The Radisson Blu Belorusskaya Hotel, Moscow has been officially certified a Business and Conference Hotel by the Russian Association of Business Travel (ABT). A corporate travel buyer-driven association, the ABT launched the certification programme to promote the development of business travel in Russia by creating a comprehensive list of hotels suitable for international business. The Belorusskaya is one of 13 certified hotels on the list. “This certification allows us to build and continue to grow our business within the Moscow market,” said General Manager Deborah Haines.

The Radisson Blu Al Mahary Hotel, Tripoli recently honoured Credit Manager Ezhu Gafoor and presented him with a diamond Yes I Can! pin to mark an incredible 20 years’ service.

Last year a total of 43 employees at the Radisson Blu Hotel, Kuwait received Recognition Certificates and diamond Yes I Can! pins, marking some 500 years of service with the hotel! Special recognition went to Yousef Puthiya Purayil from Front Office for reaching his remarkable 30-year landmark. Five of his colleagues were rewarded for 25 years’ service, another five for 20 years, seven for 15 years, three celebrated 10 years and 22 picked up their first five-year diamonds.

The Radisson Royal Hotel, Moscow, a historical landmark in the capital, has once again been voted the World's Leading Luxury Business Hotel. At the gala ceremony of the World Travel Awards 2012, held in India in December, Radisson’s Russian flagship was recognised for the second year running as the best for business by travel professionals from 200 countries. Also known historically as the Ukraina, the Radisson Royal Hotel, Moscow, one of the legendary Seven Sisters, celebrated its 55th anniversary at a glittering gala dinner the evening before. This award was the eighth the property has received since reopening in 2010 after modernisation.

The Park Inn by Radisson Oslo is the first hotel of the Park Inn brand in Norway to receive the revered Nordic Eco “Swan” certificate. “Being an eco-hotel demands environmental commitment from our staff, subcontractors and partners. We’re ready to make that commitment and contribute to a better world,” said General Manager Karl Einar Sundby Baggos. Chief Technician Clayt La Motte was on a high when he received the certificate from Alvhild Hedstein, Director of Nordic Eco Label Norway.

Carlson Rezidor bagged two prestigious awards for Service Excellence at the Hospitality Sales & Marketing Association International (HSMAI) Norway Chapter Annual Awards – one for its Yes I Can! programme and the other for Best Service in Norway. Mari Myrseth, Director of Sales at the Radisson Blu Scandinavia, Oslo, was nominated Young Leader of the Year. Representing the entire global hospitality industry, HSMAI aims to recognise exceptional customer service. “It is our employees who strive to deliver our Yes I Can! service and we have invested significantly in skills and career development,” said Tarje Hellebust, District Director & General Manager of the Radisson Blu Plaza Hotel, Oslo.

The reception of the Radisson Blu Marina Palace Hotel, Turku has been identified as one of the best places to work within the S Group, owner of Radisson Blu Hotels & Resorts in Finland, and has been rewarded with 1,000 euros for further development of its “fit for work” programme.

During the press conference for the opening of the new meeting area at the Radisson Blu Hotel, Zurich Airport, Willem van der Zee, Area Vice President for Germany, Switzerland, Italy and Southeast Europe, congratulated Deputy General Manager Helge Luetters on 10 years of exemplary service. Helge was also responsible for overseeing the huge reconstruction and expansion project for the meeting area and is a great example of our Yes I Can! philosophy.

The Radisson Blu Hotel, Muscat took a silver medal at the Oman Chef Guild competition organised by the National Hospitality Institute last autumn. Two of the 4-star hotel’s chefs were among 10 teams of two representing top-class properties around the Sultanate and faced tough opposition, beating the Shangri-La and coming second to the Ritz-Carlton.

At the top of Montparnasse Tower, in the sky above Paris, the French drinks flavouring company Monin celebrated its centenary with 27 young cocktail makers and shakers from all over Europe, the Middle East and Asia-Pacific. Competing in the Monin Cup Final for the best cocktails, the participants were all aged under 27 and had already won first prize in their national competitions. Vilnius’s Radisson Blu Hotel Lietuva’s Skybar bartender Tadas Dvarvytis came third in the final after demonstrating his talent by creating a short alcoholic cocktail and a non-alcoholic long drink from a mystery box.

The Radisson Blu Hotel, East Midlands Airport has been selected as a finalist in the prestigious European Hotel Design Awards. The GBP 22 million, year-old luxury property is up against two other hotels – one in Athens and the other in Milan – for the best Sustainable Hotel Design. The award is for a hotel that has been developed using sustainable and environmentally friendly principles through innovative design and architecture. With a power plant fuelled by recycled cooking oil, and a 62,500-litre underground storage tank for grey water, East Midlands is the most efficient in Rezidor’s European portfolio of over 400 hotels.

The Radisson Blu Hotel, East Midlands Airport has been selected as a finalist in the prestigious European Hotel Design Awards. The GBP 22 million, year-old luxury property is up against two other hotels – one in Athens and the other in Milan – for the best Sustainable Hotel Design. The award is for a hotel that has been developed using sustainable and environmentally friendly principles through innovative design and architecture. With a power plant fuelled by recycled cooking oil, and a 62,500-litre underground storage tank for grey water, East Midlands is the most efficient in Rezidor’s European portfolio of over 400 hotels.

The team of eight chefs at the Radisson Blu Hotel, Dubai Deira Creek have plenty to be proud of: in the La Cuisine by SIAL culinary competition at the SIAL Middle East 2012 exhibition in November, they walked away with a total of five gold medals, fourteen silver and six bronze. Competing against 300 chefs in the second biggest competition in the Middle East, the hotel’s chefs won the trophy in all three main categories for Best Cuisine (Chef Amila Shamika Rupasingha), Best Pastry Chef (Wengappuli Arachchige Saachithra Danendra) and Best Kitchen Artist (Rovart Cagayat, defending his 2011 title).

Staff at the four Radisson Blu hotels in or near Helsinki (Royal, Plaza, Seaside and Espoo) received a grand total of 300 years’ worth of diamond pins in November. Many were celebrating 15 years of service, having worked at the legendary Radisson SAS Hesperia Hotel when it opened in 1997.

The Carlson Rezidor Hotel Group has been honoured as Hotel Group of the Year at the Worldwide Hospitality Awards 2012. At the gala event in Paris, Carlson President & CEO Trudy Rautio and Rezidor President & CEO Kurt Ritter received the prestigious trophy for the Group’s outstanding achievements in four complementing areas: development, innovation, human resources and business performance. “The Carlson Rezidor Hotel Group launched earlier this year in January. To be chosen as the world’s best hotel company in our first year is a great honour,” they commented. “It’s a fantastic compliment to our teamwork. Our dedicated people have proven that our Yes I Can! philosophy resonates around the world – a huge thank-you to all our 80,000 employees in 81 countries.”

The Worldwide Hospitality Awards were created by Georges Panayotis, President & CEO, MKG Group, as an international competition and opportunity for hotel groups to highlight their exemplary achievements. The jury for the “grand prix” of Hotel Group of the Year consists of readers of the renowned trade magazine Hospitality-On.

The Radisson Blu Hotel, Halle-Merseburg was declared the best hotel in the state of Saxony-Anhalt in November by the German Hotel and Catering Association (DEHOGA). The 4-star Superior hotel outclassed 233 other hotels to retain its crown for the second time. General Manager Shereen Amin said, “We live our Yes I Can! philosophy. My inspiration comes from these words: who stops getting better, stops being good.”

The Radisson Blu 1835 Hotel & Thalasso, Cannes was awarded the globally recognised Green Key eco-label in November, the premier international environmental certificate for tourist accommodation and restaurants. The hotel met the criteria for the award with its large windows and mirrors that optimise natural light, by using the energy from the Thalasso machines to refresh the meeting rooms and by offering guests non-polluting Segways to get around on. The hotel has also reduced its electricity usage by 19% since 2011 by installing motion sensors and LED lighting, and water by 15% with flow reducers.

Training and Development Manager Martin Beirne at the Radisson Blu Hotel & Spa, Galway is the first to receive the Irish Hospitality Institute’s Hospitality Manager of the Year CPD (Continuous Professional Development) 2012 award. To earn this new accolade, sponsored by the Irish Institute of Training & Development (IITD), Martin proved not only that he had an exceptional ability to manage but that he also excelled in CPD, specifically in training and career development.

The Radisson Blu Centrum Hotel, Warsaw not only celebrated its tenth anniversary with a stylish party in November, but also honoured 35 members of the 140-strong staff who had been with the property since the beginning, creating a long-term relationship with the establishment akin to a family. The hotel is very proud of its exceptional family team, helping it to stand out from other hotels.

The Radisson Blu Resort & Spa, Dubrovnik Sun Gardens, has recently won a clutch of accolades, after being named Best Beach Resort Europe at the World Luxury Travel Awards 2012 as well as receiving the 5* Award for Best Resort, Croatia at the International Hotel Awards 2012. Both titles confirm its status as a prime destination resort on a national and international scale and recognise its dedication to upholding the highest of standards.

The resort also provides second-home buyers with the rare opportunity for freehold ownership on the Adriatic coast in the form of 207 fully appointed residences. The combination of developing an attractive real estate offering alongside a five-star resort led to impressive recognition at the recent Overseas Property Professional Awards for Excellence 2012, where the residences took home Gold in the categories Best Developer Europe and Best Global Developer. Meanwhile, the resort was Highly Commended in the Development of Multiple Units Croatia category at the International Property Awards.

The Radisson Royal Hotel, Moscow has scooped one of the world’s most prestigious tributes for luxury hotels, taking the title of best Luxury Hotel in Europe at the glittering gala ceremony of the World Luxury Hotel Awards 2012 (WLHA) in Kuala Lumpur. Aiming to provide top-class establishments with recognition for their world-class facilities and service, the WLHA cover a wide range of categories on a country, continental and global basis, from bush lodges to island resorts.

Two of Rezidor’s Croatia hotels netted Luxury Beach Resort trophies as well, with the Radisson Blu Resort & Spa, Dubrovnik Sun Gardens winning the best in Europe, and the Radisson Blu Resort, Split the best in Croatia.

Not only was the Radisson Blu Resort, Sharjah proclaimed to have the Best Waste Water Management Project of the Year at the Green Middle East Awards for Environmental Excellence in Sharjah, it was also nominated for the Best Alternative Energy Project. The Resort’s Grey Water Recycling Project saves around 33,000 gallons of water every day and the switch from diesel to gas is reducing the hotel’s carbon footprint by 29% per month.

Chef Alaa El Din Mabrouk was the star of the show for the Radisson Blu Hotel, Cairo Heliopolis when he won two top awards at the HACE – Hotel Expo 2012, one of Egypt’s largest exhibitions for hotel suppliers. Alaa, who joined the hotel as Demi Chef two years ago and is now Chef de Partie at the Filini restaurant, scooped first prize for his delicious dishes in the Makro Black Box competition for the second consecutive year, as well as winning the Al Wataniya Chicken Dish competition.

The 10-strong Maltese Culinary Team netted two bronze medals in October at the IKA/Culinary Olympics, the world’s largest and most prestigious gastronomic competition. Competing in Germany against more than 1,500 chefs from 45 countries, Malta’s team included two chefs from the Radisson Blu Hotel Resort & Spa, Malta Golden Sands: Head Patissier Jimmy Aquilina and his assistant Paul Camilleri. Traditional Maltese ingredients were used in their winning dishes and the team plans to enter the Culinary World Cup in 2014 and the next IKA/Culinary Olympics in 2016.

The Radisson Blu Hotel, Belfast has achieved a Gold Star Service Excellence accreditation in the pilot programme of this new scheme, designed to bring professional and effective international customer service practices into common use in Northern Ireland businesses. Based on research into international approaches to building world-class service excellence and developed in conjunction with the Northern Ireland Chamber of Commerce, the scheme aims to help businesses develop and showcase their offering by putting customers and customer support systems at the core of what they do.

Having undergone a comprehensive adjudication process, through workshops, assessments, analysis and presentation of all customer processes at the hotel for the past three years, combined with its excellent results and proven track record, this stylish and popular Belfast city hotel was awarded one of the first six Gold Star accreditations.

The Park Inn by Radisson Uno City Vienna has officially been awarded the Austrian eco-label for accommodation services by the Federal Environment Ministry for the fourth consecutive time. In addition, the hotel received the Austrian Energy Efficiency Programme Award for the first time. The Eco Quality Label for Tourism is a national environmental programme specifically designed for the tourism and hospitality industry. Action is focused on the areas of solid waste, waste water, energy efficiency, ecological purchasing and environmentally friendly cleaning practices.

Our Russian hotels continue to take top awards and gain global recognition! The Radisson Royal Hotel, Moscow has been selected as Europe's Leading Luxury Business Hotel for a second year and Russia’s Leading Luxury Hotel for the third time at the World Travel Awards in Portugal in October. It was also heralded as Europe’s Leading Landmark Hotel. Described as the “Oscars of the travel industry”, the awards are decided by 213,000 travel professionals voting in more than 160 countries.

Other Radisson Blu winners include Berlin, Germany’s Leading Business Hotel; Astorija Vilnius, Lithuania’s Leading Business Hotel; and Alesund, Norway’s Leading Business Hotel.

The new Radisson Blu Hotel, Uppsala has a big presence on Facebook with its message to “upgrade”, winning the hotel a Gold M for Best Social Media Campaign at Uppsala’s annual Media Day in October. Opened in May last year, the hotel set out to deliver an “upgraded concept” through social media sites such as Facebook. “We had several ways to communicate our message: ‘Upgrade your meeting’, ‘Upgrade your after work’ or ‘Upgrade your dreams’. Uppsala finally has a 5-star hotel that can deliver Yes I Can! service,” says General Manager Ann-Sophie Myrefelt.

Nicolas Fernandez of the Radisson Blu Hotel, Dubai Media City is Green Hotelier of the Year! Green-fingered Nicolas impressed the judges at the Middle East Hotel Awards for going above and beyond his role as Chief Engineer when it came to green issues - delivering phenomenally successful water-saving and recycling initiatives, as well as striving to achieve Responsible Business practices throughout the hotel. He has also used his many talents to support the local community. The judges also commended the fact that many of his creative ideas have since been rolled out to other Rezidor hotels as best practice.

Carlson Rezidor was nominated in four other categories, the highest number of nominations ever received by one hotel group at the Middle East Hotel Awards.

Radisson Blu Hotel, Dubai Deira Creek
Unsung Hero of the Year

Diplomat Radisson Blu Hotel, Residence & Spa, Bahrain 
Unsung Hero of the Year

Klara Zakis 
PR Manager of the Year

Radisson Blu Hotel, Dubai Media City
Sommelier of the Year

Marcus Gronwall, Inhouse Sales/Meetings & Events Coordinator at the Radisson Blu Strand Hotel, Stockholm was chosen as Valedictorian out of 59 students when he graduated in International Hospitality Management from the Emirates Academy of Hospitality Management.

The Radisson Blu Resort, El Quseir has been recognised by two independent travel websites. One of the largest travel review sites in Europe, with over 1.5 million visitors a month, Zoover.com had recommended the resort to its members over the past 12 months. Based on members’ votes, it has been named Zoover’s Best Hotel in El Quseir for 2012 and the ninth top hotel in the whole of Egypt. The second accolade is the award of a Certificate of Excellence 2012 from the world’s largest travel site, TripAdvisor, which delivers these certificates to hotels that consistently receive excellent ratings from its members.

The Radisson Blu Resort, Split has become the very first hotel in Croatia to receive Green Key certification. Management praised the fantastic display of teamwork during the challenging pre-audit period and the team can be very proud of their achievement.

Only one year after opening, the Park Inn by Radisson Astrakhan was presented with no fewer than four prestigious awards by the Astrakhan Ministry of Sport and Tourism on Russia’s International Tourism Day in September. Not only was it chosen by the public online as the best hotel and restaurant in the city, its active commitment to the company’s Responsible Business programme - working with orphanages, cleaning the city beach, feeding the poor and fundraising - also earned it the award for Best Charity Participation. And to top off a successful first year, the Ministry presented the hotel with the Breakthrough of the Year award.

The Radisson Blu Hotel, Dubai Deira Creek won a sheaf of awards – 15 gold medals, 7 silver, 5 bronze and 4 diplomas – at Dubai’s renowned “Treat” – the BurJuman World Food Fest 2012. In addition, its chefs took first, second, third and fifth places in the hotly contested BurJuman Junior Chef 2012. As a bonus, the Emirates Culinary Guild awarded the hotel with its prestigious certificate of Appreciation for the Best Effort by an Individual Establishment.

The Radisson Blu Hotel, Cairo Heliopolis was named Egypt’s Best Hotel for Supporting the Environment by the Minister for Tourism on World Tourism Day in September. The coveted Certificate of Excellence was awarded to the hotel for its total commitment to protecting the environment and utilising sustainable resources in all its activities, as well as for supporting Egyptian tourism.

The Radisson Blu Resort, Fujairah triumphed at the East Coast Culinary Competition in Fujairah. Chef Pankaj won gold for his pastry showpiece, Chef Cherry Ann took silver in the Individual Meat/Lamb Static, and bronze medals went to Chef Gayan and Chef Wajid. The hotel also scooped some merits, resulting in a total of seven awards.

Radisson received the award for the Best Hotel Chain in Russia at the National Geographic Traveler Awards 2012 in Moscow. The choice was made by the public via the magazine’s Russian website, which asked people to vote for their favourite places to visit and for companies that offer travellers the best facilities. The first international hotel brand to offer free internet service seven years ago, Radisson has been a serial winner with its seven Russian properties; two more – a beach hotel and a ski resort – will soon open in Sochi.

The Radisson Blu Hotel, Dakar left the 37th International Star for Quality Convention in Geneva with its highest accolade. Awarded by the Business Initiative Directions, the International Star for Quality award celebrated the hotel’s top-quality customer satisfaction, excellence in leadership and management, innovation, business and brand-name prestige.

The Radisson Blu Iveria Hotel, Tbilisi and the Radisson Blu Hotel, Batumi have been awarded the Green Key eco-label, a globally recognised eco-certificate. To gain this certification, hotels have to fulfil a wide range of environmental requirements to prove their sense of responsibility for their surroundings and local community. The two Georgian hotels set themselves clear targets to reduce their environmental impact through saving water and electricity as well as educating staff, guests and their suppliers on their Responsible Business practices. Torbjorn Bodin, Batumi’s General Manager, said, “The fact that both our hotels became Green Key-certified so shortly after opening is a testament to our hard work and commitment to Responsible Business.”

Christian Gartmann, Area Vice President, The Nordics, has been honoured with a Carlson Fellowship. During the glittering award ceremony, held in June in Minneapolis, the Rezidor veteran entered the legendary Carlson Hall of Fame. The Carlson Fellowship award was established by Curt Carlson in 1988 during Carlson’s 50th anniversary year, and since then has honoured employees and business partners for their outstanding contribution and commitment to the company. Carlson Fellows represent the best of the best – people who show great strength of character as well as leadership and dedication, and who embody the Carlson Rezidor ideals not only within the company, but in all aspects of business.

To date, 278 Carlson Fellows have received this honour, including the former US President George Bush Sr and Queen Silvia of Sweden. Members of the prestigious club also include Hubert Joly, Kurt Ritter, Trudy Rautio, Knut Kleiven and Finn Schulz. Please join us in congratulating, saluting and celebrating Christian’s fantastic new achievement and career milestone.

Recipients of the 2011 Carlson Fellowship are:

Doug Anderson, President and Chief Executive Officer, Carlson Wagonlit Travel (CWT)
Judy Dodson, Senior Director, Corporate Services, Carlson Restaurants 
Joe Ihrke, Senior Vice President, Carlson Holdings, Inc. 
Thorsten Kirschke, President, Americas, Carlson Rezidor Hotel Group 
Ronnie Lobo, Vice President of Operations, Asia Pacific, Carlson Rezidor Hotel Group 
Gordon McKinnon, Executive Vice President and Chief Branding Officer, Carlson 
Carl Robie, Vice President, Strategic Sourcing, Carlson Restaurants 
Craig Thompson, General Manager, Military Markets, CWT SatoTravel 
Andrew Waller, Executive Vice President, CWT

“Throughout his career, Christian Gartmann has exhibited consistent dedication to the interests of the company and has been a key contributor to our development, maintaining a sharp focus on delivering a quality customer experience while effectively keeping costs in check. He has never shied away from taking the right decisions even when they are the difficult and unpopular ones. He has proven himself as a leader who leads by example and has the complete trust of his team.” – Hubert Joly

“Golfer Jack Nicklaus said, ‘Achievement is largely the product of steadily raising one’s levels of aspiration and expectation.’ These new Carlson Fellows constantly raise the level of aspiration and exceed expectations. You 11 are the keepers of the Carlson flame; you were chosen from more than 170,000 employees to receive this great honour. You live the Carlson Credo.” – Marilyn Carlson Nelson

The great and good of the hospitality industry in Leeds stepped out in stunning and striking colours at the recent Bollywood-inspired Leeds Hotel Association Awards. With a total of seven awards on offer, the team from the Radisson Blu Hotel, Leeds were delighted to win two Gold and two Silver – beating stiff competition from local competitors, including Marriott, Hilton, Devere and Q Hotels. It was a proud night for Sales Manager Natalie Boyne (Gold – Rising Star) and Meetings & Events Coordinator Adeel Mir (Gold – Leeds Ambassador), who both took home top honours in their respective categories. As further evidence of the Yes I Can! attitude showcased by the entire hotel team, Front Office Shift Leader Emma Hunt was awarded Silver for Excellent Customer Service, while the hotel’s sales team were runners-up in the Bright Idea category.

hotel.info, a free hotel reservation service for companies and individuals, with more than 210,000 hotels worldwide, took a close look at the behaviour of its business customers and announced the Radisson Blu Hotel, Zurich Airport to be the most popular business hotel in Switzerland. Business travellers are particularly enthusiastic about its location with direct access to the airport.

The Park Inn Sheremetyavo has received the Green Key eco-label, making it the very first recipient in Moscow and only the 7th hotel in Russia to obtain this coveted certification. The hotel team did a wonderful job achieving the highest results of all the Russian hotels audited this year. “The Green Key helps to create environmental awareness among staff and make them true Responsible Business ambassadors in their interaction with the guests,” commented General Manager Gerard Kelly. “It connects with our company-wide Responsible Business programme and speaks to eco-conscious travellers.”

Currently 180 Rezidor hotels (or 55%) are eco-labelled. Rezidor aims to have all its hotels eco-certified by 2015.

The Radisson Blu Hotel, Muscat received a Special Commendation at the third annual Oman Green Awards in the category “Green Campaign of the Year”, beating other major hotel chains and brands, and was also shortlisted in two other categories: Green Footprint and Green Guardian. Commenting on the achievement, General Manager Marius Wolmarans said, “Our Responsible Business and green ethos are engrained in our everyday operations. Thanks to Carlson Rezidor projects like Think Planet, we are leading the way in this area in Oman and continue to be recognised for our ongoing efforts.”

In these days of increasing demands and continual change, 45 years in the same company seems a little out of fashion. And meeting a man who is celebrating 45 years of service, isn’t that like digging up a prehistoric fossil? Well, when the company is Rezidor and the man is Børge Lunde Nielsen, it certainly isn’t. We asked him how he and the company have survived 45 years together.

Børge, how did it all start? 
I was working at a hotel in the sticks when I heard that the Royal Hotel in Copenhagen was looking for an Assistant Concierge. I got an interview, but when I saw the huge, elegant building and the impressive doorman, I was ready to take the next train back. I finally plucked up my courage, went in – and got the job. That was in 1961.

But you’re not a concierge now? 
No, but there are many similarities between my present job and that of concierge, which is a 100% service function. Sort of making the impossible possible – that’s what made it so interesting. Over the years, however, the guests became more “self-service” minded and I found the job less stimulating. Besides, I was 38 and had reached a ceiling as First Concierge. If I was going to try something else, it was now or never. I got the job as Manager of the Saga cinemas and later as Assistant Manager at another hotel, but then the Royal Hotel made me an offer I couldn’t refuse. I returned to the concierge desk, convinced that I was going to spend the rest of my professional life there.

Still a concierge, then? 
Yes, but in between I’d done a lot of creative work, such as advertising and magazines. I was involved in founding the hotel’s employee magazine. Then one day I was offered a position as PR Manager. I talked to my wife and decided to take on the challenge, a decision that changed our lives drastically.

How does Cornerstone fit into the picture?
After I’d spent a while as a one-man-department in charge of PR, advertising and print production for the Danish hotels, the Head Office moved from Oslo to Brussels. I started to lay out and produce hotline and later the Win cost-saving project was launched – jobs that lead to Creative Corner being set up 19 years ago. I got a secretary and the first DTP assistant, Jan, who’s still with us, now as Director Project Management and Studio.

The company has grown a bit since then, hasn’t it? 
Indeed, but so have we! We started with three people, two computers and a black-and-white printer. Today, we have 32 staff and all the latest equipment. And besides providing Head Office and the hotels with graphic materials, one of the cornerstones of our activities is to help newcomers in the conversion process, drawing on my own experience going from Concierge to Director Advertising and Production. Apart from a few basic qualifications, it’s been about learning on the job, but I’ve had very good mentors. Alberto Kappenberger, whose name is synonymous with service, Alfred Andersen and Poul Moen – two of the best concierges in the world, and Tor Hamnes, Kappenberger’s successor, who gave me the freedom to realise ideas and projects. “It’s easier to get forgiveness than permission,” he once said – words I took to heart! Last, but not least, Haakon Flak, who gave me one challenge after another. He could drive me crazy, but he’s the one who allowed both Cornerstone and I to develop. Today, he is much more than my old boss – he’s also a very good friend.

45 years with one company – it’s a long journey!
It has been rewarding and fun, frustrating at times and lots of hard work. But if you believe in what you’re doing, and people believe in you, it’s worth it. I feel privileged and realise that few companies would be prepared to give a man of my age with no proper theoretical background such a chance of a lifetime to build up a unique function like Cornerstone. And I’m lucky enough to be surrounded by people who stand up for their job and the department and take up every challenge with true Yes I Can! attitude.

So now retirement is on the horizon - what then?
I don't give my age much thought, and there are still challenges ahead. I won't sit back twiddling my thumbs. Several projects come to mind and I look forward to spending more time with my family. I will see my grandchildren and meet with good friends and colleagues to relive memories of many years in a great company.

Carlson Rezidor’s UK national sales team members triumphed at the inaugural People Awards in London recently. Lee Morgan, National Sales Manager – Government, was named Business Development Manager of the Year, with his colleague Kaarin Chadwick, National Sales Manager, being highly commended in the same category. Meanwhile the Carlson Rezidor national sales team were proud to be announced as runners-up in the Sales Team of the Year category.

The Business Travel Magazine launched the People Awards in 2012 as a way of recognising excellence in business travel. These awards acknowledge individuals and teams within the industry whose professionalism and business excellence make them stand out from their industry peers.

TripAdvisor’s Certificate of Excellence programme honours hospitality excellence. The accolade is given only to establishments that consistently achieve outstanding traveller reviews on TripAdvisor. Approximately 10% of accommodations listed receive this prestigious recognition. The programme does not replace the TripAdvisor Travellers Choice Awards, but is an extension of TripAdvisor’s recognition of highly rated businesses, as reviewed by travellers on the world’s largest travel site. Established in 2002, the Travellers’ Choice Award is the highest honour TripAdvisor can bestow. The only travel industry awards based on millions of reviews and opinions from travellers around the world, these annual awards reflect “the best of the best” for service, quality and customer satisfaction. A host of Carlson Rezidor hotels hold a Certificate of Excellence and feature on the 2012 Travellers’ Choice Award list!

Congratulations to our winners!

• Radisson Blu Hotel, Alexandria
• Radisson Blu Hotel, Amsterdam
• Radisson Blu Hotel, Biarritz
• Radisson Blu EU Hotel, Brussels
• Radisson Blu Royal Hotel, Brussels
• Radisson Blu Hotel, Cairo Heliopolis
• Radisson Blu Farnham Estate Hotel, Cavan
• Radisson Blu Royal Hotel, Copenhagen
• Radisson Blu Royal Hotel, Dublin
• Radisson Blu Media Harbour Hotel, Düsseldorf
• Radisson Blu Resort, El Quseir
• Radisson Blu Hotel, Gdansk
• Radisson Blu Scandinavia Hotel, Gothenburg
• Radisson Blu Hotel, Hamburg Airport
• Radisson Blu Bosphorus Hotel, Istanbul
• Radisson Blu Hotel, Leipzig
• Radisson Royal Hotel, Moscow
• Radisson Blu Hotel Nydalen, Oslo
• Radisson Blu Plaza Hotel, Oslo
• Radisson Blu Hotel, Rostock
• Radisson Blu Hotel i Papirfabrikken, Silkeborg
• Radisson Blu Waterfront Hotel, Stockholm
• Radisson Blu Hotel, Trondheim Airport
• Radisson Blu Centrum Hotel, Warsaw
• Park Inn Ekaterinburg
• Park Inn by Radisson Krakow
• Park Inn by Radisson Oslo
• Hotel Missoni Edinburgh

The Radisson Blu Hotel, Cairo Heliopolis has won a platinum award as the Best Price Value Hotel at the 2012 MENA Travel Awards, which honour top performers in the hospitality industry throughout the Middle East and North Africa region. A total of 53 awards were presented in 16 selected industry categories.

The German Federal Employment Agency, which honours businesses and organisations that are renowned for their continuous high standard of apprenticeship, has awarded the Radisson Blu Hotel in Cologne with a certificate for excellent education and training. The ceremony was attended by General Manager Juergen Wirtz, Human Resources Manager Gabriele Trodtfeld and two current trainees, Rania Obeid and Fabian Kloeckner.

Hotel Missoni Kuwait is one of the world’s 121 hottest new hotels, according to Conde Nast Traveler’s 2012 Hot List published in May. The first hotel from Kuwait to be included in the highly influential listing for new and cutting-edge hotels, it ticked all the boxes for impeccable service, excellent food, beautiful grounds and “a bed so plush that you dread going home”. It also hit the “Hottie” list (for little details that elevate a hotel from “likeable” to “lovable”) for Best Airport Transfer – in a Maserati – and was lauded for its “efficient business base” for those working while they travel.

Hotel Missoni Kuwait was recently announced Best Hospitality Company of the Year 2012 at the Arabian Business Achievement Awards, held in Kuwait in May. Each year, these awards celebrate outstanding performers in business achievement, on both a corporate and an individual level. Arabian Business is the premier business magazine in the Middle East. General Manager Alfio Bernardini said, “This award is of great value to us and is dedicated to each and every person who gave their time and effort to ensure that the hotel stood out on the Kuwaiti hospitality map.”

The Radisson Blu Hotel, Dubai Media City came a close second in the “Sustainable Initiative” category at the recently held Middle East Hotel Awards 2012, part of the annual trade forum, the Hotel Show. The hotel’s achievement was due to a variety of ongoing sustainable initiatives, ranging from an eco-roundabout to an airco water recycling programme.

Rezidor’s President & CEO Kurt Ritter is a new member of the British Travel Industry Hall of Fame. The prestigious award was presented at the Hall of Fame’s Annual Dinner at the Savoy Hotel in London in April, and honours Ritter “for having created a major and highly successful leading organisation in the global travel and hospitality industry”.

“I am very honoured to be a new member of the British Travel Industry Hall of Fame,” said Ritter. “This award gives me great motivation to continue my work in the world of hospitality. Our industry is one of the most prosperous global businesses, and we are dedicated to serving our guests in hotels with clearly defined brands and innovative, personalised services. A hotel will never be a standardised machine, but always a true people business.”

Kurt Ritter’s charisma, his genuine belief in hospitality, and his straightforward approach are admired and recognised throughout the industry. Ritter was Corporate Hotelier of the World 2002, received the International Hotel Investment Forum Lifetime Achievement Award 2004, and the MKG Lifetime Achievement Award 2008. He also holds two Honorary Doctorates from Johnson & Wales University, Providence (USA), and Oxford Brookes University (UK).

The British Travel Industry Hall of Fame was created in 1995 to honour the most outstanding achievements in the British and international travel & tourism sector. Among its members are leading lights such as Thomas Cook (founder of Thomas Cook), Sir Richard Branson (founder of Virgin), and Lord Forte of Ripley (founder of Forte Hotels). Curtis Carlson, founder of Carlson, and his daughter Marilyn Carlson Nelson, who currently chairs Carlson, are also Hall of Fame members.

Rezidor’s President & CEO Kurt Ritter is a new member of the British Travel Industry Hall of Fame. The prestigious award was presented at the Hall of Fame’s Annual Dinner at the Savoy Hotel in London in April, and honours Ritter “for having created a major and highly successful leading organisation in the global travel and hospitality industry”.

Following a successful audit by the BVC Bordeaux Aquitaine agency, the Radisson Blu Hotel, Biarritz has now been officially certified by the Restaurant Food Safety Association (ASAR), whose goal is to promote food safety in restaurants and other food establishments. The annual certification plaque is visible proof that the establishment is checked regularly for compliance with stringent health regulations.

The view from the restaurant at the top of the Radisson Royal Hotel, Copenhagen, may be worth a visit alone, but Alberto K has so much more to offer, according to a recent rave review in the Danish business newspaper Børsen. The new Nordic cuisine, the wine, the atmosphere and especially the service were praised as top-notch, gaining an overall maximum rating of 6 stars from the reviewer, who feels that all that is missing is a Michelin star for what he describes as “maybe the most stylish designer restaurant in Copenhagen”.

One of the greenest commercial hotels in Europe, the Radisson Blu Hotel, East Midlands Airport has won a Green Footprints Award for its sustainable design. Now in their fourth year, these awards recognise commitment to the environment by local groups and businesses. The judges commended the building’s striking design features and its high environmental credentials, including a combined heat and power plant that generates energy from waste food oil. The highly energy-efficient hotel features a range of innovative technologies to reduce energy demand and generates its own energy supply, delivering an 87% reduction in CO2. It also harvests rainwater, which is used in the building’s toilets and to water the external landscaped areas.

For the second year in a row, the Radisson Blu Hotel, Bucharest has won Romania’s Hotel of the Year Award at the Excellency Awards Gala Ceremony during the Hotel, Tourism & Leisure Investment Conference 2012. Hospitality specialists, local authority representatives and managers of the most famous international hotels active in the Romanian market attended the biggest local event dedicated to the hotel and tourism industry to identify new business opportunities and learn about the most important changes in the industry.

For the second consecutive year, the Park Inn by Radisson Al Khobar has shone at the Saudi Excellence in Tourism Awards, this time voted Best 4-Star Hotel in Saudi Arabia. The awards are held under the patronage of HRH Prince Sultan Bin Salman Bin Abdulaziz and recognise organisations and individuals within the travel trade that have made a significant contribution to the Kingdom’s growing tourism industry.

The Radisson Blu Hotel, Bristol has been awarded Gold rating by the Green Tourism Business Scheme. GTBS, the UK’s leading sustainable tourism certification scheme, recognises and rates hotels and tourism businesses demonstrating high levels of commitment in protecting the environment and promoting sustainable tourism with bronze, silver and gold awards.

Lorena Zanzottera has been voted Colleague of the Year 2011 for Corporate Office, chosen by her colleagues for her great Yes I Can! attitude, her warmth and friendliness, and her unflagging enthusiasm. Her interaction with all departments is excellent and she demonstrably represents all of the company’s values. She started her career with Rezidor as a Receptionist almost 15 years ago, later became Office Manager and has been Manager Future Openings & Corporate Food & Beverage since April 2007.

Chef Yousef Jalalel from the Radisson Blu Resort in Aqaba recently took part in the Junior Culinary Challenge held in conjunction with the Royal Academy of Culinary Arts and cooked up a storm, landing awards in no fewer than three categories, including being named “Overall Winner: Best Chef”. As his once-in-a-lifetime prize, he will be flown to France, where he will take part in a three-month course at a Michelin-starred restaurant.

Chef Uwe, Director of Kitchens at the Radisson Blu Hotel, Dubai Deira Creek, has scooped Time Out Dubai’s Outstanding Achievement Award 2012 for his contribution to shaping the Dubai food and beverage industry over the past 20 years. He arrived in Dubai in 1993 and has worked at the iconic Deira Creek property ever since, overseeing all kitchen operations, including an award-winning portfolio of 11 restaurants, 3 bars and a renowned outside catering service team. As President of the Emirates Culinary Guild since 1999, Chef Uwe has personally overseen the development and careers of some of the UAE’s most promising young chefs. It’s this contribution and dedication that earned him the prestigious accolade from the region’s number one entertainment magazine.

The Park Inn by Radisson Azerbaijan in Baku has been elected Hotel of the Year 2012 by the Caspian-European Integration Business Club, which brings together over 500 member companies and organisations from 50 countries around the world operating in the Caspian, Black Sea and Baltic regions. The awards ceremony was held in the hotel’s biggest ballroom.

The Radisson Blu Hotel, London Stansted Airport, has renewed its gold status under the Green Tourism Business Scheme, the national sustainable tourism certification scheme for the UK. Hotels have to fulfil a total of 60 criteria relating to environmental performance and environmental management. Gold level is the highest recognition, first achieved by the hotel in 2008.

All five of our Flemish hotels – the Radisson Blu Park Lane Hotel, Antwerp, Radisson Blu Hotel, Hasselt, Radisson Blu Astrid Hotel, Antwerp, Park Inn by Radisson Leuven and Park Inn by Radisson Antwerp are now Green Key-certified. Star of the March award ceremony was the Leuven property, which received not one but two keys, making it the first member of the Carlson Rezidor Hotel Group to receive the prestigious eco-label for a meeting location. Open since only November 2011, Leuven is also the Group’s first Belgian hotel to achieve this recognition in its first year of operation.

The Radisson Blu Bosphorus Hotel, Istanbul can once again be proud of its outstanding Kitchen talent. In March Executive Chef Umit Yuksel took a team to the Istanbul International Gastronomy Festival, where they won an impressive total of 23 medals and 4 cups in various categories. More than 1,250 chefs from 22 countries participated in this internationally recognised event.

Yilmaz Gunduz, a young member of the team, also attended the Hotelympia Salon Culinaire Chefs’ Competition 2012 in London and brought the Salon Culinaire Food Safety Challenge 2012 Cup to the hotel for a year.

Chef Tomas Rimydis from the Park Inn by Radisson Kaunas shone in St Petersburg in March when he competed in the Open Baltic Sea Countries International Chefs Competition and took second place in the individual “Main hot dish” category. He and his team also carried off the competition’s Grand Prize: the Baltic Culinary Star Cup – the first Lithuanian team to do so!

The Rezidor Hotel Group remains one of the World’s Most Ethical Companies: the US think-tank Ethisphere Institute has recognised the company for the third consecutive year for its real and sustained ethical leadership.

“We are very proud to have maintained our status as one of the World’s Most Ethical Companies since 2010. We are committed long term to doing business in a responsible way. We translate words on ethical practices into action, create innovative ideas to benefit the public, and raise the bar for standards within our industry,” commented President & CEO Kurt Ritter.

The sixth annual selection of the World’s Most Ethical Companies saw a record number of nominations and applications from companies in more than 100 countries and 36 industries. The methodology for the award includes reviewing ethics codes, litigation and regulatory infraction histories; evaluating investment in innovation and sustainable business practices; looking at activities designed to improve corporate citizenship; and studying nominations from senior executives, industry peers, suppliers and customers. “This year’s winners know that a strong ethics programme is a key component of a successful business model, and they continue to scrutinise their ethical standards to keep up with an ever-changing regulatory environment,” said Alex Brigham, Executive Director of Ethisphere.

Rezidor’s Group-wide Responsible Business programme has its roots as far back as 1989. Besides respect for social and ethical issues within the company, the programme also focuses on health and safety for guests and employees, and on a reduced negative impact on the environment. It is compulsory for all employees and hotels, and is also reflected in the “Always Care” motto of Rezidor’s renowned Safety & Security programme, TRIC=S. The Group supports charity organisations such as the World Childhood Foundation, partners with responsible players like World Cleanup 2012, and has signed up to the UN Global Compact and Caring for Climate initiative. One of the latest developments within the programme is the five-year energy-saving project, “Think Planet”.

The Rezidor Hotel Group remains one of the World’s Most Ethical Companies: the US think-tank Ethisphere Institute has recognised the company for the third consecutive year for its real and sustained ethical leadership.

The Meetings & Events department at the Radisson Blu Hotel, Malmo has won the Rezidor Sweden award for “Best Service Improvement of the Year” 2011. The award is based on various factors, such as individual guest comments, Medallia, exit calls, test calls and also comments and feedback from delegates who have experience of the M&E department. The Malmo team members were praised for their unremitting efforts to continually improve guest service.

It’s been a successful few months for the culinary team at the Radisson Blu Hotel, Dubai Deira Creek, with the youngsters recently winning a number of medals at the annual Emirates Salon Culinaire. Rodel Acala and Rovart Cagayat, both Kitchen Artists, won four each and Ishara Rangana, who competed for the Best Young Chef trophy and as the Youngest Competing Chef, came home with three bronze. Overall the team walked away with an amazing three gold medals, five silver, 15 bronze and six certificates of merit. It seems that the hotel is breeding Champion Chefs!

In their first ever competition experience, two members of the culinary team at the Diplomat Radisson Blu Hotel in Manama secured a stunning victory in February by winning the silver medal at the prestigious Anchor MasterChef Challenge held in Dubai. Having triumphed in the Bahrain leg of the competition, Yousif Al Basri and Sayed Hanif faced off against chefs from all over the Gulf region in the final. Their daunting task was to devise a three-course meal from “mystery basket” ingredients that were only revealed once the competition started. The judges were so impressed, they asked for the recipes!

The team at the Radisson Blu Hotel, Belfast are celebrating a prestigious industry accolade, having picked up the Housekeeping Team of the Year 2012 award at the Hotel & Guesthouse Housekeeping Awards, organised by the Northern Ireland Hotel Federation. The judges noted the high standards throughout this contemporary property.

At a recent star-studded ceremony, the Radisson Blu Hotel, Liverpool was delighted to take the title of Best Hotel at the Liverpool Lifestyle awards. Voted for by members of the public, these prestigious awards pay tribute to the best in the industry. In scooping top honours, the hotel saw off extremely tough competition from strong players in the market, including Hilton, Marriott, Thistle and Ramada.

For over a decade, readers of the world’s premier travel magazine, Condé Nast Traveller, and visitors to CNTraveller.com have voted annually for their favourite spa experience. The Readers’ Spa Awards highlight the finest spots to relax in the world, including the best hotel spas, spa retreats, day spas and thermal spas, and are based on readers’ votes on various criteria: spa facilities, individual approach, ambience/design, body and facial treatments, amenities and products as well as quality of service.

The 2012 winners were revealed in February, with our very own ESPA Riga at the Radisson Blu Hotel Latvija, Riga announced the winner in the Best Day Spa: Overseas category, also coming fourth out of the 30 top spas around the world!

Sonja Divé-Dahl, General Manager of the Radisson Blu Bosphorus Hotel, Istanbul and District Director of Turkey & Georgia, was delighted to present diamond pins and service diplomas to 42 loyal members of staff in recognition of their invaluable contribution to the hotel’s consistent success.

In February four Radisson Blu properties were among the first hotels in Turkey to be awarded the Green Key, a prestigious worldwide eco-label for leisure organisations. The Radisson Blu Bosphorus Hotel, Istanbul, Radisson Blu Conference & Airport Hotel, Istanbul, Radisson Blu Resort & Spa, Cesme and Radisson Blu Hotel, Ankara all went through a thorough certification process covering various areas and were also audited by the Green Key International Team before receiving their sustainable hotel recognition.

The Carlson Rezidor Hotel Group – Radisson Blu and Park Inn by Radisson – has won both the international and the national award as the best hotel chain in the Grand Travel Awards, the most prestigious in the Norwegian travel and tourism industry. These annual awards honour the industry’s top suppliers and are based on a large-scale survey sent to travel agents across Norway. “This is the fifth consecutive year we’ve been chosen as best international hotel chain, and the second year in a row we’ve ranked as the best national hotel chain,” said a delighted Christian Gartmann, Area Vice President Nordics.

The Radisson Hotel, Astana – the first and only hotel of the Carlson Rezidor Hotel Group in Kazakhstan – celebrated its fifth anniversary in January and honoured 38 team members with diamond pins and diplomas. General Manager Jesper Francl expressed his gratitude to the entire hotel team for embracing genuine and driving Yes I Can! attitude.

At a glittering ceremony in January, the Radisson Blu Hotel, Hamburg, which hosted the event, carried off the Business Diamond Award in the Hotel Industry category. This award is presented in acknowledgement and appreciation of outstanding achievement in various business sectors. After the official formalities were over, the guests enjoyed an exciting after-show party with culinary fireworks and breathtaking views in High End, Hamburg’s highest and most exclusive event venue, located on the hotel’s 26th and 27th floors.

The Park Inn by Radisson Ekaterinburg has been chosen as one of the Top 20 Trendiest Hotels in Russia in TripAdvisor’s 2012 Travelers’ Choice® awards. Now in their tenth year, these annual awards recognise the world’s best hotels, earning their distinction from those who know them best – real travellers. Unlike any other hotel honours, TripAdvisor Travelers’ Choice winners are based on millions of reviews and opinions from travellers around the world. Ekaterinburg is the only hotel in Russia outside Moscow and St Petersburg to receive this award.

In January the Park Inn by Radisson Krakow became the 16th hotel in Russia to be certified under the Green Key global eco-label programme for the leisure industry after confirming its compliance with international standards. In order to gain Green Key certification, hotels have to fulfil a list of environmental requirements covering a wide range of criteria aimed at reducing their negative impact on the environment by saving water and electricity, and decreasing the amount of waste produced. The hotel takes part in different social programmes to ensure a noticeably better environment for both guests and staff.

The Diplomat Radisson Blu Hotel, Residence & Spa proudly honoured five of its team members who have an astounding 105 years’ service between them. Each was awarded a gold Yes I Can! pin studded with one diamond for each five years of service, a certificate and a cash incentive:

30 years – Waheed Ameen, Valet, Laundry Department
25 years – Ebrahim Khalil Ebrahim, Supervisor, Engineering Department
20 years – Abass Al Ekri. Chef Garde Manager, Kitchen Department
15 years – Varghese Dhas, Shampoo Technician, and Abdulameer Abdulla, Outlet Manager, F&B Department

Torbjorn Marthinussen, Food & Beverage Operations Manager at the Radisson Blu Scandinavia Hotel, Oslo, has been named Hotelier of the Year 2012 by the Hospitality Sales & Marketing Association International (HSMAI). The annual Hotelier of the Year and Young Manager of the Year awards go to young leaders who have distinguished themselves in the past year through exceptional job performance, or who have been particularly innovative in their business and leadership.

General Manager Lars Listhaug praised Torbjorn’s leadership as steadfast and principled and stressed his high regard for excellence. “He sets goals and works systematically to achieve them together with his team and colleagues.”

Torbjorn can look forward to three optional Personal Development Programme courses over three days at the Cornell School of Hotel Administration in New York.

The Radisson Royal Hotel, Moscow, Radisson’s Russian flagship and a historical landmark in the capital, has been voted the World’s Leading Luxury Business Hotel at the World Travel Awards 2011.

“We are honoured and proud to receive this outstanding award,” said General Manager Wolfgang Nitschke at the red-carpet Grand Final of the Awards in January in Doha, Qatar. “The Radisson Royal Hotel, Moscow has once again consolidated its position as one of the best luxury business hotels around the globe. Our guests experience Moscow’s rich historical and culture heritage combined with industry-leading first-class standards and services.”

Described as the “Oscars of the travel industry”, the World Travel Awards were launched in 1993 to acknowledge and recognise excellence in the global travel and tourism industry, with votes cast by 213,000 travel professionals in more than 160 countries.

The Radisson Royal Hotel, Moscow is one of the legendary Seven Sisters – the Soviet skyscrapers masterminded by Stalin. The property re-opened in 2010 after an extensive three-year renovation and now features 497 elegant guest rooms and suites, as well as 38 serviced apartments, versatile meeting & event facilities, fine dining in a choice of nine restaurants and bars, and a Spa & Wellness Centre offering the ultimate in pampering treatments for mind and body.

TripAdvisor, the world’s largest travel website, has announced that the Park Inn by Radisson Krakow has been chosen as winner in the Trendiest Hotels in Poland category in its 2012 Travelers’ Choice® awards. Designed by leading German architect Jurgen Mayer, the first Park Inn in Poland opened in October 2009 and is located in the emerging cultural hub between the Old Town, Wawel Castle and the Jewish Quarter. “With the help of millions of travellers around the globe, TripAdvisor is thrilled to recognise the world’s most outstanding hotels in this year’s Travelers’ Choice Awards,” said Christine Petersen, President, TripAdvisor for Business. “From the best bargain hotels to the best luxury hotels, remarkable service, value and quality are the hallmarks of our Travelers’ Choice winners.”

The Group Travel Organisers Association held their 21st AGM, Conference & Workshop at the Park Inn by Radisson York in January. Attended by over 250 delegates, the weekend was extremely productive with members commenting that it was the most successful AGM in 10 years.

During the welcome dinner, Annette Gallagher, Rezidor’s National Leisure Sales Manager, was presented with Elite Membership in recognition of her outstanding contribution to the Association. With only 10 other Elite Members, this is a very prestigious award and was accepted on behalf of the Carlson Rezidor Hotel Group, Park Inn by Radisson UK and the Park Inn by Radisson York for their outstanding service and Yes I Can! attitude throughout the event.

Having joined the team at the Radisson Blu Resort Split last year, Marco Eichhorn recently celebrated 15 years of service with Rezidor. He started his career at the Radisson Blu Hotel in Hamburg, where he finished his three-year traineeship, and then held various positions at the Radisson Blu Resort Ruegen, Radisson Blu Resort Fleesensee and Radisson Blu Hotel Manchester Airport. He was also on the opening team for the Radisson Blu Hotel Port Elisabeth before returning to Hamburg where his journey started. Since May he has been based in Split and is currently in the Mentee/Mentor programme as Operations Manager.

The Radisson Blu Resort, Sharjah has received an award as one of the major sponsors of the recent Sharjah Water Festival. The Sharjah Tourism Award ceremony took place at the Sharjah Chamber of Commerce in January under the patronage of H.H. Sheikh Sultan bin Mohammed bin Sultan Al Qassimi, Crown Prince and Deputy Ruler of Sharjah.

The annual staff party of the Radisson Blu Hotel, Basel in January was an excellent opportunity to honour several employees for long service: Mario Schuknecht (5 years), Aida Pinto De Jesus (10 years) and Dusan Okolic (20 years). Tahir Tahiri was also chosen as Employee of the Year 2011.

Radisson Blu was named Best Full Service Hotel Brand at the Business Travel Awards (BTA) in London in January, beating Crowne Plaza, Marriott International and Sofitel Luxury Hotels in the same category. Now in their 17th year, the BTA recognise and celebrate the achievements of the industry’s leading players. The independent panel of judges comprises some of the most experienced buyers in the business, leading consultants and specialist journalists, who between them judge a total of 22 categories.

The judges commented that, “Radisson Blu is a brand that has a clear focus on the corporate market, excellent sales and after-sales service – and has good green credentials, too. In short, it has a very positive approach and is good to do business with.”

The Radisson Blu Hotel, Cologne is one of the first hotels to receive a Müller-Touristik Award, scooping the prize for “Best City Programme”. These inaugural Best Partners awards, presented by Germany’s largest party and short trip organiser, were based on some 25,000 guest surveys. The Radisson Blu hotel and its staff received perfect scores from guests for its weekend programmes. Maira Hörner, Cluster Sales Manager and responsible for the leisure market, was delighted to accept the award.

Industry awards are always welcome, but when the accolade comes from our own employees, we know we're on the right track. Se we're delighted to announce that The Rezidor Hotel Group has won the 2011 Best Employer in Hospitality Awards Scotland in the Best Large Group Hotel Employer category. Over 150 employers from across the hospitality industry converged in Edinburgh in October to celebrate the best employers from Scotland's hotel, restaurant, pub, bar, tourist and catering sectors. The awards are based solely on the opinions of 1,000+ employees working for the participating companies and thus offer an unbiased view based on true employee perceptions. A big thank-you to all Rezidorians who voted for Rezidor as the Best Employer of 2011.

Anyone looking for a great place to eat in the Czech capital should look no further than the Radisson Blu Alcron Hotel, Prague. Both the Alcron and La Rotonde feature among the Top 3 restaurants in the 2011 Maurer's Guide. The Alcron, offering an exquisite menu and very personal service in an intimate 1930s ambience, has surged to second place in the overall rating, up five places on last year. The elegant La Rotonde restaurant, serving a delectable choice of international and local dishes, ranks third overall this year, but comes first in the service category.

The Rezidor Hotel Group reports another year of strong employee satisfaction with a score of 86.7% in its annual Climate Analysis survey.

The 2011 survey included 23,108 respondents (up 8% from 2010) and 263 business units (up from 259 in 2010), with the Loyalty Index reaching 73 (76 in 2010).

"I feel extremely proud and privileged to report another year of strong employee satisfaction at Rezidor," commented Kurt Ritter, President & CEO. "There's no doubt that 2011 was another challenging year of unexpected twists and turns, but our Climate Analysis scores prove that all Rezidorians are engaged, involved and committed to our Group strategies and progress. With such incredible staff loyalty, I have no doubt that we will take on any challenge head-on in the years ahead."

Rezidor was named one of the World's Most Ethical Companies in both 2010 and 2011, and the Group's commitment to ethical and responsible business practices is also evident in this part of the Climate Analysis survey, with an all-time high rating of 88.6% (88.3% in 2010). Rezidor scored 87.4% (versus 87.5% in 2010) in Personal Development; 87.4% (87.2%) in Daily Job Situation; 85.7% (85.8%) in Executive Leadership; 86.0% (86.4%) in Cooperation; and 85.3% (85.2%) in Creativity and Innovation.

The Climate Analysis survey (launched in 1991) is conducted by an external party, and evaluates the company's employee satisfaction using a highly developed and detailed questionnaire based on communication, development opportunities, feedback and appraisal, leadership, and company image and culture. The Climate Analysis also serves as the basis for developing and improving internal processes, identifying potential talent development opportunities and growing people from within, and creating a stronger foundation of training and development programmes within the Group.

Rezidor hotels in St Petersburg, represented by the Radisson Royal Hotel, took part in a charitable project "Kind Office", organised by local NGO "Doctors to Children", and received the highest award. The main goal of the project was to organise different charity events to help people in need, including a day to remember for orphan children, organised by the Radisson Royal Hotel and Park Inn by Radisson Nevsky, and our joint Rezidor activity Flash Mob. As winners, we were presented with a diploma and clock, reminding us that you can always find time for a good cause.

Radisson Blu Hotels & Resorts won the award for Best International Hotel Group at the inaugural Travel Media Awards held in Dublin in December. Organised by TravelMedia.ie, 17 awards were up for grabs, voted for by members of the media, giving the Travel Media Awards a distinct point of difference to other travel industry awards. It is hoped that this year is the first of many for this exciting event.

For the second year running, the Radisson Blu and Park Inn by Radisson have won both the international and national award as the best hotel chain in the Grand Travel Awards. The award is the most prestigious in the Norwegian travel and tourism industry and is based on a comprehensive survey of the country's travel agency employees. This is the fifth consecutive year that we have been recognised as best international hotel chain, and the second year in a row that we have been ranked as the best national hotel chain.

Leading gourmet companies Gault Millau and Jacobs have presented the Radisson Blu Palais Hotel, Vienna with the Golden Coffee Bean Award 2011 for its outstanding standards representing Austrian coffee culture. Besides serving the best coffee in town, the chic Bel Ami Bar offers the finest, internationally renowned whiskeys, preferably enjoyed with a cigar. And to round off a perfect meal, you can indulge in an espresso.

For the past six years, the Diversity Trophy has been awarded in France to companies with the most innovative and impressive track record in managing diversity and combating discrimination. Last year, for the first time, regional awards were presented and the Radisson Blu Hotel, Nice is delighted to be the winner in the Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur region in recognition of its overall diversity policy. In December 2010 it became the first hotel in France to obtain the AFNOR Diversity Label, which required examining all HR procedures to guarantee equality across the board, and continues its efforts to ensure long-term commitment by taking steps to increase the involvement of each employee. The latest initiative is a film made by employees for new members of staff.

A further three Rezidor hotels in Sweden have qualified for the Nordic Swan eco-label, demonstrating that taking responsibility for the environment, maintaining high ethical standards and caring about their community are key ingredients in how they do business. With its location in the Western Harbour, an area famous for environmentally friendly buildings, seaside location and green surroundings, the Park Inn by Radisson MalmÖ sees its Nordic Swan certification as an important statement. Meanwhile, Stockholm's newest Rezidor hotels also celebrated receiving their environmental "wings": the Radisson Blu Stockholm Waterfront and the Park Inn by Radisson Stockholm Hammarby Sjostad.

The Nordic Swan sets the standard for environmental issues within the hospitality industry. To reduce their environmental impact, the hotels have measures in place that include reducing their energy, water and chemical use, and having organic menu choices. They also recycle and buy eco-labelled products.

Many companies demand an environmental commitment before considering signing a hotel agreement, and MalmÖ has already won new business as a direct result of receiving this certification.

Two Rezidor hotels as far apart as Denmark and Jordan have received a Certificate of Excellence from TripAdvisor. Both the Radisson Blu Scandinavia in Aarhus and the Radisson Blu Tala Bay Resort in Aqaba received 4 out of a possible 5 points. The Certificate of Excellence is based on reviews given by guests who have stayed at the hotels and is recognition of their excellent service, facilities and quality. This is not the first time that the Aarhus hotel has received recognition, having been voted "Best Hotel in Denmark, outside Copenhagen" at the Danish Travel Awards for six years in a row (2004-2009).

The Radisson Blu Conference & Airport Hotel, Istanbul has landed the title of Best Business Hotel in Turkey at the fourth annual Business Destinations Travel Awards 2011. Business Destinations, a major tourism magazine with its headquarters in London, selects the best hotels for its travel awards based on readers' votes.

In November, Andrew Mullen, Chief Engineer at the Radisson Blu Hotel, Cork, won the prestigious Irish Hospitality Institute's Environmental Manager of the Year Award after impressing the judges with a low-cost/no-cost environmental programme of exceptional quality. Within just three years, the hotel has reduced energy consumption by almost 30%, water consumption by 20%, and now recycles almost 75% of its waste.

This successful programme has been nominated for many other awards over the years, including the European Green Hospitality Award shortlist, the Irish Green Hospitality Gold Award for the past three years and the prestigious Sustainable Energy Authority of Ireland Award for Energy Management.

The Park Inn by Radisson Bedford recently celebrated a milestone achievement with four members of the team reaching a combined 100 years' service at the hotel. This truly remarkable accomplishment demonstrates a level of loyalty rarely seen in these modern times. Alan Abrahams (Maintenance Porter), Hardish Kaur (Kitchen Porter), Eddie Jones (Chief Engineer) and Darryl Wilson (Linen Porter) have spent most of their careers at the hotel - serving thousands of guests and seeing numerous changes in their time, including a number of owners and General Managers over the years. To mark this extra special occasion, General Manager Rebekka Hammersley hosted an awards ceremony in November - the date marking the 40th anniversary of Alan Abrahams' employment, making him the longest serving employee in the hotel's history.

Only one year after opening, Brasserie de Verres en Vers - the gourmet French restaurant at the Radisson Hotel, Kaliningrad - has won the Golden Fork Award for Best Classical Restaurant 2011. Guests all over the city were asked to vote online and by phone over the past six months for the best restaurant in Kaliningrad. The winners were announced at a ceremony at the Zarya cinema in Kaliningrad in November.

The Spa by OCCO at the Radisson Blu Resort & Spa, Dubrovnik Sun Gardens has won the prestigious SPA Traveller Award for Best International New Spa 2011, beating some of the top names in the business. SPA Traveller is a luxury lifestyle magazine that provides an objective guide to the world's finest hotel and resort spas, day spas, treatments and spa-at-home products. It offers a platform to "inform, inspire and indulge" as well as an international find-a-spa service, enabling more than 65,000 readers in 80 countries to locate the spa of their choice.

In November the Park Inn by Radisson Liege Airport achieved internationally recognised Green Key eco-certification, making it one of the first hotels in Wallonia, the southern, French-speaking part of Belgium, to receive the award. To obtain this prestigious eco-label, the hotel team has worked hard to comply with the scheme's 100 environmental criteria, for example by implementing a detailed waste-recycling process, using 100% recyclable paper and revising the packaging of breakfast buffet items. Energy consumption has been reduced by installing energy-efficient lighting and adapting the building heating system to the outside temperature. All taps are fitted with aerators and flow restrictors to reduce water consumption.

Chefs from the Radisson Blu Hotel in Dubai Deira Creek took home a slew of medals from the Middle East's very first La Cuisine Du Sial in November. Culinary experts from around the region competed in a series of events and categories ranging from the creation and preparation of a five-course gourmet meal to ice, vegetable and chocolate carvings, open showpieces and much more. In total, the hotel won 3 silver medals, 3 bronze and a Best Artist Trophy thanks to the sterling efforts of Rovert Cagayat, Rodel Acala and Ishara Rangana.

In a special ceremony to mark long service at the Park Inn by Radisson Telford, eight employees were honoured for five years' service, while a further six were commended for 10 years and more, making a grand total of 152 years of loyal service! Among the long-serving staff were Breakfast Chef Chris Giordano and Conference & Banqueting Attendant Peter Plant, who have both been with the hotel for more than 20 years. General Manager Lucja Leonard personally expressed her gratitude to each and every one of them, and looks forward to "many more years of fabulous fun and hard work together!"

For the third consecutive year, Shabestan, the Persian restaurant at the Radisson Blu Hotel, Dubai Deira Creek, has won the Best Middle Eastern Restaurant Award 2011 in the annual What's On Awards. Shabestan fought off tough competition to be shortlisted in the Middle Eastern category, and was crowned overall winner at a glittering ceremony held in Dubai in November. Now in their tenth year, the awards are among the most established and respected in the food and hospitality industry. They are dubbed "the people's choice" awards because it is the public who vote on which restaurants and events deserve a special accolade.

The Pearl Awards have become an important date in the Radisson Blu Hotels & Resorts (Malta) calendar, when 50 team members across the board are recognised for going above and beyond what is normally expected of them in the areas that represent the core values of the Group. Every year 50 employees receive special recognition awards during a gala night, while 11 Pearl awardees are crowned overall champions. The award categories enable staff at all levels and from all departments to qualify, ensuring that anyone who genuinely lives the hotels' values is recognised for their superlative efforts and hard work.

Five Radisson hotels have received the travel and tourism industry's most prestigious accolade, walking off with top honours in six categories at the World Travel Awards 2011.

The Radisson Royal Hotel, Moscow is Europe's Leading Luxury Business Hotel, having beaten strong competitors such as the Four Seasons Hotel George V in Paris and the Mandarin Oriental Hotel du Rhone in Geneva. At the same time and for the second year in a row, Rezidor's Russian flagship also took the title of Russia's Leading Luxury Hotel. The Radisson Blu Hotel, Astana was also honoured as Kazakhstan's Leading Business Hotel - for the second time. The Radisson Blu Resort, Trysil came out top as Norway's Leading Ski Resort, taking over the crown from the Radisson Blu Resort, Beitostolen, which has won for the past six years. And for the fifth year in succession, the Radisson Blu 1919 Hotel, Reykjavik is Iceland's Leading Hotel. Last but by no means least, the Radisson Blu Resort, Sharjah was voted Sharjah's Leading Hotel, having been Sharjah's Leading Resort for the previous seven years.

The World Travel Awards were founded in 1993 and are considered the highest accolade in the global travel and tourism industry. The jury is comprised of travel, tourism and hospitality professionals across the globe, and the key focus is on the quality of experience provided by companies that consistently excel beyond expectation.

The annual Power 50 list compiled by Hotelier Middle East, the number one trade magazine for hoteliers in the Middle East, recognises and celebrates the continued commitment of the most dedicated and influential people in the region's hospitality industry.

The 2011 list has been released and Marko Hytonen, Area Vice President Middle East, debuts at number 8 in the Power 50 list and at number 3 in the New Entrants list.

The Power 50 entrants' rankings are devised based on a series of factors: the level of commitment to working in the region over a period of time; loyalty to their current company; the overall size of the hotel portfolio and rooms inventory for which they are responsible, if applicable; their specific achievements in 2011; their reputation among industry peers; and their dedication to further developing their hold over the hospitality industry in the Middle East.

This year the Middle East Power 50 list has been refined to feature people physically based in the region. Mr Ritter is still commended for his dedication and personal drive behind Rezidor's Middle East growth.

The Radisson Blu Resort & Spa, Dubrovnik Sun Gardens is the proud recipient of an Overseas Property Professional "Gold Award for Excellence 2011" in the category "Best Developer in Southern Europe". This award, coupled with the fact that the resort has experienced its most successful tourist season to date, with a 95% occupancy rate this past summer, demonstrates how the resort is going from strength to strength under its new management.

The OPP award winners were selected by an independent panel of 50 industry leaders from around the world. On Dubrovnik Sun Gardens, the judges commented, "Nobody could argue with the careful planning and total commitment of the developer team involved. This really is a well-presented, high-quality operation - a true flagship development for Croatia."

The Park Inn by Radisson Palace, Southend-on-Sea has scooped not one, but two prestigious titles at the Southend Business Awards. For the second successive year, the hotel won the Leisure & Tourism award, recognising its efforts to demonstrate best practice and excellent customer service, while supporting the sustainability of the leisure and tourism industry in Southend - attracting visitors through leisure activities, accommodation, history and heritage, retail and hospitality whilst retaining customers already living and working in the area. To make it a double success, the hotel also picked up top honours in the Environmental Awareness category. This award recognises the hotel's active commitment to sound environmental practice and to protecting substantial resources for future generations.

In October the Radisson Blu Falconer Hotel & Conference Center in Copenhagen received the Frederiksberg Occupation Prize 2011, which is awarded to a company that shows social responsibility in relation to the recruitment of unemployed people and retention of staff - including policies that support an inclusive labour market. With the award came DKK 25,000, which the hotel will donate to a good cause. Since the recognition can be accredited to the hotel staff, they will decide which social project benefits.

The Radisson Blu Hotel, Klaipeda, which celebrates its tenth anniversary this year, has recognised the constant loyalty of one of its guests. Norwegian Jens Ellefsen first stayed at the hotel in its opening year and was so impressed with the service that he has since accumulated 399 room nights during 113 visits over the past ten years! General Manager Tobias Ammon and two staff members who also hit their ten-year landmark in 2011, Loreta Vingelyte and Marina Egorova, thanked him on behalf of the entire team and presented him with a small gift.

Motivated employees are the key factor in any successful business. The employees of the Radisson Blu Palais Hotel, Vienna are not only motivated but also acknowledged. A member of the hotel's reception team has been announced runner-up Receptionist of the Year 2011 by AICR Austria (Amicale Internationale des Chefs de Réception et Sous Directeurs des Grands Hôtels). Birgit de Schuster received this treasured award for her great professionalism, expertise and friendliness.

Only months after opening, Hotel Missoni Kuwait has fought off tough competition to take the title of "Best Hotel" at the Arabian Hotel Awards 2011. Now in their 17th year, the awards identify, highlight and reward excellence throughout the global hospitality industry and are considered one of the industry's most prestigious award programmes. Later this year, the highest scoring winners from the Arabian Hotel Awards will compete against other winners from Europe, Asia Pacific, the Americas and Africa to find the ultimate World's Best in each category.

Radisson Blu has been voted "Best Hotel Chain" at the Danish Travel Awards. Each year the industry's best players are selected, based on voting by both consumers and travel agents. This prestigious Danish award gives Radisson Blu a Scandinavian hat-trick, as the chain previously received similar recognition in Norway and Sweden. Area Vice President Christian Gartmann commented, "In recent years we've seen growing competition in the industry and this award is recognition of our employees' incredible hard work every day to make our customers and guests feel welcome and comfortable."

In October the Radisson Blu Hotel, Nice won an award for its overall diversity policy at the inaugural Diversity Awards for the Provence-Alpes-Cote d'Azur region in Southern France. Under its Diversity Charter, the hotel pursues an active policy of equal treatment in all areas of its operations

The Radisson Blu Hotel, Dublin Airport has won the prestigious Green Hospitality Programme Platinum Award for environmental management, equivalent to the highest award attainable in Green Certification in the hospitality industry worldwide. It is the first hotel in Ireland to achieve this award. Five more Radisson Blu Irish hotels - in Dublin (St Helens and Royal), Cork, Galway and Farnham Estate, Cavan - attained the momentous Gold Award, given to businesses that follow the GHP's best practice criteria and guidelines.

The internationally recognised Green Hospitality Certification Programme provides a step-by-step approach, with awards given at Eco-label, Silver, Gold or Platinum levels, and has swiftly become the standard for environmental management within the hospitality sector in Ireland. Individual achievements include reducing waste going to landfill by 75%, water consumption by 50% and energy consumption by up to 30%, all of which impact positively on the bottom line as well as on the environment.

Chang Sheng (Peter) Ye of the Radisson Blu Hotel, Port Elizabeth started out as a trainee at the hotel less than two years ago but is already showing great potential after taking 3rd place in the Unilever Chef of the Year 2011 competition in the Junior category. A total of 38 chefs from all over South Africa, as well as Dubai, Egypt and Pakistan, showcased their talent, creativity and competitive spirit by converting a mystery basket of ingredients into a three-course meal. Peter wowed the judges to take the Bronze medal and a cash prize of ZAR 4,000. Congratulations to one of Port Elizabeth's finest!

The Radisson Blu Conference & Airport Hotel, Istanbul, has won the Best Rate Competitiveness Award, which is presented by the Expedia hotel reservation site, Hotels.com, for the best price-quality ratio.

The Estonian Education Ministry and Tallinn City Council have launched an initiative to improve the quality of food served in Tallinn schools. In support of the project, the Park Inn by Radisson Central Tallinn invited three chefs from a local school to train in the hotel kitchen with Executive Chef Andres Merman. The training culminated in the chefs preparing a three-course meal within the budget of a school lunch. They also had to face some severe critics: local school children, healthy eating experts and the Estonian First Lady, Evelin Ilves - a patron of healthy living.

The Radisson Blu Hotel in Krakow has won the very first "Leaders of Sustainable Development" contest organised by Forbes Magazine in Poland, earning praise from the judges for being the world's first hotel and first company in Poland with BS 8901 certification. Developed specifically for the events industry, this demanding standard for sustainable event management requires organisations to identify and understand the effects that their activities have on the environment, on society and on the economy, and to put measures in place to minimise the negative effects. BS 8901 helped the hotel develop its range of sustainable green meetings and the judges appreciated the pro-social and pro-ecological aspects of this achievement, drawing attention to how Responsible Business actions were integrated with business strategy to build competitive advantage.

The Radisson Sonya Hotel, St Petersburg celebrates another historic moment as Director of Sales & Marketing Victoria Bereschian marks up ten years with the company. Victoria joined Rezidor as Sales Executive at St Petersburg's Radisson Royal Hotel in April 2001 before moving to the city's new designer hotel. General Manager Juris Zudovs was on hand to congratulate her for her loyal service.

The Park Inn by Radisson Kazan and its owning company, Regional Hotel Chain, have been awarded the International Real Estate Federation (FIABCI) 2011 Prix d'Excellence for "Best Development Project implemented in the Russian Property Market" at the International Investment Forum on Real Estate in St Petersburg, Russia.

The award will be presented in May 2012 during FIABCI's World Congress in St Petersburg, providing the opportunity to promote projects and companies through the FIABCI network - in 60 countries and over 120 professional organisations worldwide.

Congratulations to the teams on their continuing success with this first hotel of 20 Park Inn properties planned for Russia by 2015 - including current projects in Yaroslavl, Voronezh, Sochi, Volgograd, Nizhny Novgorod, and Novosibirsk.

Congrex, a leading international management company offering comprehensive services for meetings, events, conferences, association management, travel and accommodation, has announced the 2011 winner of "Best Facility" - our very own Radisson Blu Hotel, MalmÖ! This year's nominations were based on scores from about 10,000 conferences conducted in 2010, and the panel of judges' assessment of the submitted entries. The Radisson Blu Hotel in MalmÖ was praised for its newly renovated conference facility featuring the very latest technology and a stunning interior design.

We celebrate another great record for Corporate Office as Piet Waterloos, Director Group Cash Management, rings up 20 years' service! Rezidor first acquired this valuable asset back in June 1991 when he joined SAS Capital BV as an accountant at the Boulevard du Regent offices in Brussels. Piet was promoted to Chief Accountant just a few years later. In 2003 this rising star was made Manager Accounting and later Manager Group Cash Management. He has been in his present post since 1 January 2009. It all adds up to a great career, so congratulations to Piet and thank you for 20 years of sterling service!

General Manager & District Director Jürgen Wirtz congratulated Willy Schneider, Chief Engineer at the Radisson Blu Hotel, Cologne on reaching a career landmark - 30 years' service with the company. Willy started with us in 1981 when the property was called Palasthotel Berlin. For the past ten years he has advised on safety and security and was involved in the openings of the Park Inn Frankfurt and the Park Inn Nuremberg. He is held in great esteem by younger co-workers and is always willing to share his know-how with anyone who may need it. We salute and thank him for his loyalty, excellent service and patience!

Members of Meeting Professionals International (MPI) recently gathered for the Danish MPI Awards gala event to celebrate and honour those who contribute to the planning and running of the Danish meeting industry on a daily basis. The annual honorary award is presented to someone who has made an outstanding contribution to the Danish meeting industry. The committee had little doubt about that, choosing a well-known name in the travel industry: Ole Sorang, Rezidor's Marketing Director, Nordics. He received the award together with these lavish words of praise: "A highly committed personality in the Danish and international meeting industry. His commitment has also been crucial on the education front."

The Radisson Blu Astrid Hotel in Antwerp is now certified Green Key, the official international quality label for environmentally friendly tourism attractions and accommodation. Conventional lighting has been replaced with LED lights and energy-efficient bulbs. Water usage has been reduced with new water-saving shower heads and by installing flow-restricting filters in taps. Waste is segregated and hotel guests are even encouraged to do their bit with waste separation bins being provided in the lobby. The money saved due to this sustainable management policy is being used to optimise all services to hotel guests. Win-win all round!

The Radisson Blu Hotel in Bucharest has been announced Romanian Hotel of Year by the Hotel Tourism & Leisure Investment Forum at its Excellence Awards ceremony. The judges were the very top experts in the hospitality industry. The hotel was also runner-up in the categories Convention Venue of the Year and Best Bar of the Year with its Dark Bla Bar. In this late-night Bucharest lounge, guests can peruse the superbly stocked humidor and unrivalled selection of top-quality whiskies while rubbing shoulders with the best company in the city.

Many polls are published around the world each year ranking the companies that university and college students most want to work for. For the most part, the findings are similar - everyone wants to work for Google, followed by major international accounting and consultancy firms. The job-search website CV Online and the student organisation AIESEC recently polled Lithuanian students on their employer preferences, and out of 150 companies Radisson Blu Hotels & Resorts was chosen as one of the Top 10, the first time a company in the hospitality industry has been included in the list.

The Radisson Blu Palais Hotel, Vienna has been awarded the AMA-Gastrosiegel, one of the most stringent food quality and traceability systems in Austria. With this award, the hotel guarantees that guests will be served only the highest quality products. Transparency of origin is another key aspect. General Manager Heimo Leitgeb and Chef Harald Riedl are delighted to receive this quality seal of approval.

The Radisson Blu Hotel in Muscat has been officially recognised by the Omani Ministry of Health for its ongoing efforts within the local community to donate blood. The hotel team is leading and living Responsible Business by organising a "Give Blood" campaign for all employees twice a year and proudly accepted an award at a recent event held to honour companies in the community that showed a particularly caring attitude.

The Park Inn by Radisson Kazan and its owner "Regional Hotel Chain" have been recognised for Commercial Real Estate Excellence at the recent CRE Federal Awards 2011 in St Petersburg. These annual professional awards are the most important and prestigious event in Russia's commercial property industry. The official prize is a Golden Brick, symbolising the "golden contribution" that the project development team has made to the completion of the building's construction. The same size and shape as commonly used building bricks, the golden version is made of brass and coated with polished 24-carat gold. Each award is a copyrighted work and is made especially for the winner.

Thanks to the daily efforts of its employees and constant involvement in the social life of the city, the Radisson Blu Hotel in Kiev has been awarded the international environmental certification Green Key, becoming the first eco-certified hotel in the country. Immediately after receiving the award, the hotel's Responsible Business Coordinator, Olena Pnyovska, was invited to the Ukrainian Business Summit on Climate Change to report on this success story - what is needed to be recognised and certified as a "green" hotel.

Since its successful start-up in 2008, when it was the first internationally branded hotel in Russia's Udmurt Republic, the Park Inn by Radisson Izhevsk has been a regional leader in the hospitality business. This was duly proved at the annual Republic competition "Reputation and Trust" where the hotel was named "Best Hotel". Victory in this authoritative competition was gained thanks to impeccable cleanliness, high staff professionalism, security, microclimate and many other aspects including economic factors (the hotel's operation volume in 2010 increased by 73% compared with 2009).

Slawek Ciechanowicz of the Radisson Blu Hotel, Wroclaw has celebrated 15 years with Rezidor. As well as being Chief Engineer and a member of the task force programme team, Slawek coordinates all Responsible Business actions in the hotel and trains staff in the Living and Leading Responsible Business programme. He has been with the hotel since 2002, when he moved from the Radisson Blu Hotel in Szczecin to help with Wroclaw's grand opening. Congratulations from the whole Wroclaw team and friends at Rezidor!

The Park Inn Aberdeen was delighted to sponsor an ongoing award for the "Best Overall 3rd Year International Hospitality Management Student" at the request of Aberdeen's Robert Gordon University. Besides strengthening an already growing partnership, there was the unexpected added bonus of seeing one of the hotel's own team members receiving the honour. Sharon Yong has been part of the Front Office team since the hotel opened in August 2010 and is the first student to win this prize.

The Rezidor Hotel Group has triumphed at the 2011 Best Employers in Hospitality Awards England & Wales, beating Hilton Worldwide and MacDonald Hotels to take first place in the category Best Large Hotel Group Employer. Over 300 employers from across the hospitality industry converged in London on 21 June to celebrate the best employers in the UK's hotel, restaurant, pub, bar and catering sectors.

Organised by hospitality recruitment specialist Caterer.com, the awards are based on the opinions of over 5,000 employees working for the companies that entered. The results were gathered using an employee engagement survey designed by talent specialists learnpurple and were based solely on the responses from employees, thus offering an unbiased view reflecting true employee perceptions. So this is a big honour for all of us!

The Health Spa at the Radisson Blu Farnham Estate Hotel has been named Best Hotel Spa in this year's Irish Tatler Spa Awards. Set amidst 1,300 acres of unspoilt countryside and only 90 minutes from Dublin, it is one of Ireland's most popular spa retreats. The judges were impressed with the spaciousness of the luxurious spa, which covers a massive 40,000 square feet and encompasses the Water Mint Thermal Suite with Aroma Steam Bath, Kneipp Walk, Laconium, Ice Fountain, Reflexology Foot Basins, and experience showers, as well as the Indoor and Outdoor Infinity Hydrotherapy pool, 19 treatment rooms, relaxation and chill-out areas, and a large restaurant serving healthy and wholesome food.

The annual SENSES Awards held to coincide with the ITB International Tourism Fair in Berlin, the Arabian Travel Market in Dubai and ITB Asia in Singapore have already become an international barometer, especially as a hallmark of excellence for the Wellness and Lifestyle industry as a whole. And this year there was good news on the home front as the Vendome Spa at the Radisson Blu Palais Hotel, Vienna was selected as the SENSES Best Spa in a Business Hotel 2011 from about 600 entrants. Spa-ctacular!

Carlson, a global hospitality and travel company, announced in April that Marilyn Carlson Nelson, Chairman and former CEO of Carlson, has been honoured with membership of the British Travel and Hospitality Industry Hall of Fame for her outstanding achievement in helping to create and develop the travel, hospitality and tourism industry.

Ms Carlson Nelson's father, Curtis L. Carlson, founder of Carlson, was among the first industry leaders to receive the same accolade when he became a member in 1996.

"Our industry brings people of different cultures and faiths together around common goals. It facilitates global partnerships. It replenishes the spirit. It inspires curiosity and wonder. And, it builds friendships. The truth is, as an industry we are more relevant and more needed in today's world than perhaps at any other time in our history," said Ms Carlson Nelson in accepting her award.

Under her decade-long tenure as President and Chief Executive Officer of Carlson, starting in 1998, she doubled its system-wide revenue to nearly USD 40 billion and expanded its global presence in more than 150 countries. She personally orchestrated a number of mergers and acquisitions, including the merger of Carlson business travel agency operations with Accor of France, creating Carlson Wagonlit Travel, as well as the acquisition of Navigant International. She also oversaw the merger of Regent Hotels & Resorts and Radisson Seven Seas Cruises under the global Regent banner.

Ms Carlson Nelson has been named one of the "The World's 100 Most Powerful Women" by Forbes. US News & World Report selected her as one of "America's Best Leaders" and Ethisphere Magazine listed her as one of the "100 Most Influential People in Business Ethics". She is on the World Economic Forum's International Business Council and is also a member of the World Travel and Tourism Council. She serves on The World Bank's Global Private Sector Leaders Forum and is co-founder and advisory board member of the Women Leaders Programme of the World Economic Forum.

In the US, Ms Carlson Nelson served as Chair of the National Women's Business Council, a bi-partisan advisory council to the President and Congress, and is past Chair of the US Travel and Tourism Advisory Board.

Under her leadership, Carlson was the first North American travel company to take a stand in the fight against the sexual exploitation of children in the tourism industry by signing an international code of conduct.

At the South African Property Owners Association (SAPOA) Innovative Excellence in Property Development Awards 2011 held in Cape Town in May, the Park Inn Sandton scooped the title of Best Hotel Design. Five of the nine awards went to properties in Sandton, proving it to be the centre of innovative property development and design in South Africa. Developed by New City Group under the direction and leadership of Chaim Cohen, owned by Crystal Lagoon Investments 53 and designed by GLH Architects, the hotel is a prime example of the quality, excellence in design and innovation that these awards acknowledge.

Wamukelwe Zuma, Chef de Partie at the Radisson Blu Hotel Sandton in Johannesburg, took top honours at this year's Chaîne des Rôtisseurs regional competition. Chef Wamu, as he is known, then went on to earn a well-deserved bronze medal in the national finals.

The Chaîne des Rôtisseurs, an international gastronomic society founded in Paris in 1950, traces its origins back to 1248. Its annually hosted international competition tasked this year's six finalists with creating a three-course meal from a mystery basket of food of Turkish origin.

Chef Wamu gratefully acknowledges that his success would not have been possible without the contribution of the dynamic leadership provided in the Radisson Blu Sandton kitchen headed by Executive Chef Vonique Van Zyl, and his personal friend and Sous Chef Jaco Nel.

Alain Wouters, Rezidor's Director Group Accounting, recently received his 5-diamond pin for 25 years of service. He is the first Belgian local employee to reach this milestone.

Alain started with SAS back in May 1986 as accountant and assistant to the Financial & Administration Manager and was responsible for automating the office, introducing the first PCs and software packages. By 1994 he had risen to the position of Chief Accountant, and in 2009 was appointed to his present post. We salute another great Rezidorian for his untiring commitment, hard work and key contribution to the success of our company.

Carlson, a global hospitality and travel company, has honoured nine employees for outstanding career achievement with its 2010 Carlson Fellows awards, and Mr Finn Schulz, Rezidor's Senior Vice President IT, is amongst the winners.

Finn is the third Rezidorian to receive this recognition, in addition to President & CEO Kurt Ritter and Deputy President & CFO Knut Kleiven.

Finn Schulz (57), Danish national, has a 38-year international career within Westin Hotels, SAS International Hotels, Radisson SAS Hotels & Resorts and The Rezidor Hotel Group behind him. Finn joined the Corporate Offices of SAS International Hotels as a Systems Development Manager and later became IT Director of the company, a position he held nine years until he was named Vice President IT in 1999 and then Senior Vice President IT in 2006.

The Carlson Fellow award was established in 1988 during Carlson's 50th anniversary, where 31 active and retired employees became the first members inducted into the Carlson Hall of Fame. They were recognised for their outstanding contributions and commitment to Carlson during its first 50 years of operation.

The tradition continues today. Since 1988, 232 Carlson employees have received the award named in honour of Carlson founder Curtis L. Carlson. The award is a bronze, small-scale model of a life-size sculpture of Carlson displayed in the company's corporate headquarters. The replicas were created for Carlson by J. Paul Nesse, a world-famous sculptor.

"This award is especially meaningful as it recognises those who have produced great results for the company, shown true leadership and dedication, and exemplified our values over their careers," said Hubert Joly, President & CEO of Carlson.

Jörg Schiffmann, Area Vice President Germany, Switzerland, Italy and Southeast Europe, recently congratulated two General Managers on reaching a career landmark: Frank Raspe, District Director and General Manager of the Radisson Blu Hotel, Hannover, and Holger Herrmann, District Director and General Manager of the Radisson Blu Hotel, Hamburg Airport, with 25 and 15 years' service respectively. We look forward to working with them both for many years to come.

Fired by his interest in cocktails, Stoyan Shopov, bartender at the Radisson Blu Grand Hotel in Sofia, has taken part in many competitions in his five-year career behind the bar, but has managed to scoop four awards at this year's National Bartenders Competition. Competing in a field of 50 of Bulgaria's best, he took first prize in the Pepsi competition, second place in the Wine competition, and third in both the Lavazza and Bacardi Mojito competitions. This great success is yet another proof of the high level of professionalism of Radisson Blu employees.

Annette Gallagher, National Leisure Sales Manager for the UK, recently received the award of "Best Service Provider" from the Coach Tourism industry on behalf of Park Inn UK. The UK Coach Awards recognise the very best in coach travel to the wider public and have been designed to promote the accessibility, affordability and enjoyment that coach travel offers. In the last two years, Annette has worked hard to substantially grow the coach sector and has worked closely with key influencers and operators to strategically position Park Inn by Radisson as a key player in the market. This reward is proof that Annette’s efforts have paid off!

Park Inn Al Khobar was recently named the "Best Mid-market Hotel in Saudi Arabia" at the first ever Saudi Excellence in Tourism Awards. The hotel fought off tough competition from 16 other nominees to receive the top honour. The nominees for each category were decided by an online public vote, before a panel of eight leading national and international experts connected with tourism, hospitality, marketing and commerce determined the winners based on various criteria. The awards are held under the patronage of HRH Prince Sultan Bin Salman Bin Abdulaziz, President of the Saudi Commission for Tourism and Antiquities.

True to tradition, the team of chefs at Dubai Deira Creek's Radisson Blu Hotel worked their magic at the Emirates International Salon Culinaire 2011, conjuring up no fewer than 19 medals and 17 certificates of merit! More than 1,300 chefs from the Middle East participated in this annual event, competing in 25 categories ranging from creation and preparation of a five-course gourmet meal to dessert plates, ice carvings and confectionery. This year's outstanding performers in the Radisson Blu team were the Kitchen Artists Rovert Cagayat and Rodel Acala, who both won two Gold, a Silver and a Bronze.

Chef Uwe Micheel, Director of Kitchens at the Radisson Blu Hotel, Dubai Deira Creek, has won the best Gourmand World Cookbook Award in the UAE for his first ever book published, entitled "Chef at Home", which also came out on top in the categories Best Chef Book, Best Easy Recipe Book and Best First Book. He then went on to compete against winners in other countries for The Best in the World Gourmand Awards, which took place in Paris in March, and made it to second place for the "Best First Cookbook in the World"!

Some 10,000 voters from the travel industry and business travellers from the Nordic countries have chosen Radisson Blu Hotels & Resorts as the Best Hotel Chain in Scandinavia, for the fifth consecutive year. The Business Travel Award was presented at the TUR Travel Show in Gothenburg, Scandinavia's biggest and most prestigious Travel Show.

Business Travel Awards are based on results from the Nordic study Nordic Business Travel Barometer (NBTB). Each nominated company is assessed on 12 different criteria. The winner must score the highest points in overall customer satisfaction in each category. Business travellers agreed that high service level and good product standards were some of the areas in which Radisson Blu excelled.

The Radisson Blu Resort, Sharjah held its annual staff party in March to reward the employees' hard work for the whole year. Special attention was reserved for two chefs for their success in competitions like the Pastry and Baking Salon 2011, where four medals and certificates were won in different baking categories.

The Radisson Blu Hotel in Edinburgh is once again proud of its budding talents within the food and beverage team. Executive Chef Barath Kumar and Sous Chef Vladimirs Kruus recently took part in the ScotHot Championships, which reward and acknowledge those who work in Scottish hospitality, tourism and catering. In the Culinary Championships, both chefs were involved in the "Restaurant Appetiser Plates" category, Barath scooping a bronze medal, while Vladimirs achieved best in the class. Meanwhile, Front of House, Food & Beverage Manager Hina Simpson was nominated for ScotHot's Young Hotelier of the Year Award. In a close final with only six nominations, Hina was highly commended for her work.

The Rezidor Hotel Group, one of the fastest growing and most dynamic hotel companies worldwide, has been recognised as one of the World's Most Ethical Companies for the second year in a row. Following a first award in 2010, the Ethisphere Institute (USA) has again honoured Rezidor's real and sustained ethical leadership and has named the group as one of the 2011 World's Most Ethical Companies.

"We are delighted to receive this prestigious award again, and we are proud that we could maintain our status as one of the World's Most Ethical Companies," said Kurt Ritter, President & CEO of Rezidor. "We defended our rank by continuing to go the extra mile and by working with upright business practices that support our own success, bring benefit to the community and raise the bar for ethical standards within the industry."

Rezidor's award-winning and Group-wide Responsible Business programme has its roots as far back as 1989. Besides respect for social and ethical issues within the company, the programme also focuses on health and safety for guests and employees as well as on a reduced negative impact on the environment. Rezidor's ethical culture and Code of Business Ethics is introduced to each employee through the Living Responsible Business training programme. This foundation is expanded and promoted widely within Rezidor from the STAR supervisor development programme, to internal audit training and all the way up to the internal General Managers Certification Programme. It is further reflected in the "Always Care" motto of the Group's Safety and Security programme, TRIC=S, which is internationally recognised as best practice for corporate security management.

This is the fifth year Ethisphere, a think-tank dedicated to the creation, advancement and sharing of best practices in business ethics, corporate social responsibility, anti-corruption and sustainability, has published the WME rankings and presented 110 companies chosen by a committee of leading attorneys, professors, government officials and organisation leaders. The methodology for the WME ranking includes seven distinct categories: Corporate Citizenship and Responsibility; Corporate Governance; Innovation that Contributes to the Public Well Being; Industry Leadership; Executive Leadership and Tone from the Top; Legal, Regulatory and Reputation Track Record; and Internal Systems and Ethics/Compliance Programme.

A sampling of other 2011 winners includes Adidas, Timberland, Microsoft, American Express, Starbucks and UPS.

Read more about the 2011 World's Most Ethical Companies at http://ethisphere.com/2011-worlds-most-ethical-companies/

The Rezidor Hotel Group was the big-time winner at the Grand Travel Awards 2011 in Norway: with its core brands Radisson Blu and Park Inn by Radisson, Rezidor was pronounced best national and international hotel chain. The Grand Travel Awards, managed by Norway's Travel News magazine, are regarded as the industry's most prestigious awards and are based on the votes of hundreds of opinion leaders and decision-makers.

"We won the award as best international hotel chain in Norway for the fourth consecutive year, and are proud and delighted to have also been chosen as best national hotel chain for the first time," commented Christian Gartmann, Rezidor's Area Vice President for the Nordics. "The awards mean both acknowledgement and motivation to our teams, which have been working hard to increase our brand awareness in the Nordics. Our goal is to build on our strengths and successes and to remain a top player within the region."

The Rezidor Hotel Group is also proud to announce it has won the award for best international hotel chain in Sweden. "This confirms that our commitment to providing our guests with high-level service and great products in all countries is recognised. I also believe that offering hotels in attractive locations was a strong factor in winning the award," says Pia Djupmark, Regional Director Sweden - The Rezidor Hotel Group.

Over 600 people from the Swedish travel and tourism industry jointly voted Radisson Blu the best international hotel chain. The other nominees within this category were Hilton, Intercontinental, Marriott and Sheraton.

"The fact that over 600 people from the travel and tourism industry in Sweden voted for us is amazing. We diligently work to strengthen our partnerships and relationships with corporate and leisure travel agents. This award is a very good indicator that our efforts are working," adds Djupmark.

The Radisson Blu Iveria Hotel in Tbilisi has been named "Best New Hotel" at the Central Asia and Turkey Hotel Investment Conference (CATHIC). A panel of prominent hotel and tourism experts selected what has now become the leading luxury hotel in Georgia from among all recently opened hotels in the Caucasus and Central Asian region. The award was officially presented in Istanbul in February during the CATHIC 2011 event, the largest gathering of hotel investors, operators and developers from Central Asia & Turkey.

Oliver Staas, who has been General Manager of the completely renovated Radisson Blu Hotel in Hamburg since September 2010, received an award from Busche Verlag in February, as leading figures in the German and international hotel industry met for the third year in a row at the "Branchentreff Schlummer Atlas Top 50 Hoteliers 2011". Oliver was honoured with the highest recognition of excellence in the areas of service, food & beverage, sales & marketing, human resources, controlling and purchasing.

In February 2011 the Radisson Blu Hotel, Lucerne was given the highest level of quality certification by the Swiss Tourism Association. General Manager Markus Conzelmann and Assistant Head of Administration Mirjam Sulzer proudly received the award. All Q3-certified companies give top priority to quality and have implemented an internationally accepted quality management system.

And proving that quality matters, the hotel was also recently voted "Top Hotel in Lucerne" by the hotel reservation site Hotel.de.

The Rezidor Hotel Group has become the first international hotel group to achieve full Green Key certification across all of its hotels and brands in the Middle East.

Rezidor's entire Middle East portfolio has achieved the Green Key eco-label; this includes all Radisson Blu and Park Inn by Radisson hotels across six countries. The Rezidor Hotel Group has a long-standing commitment to Responsible Business and green practices, something that is reflected across all brands, hotels and locations.

The Group announced its plans to become fully Green Key-certified in late 2010, with the aim of having every property certified by mid-2011. However, due to the fact that all the hotels already had established Responsible Business policies and practices in place, the Rezidor hotels operating in the region passed the Green Key audit in just four months.

Over half of the Group's hotels across Europe, the Middle East & Africa are currently eco-labelled, with this number growing rapidly. In fact, Rezidor is helping eco-labelling bodies expand their operations to new countries by piloting their criteria at Rezidor hotels.

"Our Responsible Business and green ethos is engrained in our everyday operations. We are delighted that we are leading the way in this area in our region and that an independent third party such as Green Key recognises our ongoing efforts," commented Marko Hytonen, Area Vice President, Middle East.

The Green Key is a global eco-label for the leisure industry. In order to gain Green Key certification, hotels have to fulfil a list of environmental requirements, covering a wide range of criteria ranging from environmental demands to demands on policy, availability of action plans, education and communication. Obtaining the Green Key shows the sense of responsibility an organisation has for its surroundings and for society.

The Rezidor Hotel Group was the big winner at the Grand Travel Awards 2011 in Norway: our core brands of Radisson Blu and Park Inn by Radisson received the awards for Best National and Best International Hotel Chain. The highly prestigious Grand Travel Awards are managed by Norway's Travel News magazine and are based on votes from hundreds of key opinion-formers.

"We won the Best International Hotel Chain award for the fourth consecutive year. And we are very proud to have also received the Best National Hotel Chain award for the first time," said a delighted Christian Gartmann, Rezidor's Area Vice President for the Nordics. "These awards are an acknowledgement of our team's enormous efforts to increase our brand awareness in the Nordics. They will also motivate us to continue working on our strengths and to remain a top player within the region. We are proud that Rezidor's impressive history started in the Nordics back in 1960 with the world's first designer hotel - the Radisson Blu Royal Hotel, Copenhagen. And the success story continues: this year's regional highlight is the launch of the spectacular, 414-room Radisson Blu Waterfront Hotel, Stockholm."

At the recent State Pastry Chefs Championships, the title of best Croatian Pastry Chef once again went to Mirjana Kozlina from the Regent Esplanade Hotel in Zagreb. Her medal tally was an impressive two gold and four silver.

As a member of the Croatian Culinary Federation, Mirjana also took part in the Culinary World Cup in Luxembourg. This acclaimed international competition has a long tradition and is held every four years. Together with over 1,000 competitors from 53 countries, Croatia participated with the national culinary team and two regional teams and was rewarded with six bronze medals.

The Metamorfos restaurant at the newly rebranded Radisson Sonya Hotel in St Petersburg has been showered with praise lately. First, it was voted "Best Hotel Restaurant" in Time Out magazine's "Menu & Bill 2010" competition, based on the opinions of both restaurant experts and restaurant clients. The beautifully designed restaurant was also named "Restaurant with exclusive interior 2010" by the famous travel magazine Where. This special award is organised annually and recognises the best public places in the city of St Petersburg.

Rezidor took Gold for Best Integrated Marketing Campaign at the Meetings Industry Marketing Awards (MIMA) 2011. This most coveted MIMA award was presented in recognition of our Windulge meetings & events (MICE) campaign.

Windulge was a MICE reward programme with two key objectives: to increase spend by existing booking agents and encourage new business from smaller MICE agencies, likely to grow in the future. The campaign offered agents the opportunity to "windulge" themselves - to win big with indulgent rewards. Every booking or enquiry qualified for entry into various prize draws, with prizes ranging from Rezidor gift cards to a 4-night spa break in Dubrovnik.

There was a clear impact on revenues during the campaign, with MICE bookings up by 95% and income generated increasing by 16% over the same period of the previous year.

Rezidor was the unanimous choice of the judging panel, which commented that this was the best campaign entry they had seen in years.

Twenty-four chefs selected from the best kitchens in the world gathered in Lyon (France) in January to prepare two exceptional dishes within 5½ hours, live in front of the public, the press and a panel of judges. The Grand Finale of the grandiose Bocuse d'Or cooking contest included a representative from the Radisson Blu Hotel, Wroclaw: Executive Chef Piotr Lisiewski, acting as team coach, took the three-man Polish team to the final stages for the first time in history and displayed his impressive haute cuisine skills on the global stage. It was a great success for Poland and also for the hotel.

The continuing commitment of the Radisson Blu Hotel, Nice to prevent discrimination, strive for equality and promote diversity in all areas of its HR policy has been rewarded by the French government: it is the first upscale hotel in France to be awarded the Diversity Label. The French Minister of the Interior, Brice Hortefeux, officially presented the label to General Manager Lionel Servant, who commented: "We are proud to fulfil a pioneering role in the fight against all forms of discrimination. Obtaining the Diversity Label will enable us to share our values with others in the hospitality industry."

The Regent Esplanade Zagreb has recently won a clutch of accolades, confirming its position as one of the best luxury hotels in Croatia, Europe and the world!

Not for the first time, it took the "Tourist Flower" Quality for Croatia Award for the best 5-star hotel in continental Croatia, presented by the Croatian Chamber of Commerce and Croatian national television. The hotel also scooped the Touristar Award, which recognises the best hotels in the country, as voted by major hotel industry experts.

And the Regent Esplanade Zagreb's reputation is not confined to Croatia, as it features on the famous Gold List of Conde Nast Traveler, the world's premier travel magazine, among the best hotels in Europe. To crown its achievements, the hotel was named top Luxury City Hotel at the 2010 World Luxury Hotel Awards (WLHA) Gala Ceremony in Thailand. The WLHA are the world's most prestigious awards exclusive to the luxury hotel industry and recognise the best facilities and service excellence the industry has to offer.

The luxurious Peacock restaurant at the Radisson Blu Hotel, Kuwait won first place in the Fine Dining Restaurant category of the Service Hero 2010 Kuwait Awards. Peacock was chosen as the winner from 27 different competitors in this prestigious consumer poll. The Radisson Blu Hotel Kuwait's Al Boom steak and seafood restaurant was also short-listed as one of the top three nominees.

As an added bonus, Peacock was named as the Country Wide Winner, beating the frontrunners in the 15 different categories, which included major international companies like Mercedes, Lexus, Wataniya Airways & Ikea.

Service Hero adheres to principles set out by ESOMAR - the European Society of Opinion and Market Research. The 2010 award attracted 8,743 votes, based on six key service dimensions: behaviour, location, speed, product quality, reliability and value for money.

Filini, the contemporary Italian bar & restaurant at the Radisson Blu Hotel, Abu Dhabi Yas Island, has been honoured with the "Ospitalità Italiana" Seal of Quality, awarded by the Italian Chamber of Commerce in the UAE. This Seal is conferred on restaurants that promote the image of Italian restaurants outside Italy and guarantee that the high standards and quality of Italian hospitality are met. Italian Chef Thomas Marchi from Filini received the Seal at a glamorous ceremony held in Dubai as part of the Italian Festival Week.