Swissotel Krasnye Holmy, Moscow was officially declared open in a grand opening ceremony on 4 September 2005 by Mr Iosif Ordzhonikidze…
Swissotel Krasnye Holmy, Moscow was officially declared open in a grand opening ceremony on 4 September 2005 by Mr Iosif Ordzhonikidze, Deputy Mayor of Moscow, together with Ambassadors from Switzerland, Turkey and Singapore, as well as top representatives of hotel owner, OAO Moskva Krasnye Holmy, ENKA and Raffles Holdings.
The festivities began with a sparkling champagne reception at the Lobby and Lightbar for over 600 guests. When entering the lobby, guests were delighted with its spectacular three-storey high curved glass ceiling. Complementing this dramatic ceiling is a series of stunning and sparkling crystal pendant lights that decorate the reception and lobby lounge areas.
In his speech, Deputy Mayor of Moscow, Mr Ordzhonikidze said I believe that the new hotel will prove to be one of the best hotels in Moscow and become a place loved and frequented by numerous guests in the city. The Moscow government is pursuing a policy aimed at improving tourism infrastructure and is poised to receive the positive and growing trend in tourist arrivals in Moscow. In the first six months of 2005 alone, Moscow received 1.5 million visitors to its city.
Mr Cheng Wai Keung, Chairman of Raffles Holdings Limited, said, Moscow is the true heart of Russia and is a major destination for tourism. A large variety of cultural attractions and historical sites provide a wide choice for visitors to the city. At the same time, Moscow is also the financial, economic and political centre of the country, and is poised to attract the business communities from all parts of the world.
Mr Cheng added that Raffles International looks forward to managing more hotels in Russia and hopes to introduce the Raffles and Swissotel brands in other key Russian cities.
At 7 p.m., with the ribbon-cutting ceremony, the landmark 235-room, 34-storey tallest hotel in the city of Moscow was declared opened, heralding Raffles International`s first foothold in Russia and Eastern Europe. In its significance, it was a breathtaking moment for Raffles International.
For the rest of the evening, the Swissotel Krasyne Holmy hosted guests to a wide variety of scrumptious Swiss, Turkish, American and Singapore fare. Each delectable was served at a different outlet of the Hotel: the Concerto Bar, the Manhattan Executive Lounge and City Space & Lounge on the highest floor of the hotel. Taking full advantage of the hotel`s dominance in the Moscow skyline as the city`s tallest hotel, the City Space Bar & Lounge offers striking, unobstructed 360? views of the whole of Moscow city.
Hotel staff, in their smart new uniforms, played the perfect hosts to guests who strolled around the hotel, visiting its various facilities, tasting different cuisines. Staff were attentive yet unobstrusive.
Seeing and experiencing is believing, for by the end of the grand opening, the Swissotel Krasnye Holmy has demonstrated to all its guests, that it is undoubtedly, a hotel that offer both business and leisure travellers the comfort of excellent facilities as well as the distinctive service quality, efficiency and reliability that is synonymous with Swiss hospitality. With such a grand entry into the Moscow hotel scene, the Swissotel Krasnye Holmy is all ready to delight.
Theodore is the Co-Founder and Managing Editor of TravelDailyNews Media Network; his responsibilities include business development and planning for TravelDailyNews long-term opportunities.
