Inside track
What business is it in? A privately owned selection of 12 hotels operating at the luxury end of the UK market with 2,300 guest rooms and 95 meeting rooms.
What's its form? The company was founded in 1977 by Jasminder Singh when he bought the 124-bedroom South Kensington Edwardian hotel the Vanderbilt. In 1990 the company signed a management contract with the Carlson Group, which gave it access to the American giant's technology and marketing muscle.
Where is its head office and area of operation? The company is predominantly a London concern, with its head office in Hayes, Middlesex, near its Heathrow hotel.
What sort of employer is it? You can look for the latest job vacancies at the company website, www.radissonedwardian.com, under careers. It allows you to search by job type and level. Or you can call human resources on 020 8759 6311. Radisson offers a number of on-the-job training schemes from NVQ, and wine training up to degrees. This includes access to a BA degree in hotel management, and a four-week senior management development course at University of Oxford's Templeton College, which costs the company £25,000 per student. The company is also proud of its 360-degree appraisals of personal performance that solicit the views of all staff, including peers and not just the individual's line manager.
How does the future look? The company opened its first hotel outside London in September in the striking Free Trade Hall in Manchester. Its latest acquisition was London's May Fair hotel in December 2003, and the company is currently spending millions refurbishing the property to introduce a new-look bar and new-look spa next month.
Did you know? The company's Heathrow hotel has been voted the best airport hotel in the world for the eighth year running by readers of Business Traveller Magazine.
Not to be confused with? Radisson SAS Hotels & Resorts, part of international company Rezidor SAS Hospitality. The company operates 114 hotels and resorts, with more than 40 hotels under development in 38 countries around the world.
