LAS VEGAS— According to Curtis Nelson, president/CEO of Carlson Hospitality Worldwide, Regent International Hotels is poised for rapid expansion, with several properties currently under construction, including locations in Boston, Malta, France, and possibly even four new Mexican hotels. “This will be a big year for establishing Regent,” said Nelson. He said that originally Carlson anticipated franchising Regent properties, but “found that there wasn’t as much of a demand to franchise the brand as we thought. For that level of product [five-star], the demand is in management.” With that said, Carlson plans to focus the brand’s growth on major global markets. Currently there are 12 hotels open in Regent’s portfolio. —Diana M. Rodriguez