Barbados Gets Radisson Hotel
In another two months Barbados will be welcoming a new Radisson Hotel to the suite of accommodation properties on the island.
The 124-room Radisson Aquatica Resort is scheduled to open in May this year, according to information from the Carlston Rezidor Group.
It will replace the Barbados Grand Resort which is currently being renovated and transformed into the new Radisson.
The Resort will feature more than 400 feet of Ocean view and will offer authentic Caribbean restaurant and bar.
The hotel is one of five which Carlson Rezidor Hotels Group, plans to open in the Caribbean, Central America and Latin America. The others will be in Grenada, Trinidad and Tobago, Chile and Costa Rica.
No estimate of the investment involved in preparing and outfitting the new Radisson in Barbados was forthcoming.
Radisson to Bring Benefits
This newest hotel will not only add to the existing room stock in Barbados but will present some advantages for the island’s tourism planners.
Barbados’ tourism officials have always maintained that brand name hotels tend to strengthen the marketing thrust of agencies involved in promoting the island, like the Barbados Tourism Authority.
Radisson is a brand present in about 65 countries. In Barbados it will fit in well alongside the other key brands already operating on the island, such as the Hilton, Sandy Lane and Courtyard By Marriotts.
Work on another brand, the Four Seasons has been stalled for more than two years as the authorities look to sort out financing issues.
Barbados spends about Bds$100 million annually marketing its tourism industry. Tourism is the main pillar of the country’s $8.7 billion economy.
However, declining numbers from key markets like Canada, the US and UK, have promoted the private sector to call for more resources to attract additional overnight visitors to the island.
The five Radisson hotels being opened in the Caribbean will also boost Carlston Rezidor’s portfolio in the region. In the Caribbean the company now has a total of 50 hotels and 7,939 rooms in operation or under development.
Radisson a Global Brand
Carlson Rezidor Hotel Group is based in Minneapolis, Minnesota and in Brussels, Belgium. It is the world’s largest and most dynamic hospitality group. Its portfolio includes more than 1,300 hotels in operation and under development spanning 100 countries.
Last year Barbados’ long stay visitor arrivals totaled 532,386, a six per cent decline from the 567,734 on the prior year.
Spending was also down, falling to just under two billion Barbados dollars, as a result of the declining numbers.
The number of Cruise ship passengers coming to Barbados also dipped in 2012.
Article by: Brett Callaghan
Additional Information:
March 6th, 2013
https://www.totallybarbados.com/articles/barbados-news/barbados-news-2013//
