Park Plaza Hotels Europe, master franchisor in Europe, the Middle East and Africa for Park Plaza Hotels & Resorts, has signed a sub master agreement with Oak Hospitality Services AB…
Park Plaza Hotels Europe, master franchisor in Europe, the Middle East and Africa for Park Plaza Hotels & Resorts, has signed a sub master agreement with Oak Hospitality Services AB to aggressively expand the Park Plaza Hotels & Resorts brand across Scandinavia and Baltic countries through both franchise and management contracts. The agreement with Stockholm-based Oak Hospitality Services AB will cover the countries of Sweden, Denmark, Norway, Finland, Iceland, Latvia, Estonia and Lithuania.
Boris Ivesha, president of Park Plaza Hotels Europe, is delighted to have signed this agreement with Oak Hospitality and its CEO, Claes Livijn, formerly vice president development with leading hotelier, Rezidor SAS Hospitality.
We believe that there is no better time for us to enter Scandinavia and I am certain that we have found the right partner to drive our development operations in this exciting region, said Ivesha. Claes`s extensive experience in the industry, fantastic network of contacts and his previous knowledge, understanding and experience of the brands` parent company, Carlson Hotels Worldwide, will prove invaluable for us, he added.
Oak Hospitality`s CEO, Claes Livijn has an impressive hospitality background. During his tenure with Rezidor SAS, he signed 23 hotels in 18 months for the Park Inn brand. He also developed three hotels in Sweden to join Radisson SAS. Both Park Inn and Radisson SAS are sister brands to Park Plaza Hotels & Resorts, part of Carlson Hotels Worldwide. Claes brings nearly 30 years of
hotel experience with him, including working within Pandox and Securum, two well-respected hotel real estate companies in Sweden. Livijin has a degree in hotel management from Glion Hotel School, Switzerland. Claes has also held various management roles in more than 10 hotels across Sweden and the Netherlands. A Swedish National, Claes is fluent in English, Swedish and French, with knowledge of Danish, German, Spanish and Dutch.
After a relatively recent affiliation with the Wren`s Hotel group in Croatia and the FitzWilliam Hotel group in Ireland, Park Plaza Hotels Europe is in advanced negotiations with companies in various other countries as sub master agreements are currently the preferred development method for this rapidly expanding hotel group.
With over a dozen franchising negotiations coming to fruition in the very near future, expansion through sub master agreements was inevitable. Initially focusing on Sweden`s most principal cities, Claes will then move to expanding the brand to other Nordic capitals. Once this has been established, there are firm plans to develop across the Baltic States and beyond.
Claes Livijn comments, I am extremely happy to have the opportunity to establish a close relationship with Park Plaza Hotels & Resorts. I find the brand fresh, modern, and fast growing backed up by a focused company. Oak Hospitality Services AB will do its utmost to make sure that Park Plaza Hotels & Resorts will have fast growth and achieve strong brand awareness in the Scandinavian countries.
Theodore is the Co-Founder and Managing Editor of TravelDailyNews Media Network; his responsibilities include business development and planning for TravelDailyNews long-term opportunities.
