, consortia and marketing/ leisure)
-    PMS & yield and revenue management two-way interface solutions
-    17 partnerships with frequent flyer programmes and marketing agreements with American Express, CNN and Avis
-    Global brand positioning, marketing and PR
-    Dedicated performance and revenue management support
-    Dedicated e-commerce sales, support and consultancy
-    WORLDHOTELS Academy offering unlimited training opportunities and covering all areas of hotel operations
-    Quality assurance and industry benchmark solution through annual mystery shopping results
-    Online competitor rate shopping tool

Ingo Gürges continued:
“We always apply our specific criteria for expansion when adding new hotels to our portfolio. Each of the recent additions to the global portfolio is in line with these and our target to offer unique upscale hotels in primary locations and catering to the discerning business and leisure travellers of today.”