Worldwide briefing
20 July 2001
Essential news from around the world… Elegant Hotels appoints new chief executive Elegant Hotels has appointed Marcello Pigozzo as its new chief executive. Pigozzo joins from Spanish hotel group Sol Meliá, where he was managing director of European resorts and the Mediterranean, Middle East and Africa division. Silken weaves web of hotels Silken, the 22-strong Spanish hotel company, which recently opened the four-star, 71-bedroom Hotel Villa in Avilés and the 65-bedroom Hotel Monumental Naranco in Oviedo, plans to open a further six hotels by the end of next year. They will be in Santander, Tenerife, Seville, Bilbao and Madrid. Hyatt Regency bids for state-owned casino Hotel and casino operator Hyatt Regency has expressed an interest in the state-owned Mount Parnes Casino resort near Athens, Greece. The resort comprises a casino and two hotels with a total of 433-bedrooms and is due to be privatised by the Greek government by the end of the year. The Greek development ministry plans to sell up to 51% of the resort. Taj plans hotel sale The Taj Group is considering selling the 34-bedroom City Inn in Baramati, eastern India. Zubin Dubash, executive finance director of Taj subsidiary Indian Hotels, said the hotel did not fit with the group. Company officials said the hotel was not up to their standards and demand was low. Sri Lanka's first privilege Sri Lanka's first all-suite beach hotel, the Privilege, is set to open its doors in September. The 25-suite hotel will have a main swimming pool, children's pool, two restaurants, two bars and a health farm. Best Western heads east International hotel consortium Best Western has signed up its first hotel in Hong Kong. The 274-bedroom Best Western Rosedale on the Park has two restaurants, a wine and cigar lounge, and six function rooms. It joins more than 4,000 Best Western hotels in 84 countries. Mixed results for NH Hoteles Sales at NH Hoteles rose by 79% to €371.3m (£226.6m) in the three months to 30 June, compared with the same period last year. Growth was attributed to the acquisition of Dutch hotel chain Krasnapolsky, which contributed revenues of €153.3m (£95.6m). Revenue per available room was up by 6.1% and occupancy was 73%.
