ORLANDO– Working toward shedding its image as strictly a franchise company, Carlson Hotels Worldwide not only provided attendees of its annual brand conference here with a model for future success but also reinforced its own efforts to diversify as an owner and an operator. The conference, which carried the theme “Branded for Success,” came on the heels of Carlsons deal with Hospitality Properties Trust to take over the management of 12 former Prime properties, which will be converted to Carlsons Radisson, Country Inns & Suites and Park brands. In addition, Carlson recently inked a deal to acquire a 25 percent stake in European partner Rezidor SAS Hospitality. Carlsons President and CEO Jay Witzel explained the companys more aggressive posture in the marketplace. “It is in the best interest of the [Carlson] family to acquire or invest in trade assets and hold them over the long haul,” he said, adding that the company has had to get this message across to its board of directors. “Once the board saw that we were good stewards of the assets, as long as we maintain a balanced business model, we will continue to try to do portfolio acquisitions,” he said. He noted that will likely result in one to two deals a year for the time being. Witzel cited some of the markets on his radar screen for an increased presence for Carlson, such as New York, Washington, D.C, Atlanta, San Francisco, Los Angeles and Phoenix, as well as China. The company also debuted some new amenities aimed at enhancing its existing properties. With an emphasis on quality control, particularly with its Radisson brand, Carlson unveiled a new automated response system from Medallia. The new system is expected to generate up to 500,000 responses per month with regards to guest satisfaction. While the company announced initiatives for all five of its brands at the conference, much of the focus was on Radisson. The company is “raising the bar” on its upscale brand, according to Bjorn Gullaksen, executive vp for Carlson Hotels Worldwide for the global hotel groups full-service hotels, as 2004 was spent “catching up with our competition.” He noted he is looking to “build our brand to be the leader.” In support of this, the company announced major marketing initiatives to support the brands new online check-in system called Express Yourself, as well as its exclusive Sleep Number bedding system by Select Comfort. A steady combination of print ads and television spots are planned for the remainder of the year. Carlson is also supporting its Gold Points Plus rewards program, which was relaunched in January, with a similar ad program. The company offered its over 1,100 franchisees and operators at the conference a simple solution for maximizing their return on investment. The new discipline is known as IDEA, which stands for Innovate; Drive profitability; Engage your employees and; Always focus on the customer.
