Park Plaza Hotels is proud to announce that it will be investing approximately €25 million in its Dutch hotel portfolio, strengthening its market position in this key market, and Frans Wientjes has been appointed to manage the investment.

The total investment covers the construction of the art’otel amsterdam and extensive refurbishment programmes for the flagship Park Plaza Victoria Amsterdam, the newly acquired Park Plaza Amsterdam Airport, the centrally located Park Plaza Utrecht and, the company’s first hotel, the Park Plaza Mandarin Eindhoven.

Supervising this investment programme will be Frans Wientjes who returns to Park Plaza Hotels as Regional General Manager for Continental Europe. Frans Wientjes most recently served as the Managing Director of Eden Hotel Management where he was responsible for the day to day management and operational growth of the portfolio from 12 to 17 hotels.

Prior to Eden, Frans was Regional Manager Benelux for Park Plaza Hotels and he has also held senior management positions with Bilderberg Hotels & Restaurants and Gauchos Restaurants.

Boris Ivesha, President & CEO of Park Plaza Hotels, comments: “I am delighted to welcome Frans back and I am convinced that he will ensure that our significant capital investment will be well spent”.

Frans Wientjes, newly appointed Regional General Manager Continental Europe, comments: “I’m very excited to return to Park Plaza Hotels at this exciting time and my focus initially will be to guide the hotels through these extensive renovations and prepare for the opening of art’otel amsterdam”.

Details of the new hotel project and planned renovations are as follows:

art’otel amsterdam
Destined to be the first art’otel in the Netherlands, Park Plaza Hotels will shortly commence the construction of this landmark development. Situated in an iconic building opposite Amsterdam’s Central Station this 105 bedroom lifestyle hotel is expected to become a new hub in the city and among the key facilities is the art gallery of 10,000 square feet. Other features are an extensive bar, lounge, restaurant and entertainment facilities.

Park Plaza Victoria Amsterdam
This landmark city centre hotel, directly opposite Amsterdam’s Central Station, offers 306 guest rooms including superior, executive rooms and suites. The extensive meeting space can accommodate up to 350 delegates.

Nearly half of the guestrooms, the public areas and the monumental exterior were already renovated in 2006 and in the first half of 2011 the company will now completely refurbish the 160 remaining guestrooms and meeting rooms. The renovations are extensive and include guestrooms and bathrooms. The interior design will be partly based on the design of the flagship Park Plaza Westminster Bridge, London’s most high profile hotel opening in 2010.

The extensive renovations at this hotel will be supervised by Jan-Willem Roenhorst who has been appointed as Hotel Manager and who starts on February 14. Jan-Willem brings a wealth of international hotel experience and joins from Le Meridien Parkhotel Frankfurt, where he held the position of Resident Manager.

Park Plaza Amsterdam Airport
This brilliantly located 342-bedroom contemporary hotel along the A9 motorway and close to Amsterdam Schiphol Airport, will see an investment in the public areas, bars, restaurants and meeting facilities and a brand new health & fitness facility will be added.

Park Plaza Hotels acquired this large conference hotel in April 2010 and, under the leadership of the new General Manager Gerard van der Haagen, has made some significant improvements in its service and product offering.

The company is now ready to invest and will start redecorating all public areas in summer 2011 and several new facilities will be introduced such as executive boardrooms, a high tech experience meeting room and fitness and health centre. With 25 flexible meeting rooms, most with natural daylight, ample parking space and its close proximity to Amsterdam, Schiphol and the A9 this hotel is destined to become the market leader for residential conferences and training sessions in the greater Amsterdam area.

Park Plaza Utrecht
This perfectly located hotel, opposite Utrecht’s central station, offers 120 guest rooms including superior and executive rooms as well as 11 fully-equipped function rooms each with natural daylight.

Having already fully renovated 40 guestrooms in 2009, the Park Plaza Utrecht will renovate another 40 guestrooms in the summer months, further strengthening its already strong position in the city.

Park Plaza Mandarin Eindhoven
Park Plaza Mandarin Eindhoven, the company’s first hotel, will be looking to build on its successful renovation from 2008 when it renovated half of the 102 guestrooms, all public areas and the swimming pool. In 2011 the hotel will refurbish the remaining guestrooms and meeting rooms.