n Los Angeles last month during the Americas Investment Lodging Conference, USA TODAY assembled our first-ever hotel CEO roundtable with the CEOs of Marriott, InterContinental Hotels Group, Choice, Wyndham Hotels and Carlson.
Because we couldn't possibly squeeze everything from the hour-long conversation into print - despite the full-page of coverage in USA TODAY's Money section last week, I'm going to run some of what was lost in the editing process here on USA TODAY's Hotel Check-In hotels blog.
Today: Carlson CEO Hubert Joly talks about changes with the Radisson chain, which is in the midst of giving the brand a modern image. Carlson operates more than 1,300 hotels worldwide.
USA TODAY:
It's been two years since Carlson launched its plan to revamp the
Radisson chain. Many agree it needed to updated, with some hotels better
than others. How is that going?JOLY: At this point, we have 25% of Radisson hotels that had been renovated at the end of 2011.
We'll be at 50% at the end of 2012, and 75% at the end of 2013. So, the Radisson brand in the U.S. is really changing, and we're very proud of that.
JOLY: The Radisson Blu in Chicago is from a design standpoint and architectural standpoint getting positive feedback from people who have seen it. This product is really, very different.
The customer response is very strong, so certainly this is signaling a trend that started in Europe - and is now in Asia as well - for very vibrant design-led brands. It will grow in the US. We'll have Radisson Blu at Mall of America open in 12 months.
Readers: Comments? Have you stayed in a spruced-up Radisson yet? If so, tell us what you think.
Because we couldn't possibly squeeze everything from the hour-long conversation into print - despite the full-page of coverage in USA TODAY's Money section last week, I'm going to run some of what was lost in the editing process here on USA TODAY's Hotel Check-In hotels blog.
Today: Carlson CEO Hubert Joly talks about changes with the Radisson chain, which is in the midst of giving the brand a modern image. Carlson operates more than 1,300 hotels worldwide.
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ALSO ONLINE: Wyndham Hotels CEO: It's time to revamp HoJo
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By Barbara DeLollis
We'll be at 50% at the end of 2012, and 75% at the end of 2013. So, the Radisson brand in the U.S. is really changing, and we're very proud of that.
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USA TODAY:
The company just opened its first location of Radisson's edgy sister
brand - Radisson Blu - in the USA in Chicago. It is the 219th Blu,
however, most are in Europe, most Americans have heard of it and its
style is vastly different from how people perceive the Radisson brand
today. How do you think it will do with Chicago visitors?JOLY: The Radisson Blu in Chicago is from a design standpoint and architectural standpoint getting positive feedback from people who have seen it. This product is really, very different.
The customer response is very strong, so certainly this is signaling a trend that started in Europe - and is now in Asia as well - for very vibrant design-led brands. It will grow in the US. We'll have Radisson Blu at Mall of America open in 12 months.
Readers: Comments? Have you stayed in a spruced-up Radisson yet? If so, tell us what you think.
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