24 September 2019
PPHE Hotel Group Limited
("PPHE Hotel Group" or the "Company")
Park Plaza Hotels in the UK, operated exclusively by PPHE Hotel Group, win highly coveted AA Large Hotel Group of the Year award
· Award recognises the completion of an extensive multi-year investment programme across UK property portfolio
· The Award was presented acknowledging Park Plaza Hotels UK's' exceptional guest service and experience alongside team member training and development programmes
PPHE Hotel Group, the international hospitality real estate group which owns, co-owns and develops hotels, resorts and campsites and operates the Park Plaza brand in Europe, Middle East & Africa under an exclusive perpetual territorial licence, has been awarded the coveted AA Large Hotel Group of the Year 2019 accolade.
Park Plaza Hotels in the UK have been recognised for their committed and strategic approach to development, at one of the most highly regarded events in the industry, alongside creative learning and development programmes to constantly delight their guests, at the 22nd annual AA Hospitality Awards last night, attended by industry peers.
This follows an extensive multi-year investment programme by PPHE Hotel Group to enhance its UK portfolio. The hugely prestigious award was presented in recognition of the UK hotel group that has a proven track record of striving to ensure the very best levels of service, food and accommodation across the range of properties.
The milestone achievement celebrates a successful period of growth for PPHE Hotel Group with the United Kingdom as a region reporting a 9.3% like-for-like RevPAR growth, outperforming the London market as reported in the Group's interim results for the six months ended 30 June 2019. Park Plaza Hotels also worked with the brand's owner, Radisson Hotel Group, to unveil a new brand identity for their Park Plaza brand earlier this year.
Park Plaza Hotels, recognised as a leading contemporary hospitality operator in the UK market with prime locations including London, Leeds, Cardiff and Nottingham, it offers ten AA four-star hotels and one AA five-star property. Each property has its own identity, design and individuality reflective of its locale, including the recently repositioned Holmes Hotel London in 2019 and Park Plaza London Riverbank in 2018. The judges applauded the significant investment put into elevating the Park Plaza Hotels' London portfolio, guest experience and team member training and development programmes.
The success of the Group's 13 destination-led restaurant and bars also contributed to the recognition, as well as its strong Meetings & Events offering, particularly in London. Its hybrid operated business model paired with its development strategy also stood out as a point of differentiation within the hospitality industry that allows PPHE Hotel Group to continuously invest in the design and hospitality experience created for its guests and team members.
Greg Hegarty, Chief Operating Officer at PPHE Hotel Group, commented: "On behalf of our Chairman, President & Chief Executive Officer and team members we are delighted to have been awarded AA Large Hotel Group of The Year 2019. This is a significant milestone for our company and an outstanding achievement which recognises the completion of an extensive multi-year repositioning programme across our UK portfolio. The AA Hospitality Awards are one of the industry's most highly regarded and recognised and so we are delighted to join some of the UK's most successful properties and brands as award winners.
"Park Plaza Hotels in the UK led by PPHE Hotel Group are truly committed to the hospitality industry and promoting it as a progressive career option. We work with schools, colleges, key recruitment organisations and charities to support and encourage young people into careers in the hospitality sector and offer a variety of apprenticeships during the year. Leading as an international brand with a strong London presence, the Group will strive to continue to invest in our UK portfolio alongside creative learning and development programmes to constantly delight our guests.
"Thank you once again to each of our team members for their hard work, passion and inspiring service which allows us to continuously provide such a high level of guest experience resulting in our winning of the AA Large Hotel Group of The Year 2019."
Simon Numphud, Managing Director of AA Media, commented "Park Plaza Hotels UK have continued to impress for both their continued investment across their portfolio of hotels but also their investment in the development of their teams. Attracting and retaining talent remains a critical challenge for the industry and it's great to see the various initiatives Park Plaza Hotels UK do to encourage young people that hospitality is a great career."
ENDS
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Notes to Editors
Park Plaza Hotels in the UK are owned, operated, managed and/or franchised by PPHE Hotel Group, an international hospitality real estate company with a £1.7 billion portfolio (valued as at summer of 2019) of primarily prime freehold and long leasehold assets in Europe.
PPHE Hotel Group's guiding principle is to generate attractive returns from operations and long-term capital appreciation.
Through its subsidiaries, jointly controlled entities and associates it owns, co-owns, develops, leases, operates and franchises hospitality real estate. Its primary focus is full-service upscale, upper upscale and lifestyle hotels in major gateway cities and regional centres, as well as hotel, resort and campsite properties in select resort destinations.
PPHE Hotel Group benefits from having an exclusive and perpetual licence from the Radisson Hotel Group, one of the world's largest hotel groups, to develop and operate Park Plaza® branded hotels and resorts in Europe, the Middle East and Africa. In addition, PPHE Hotel Group wholly owns, and operates under, the art'otel® brand and its Croatian subsidiary owns, and operates under, the Arena Hotels & Apartments® and Arena Campsites® brands. This multi-brand approach enables PPHE Hotel Group to develop and operate properties across several segments of the hospitality market.
PPHE Hotel Group is one of the largest owner/operators of hotels in central London and its property portfolio comprises of 38 hotels and resorts in operation, offering a total of approximately 8,800 rooms and 8 campsites, offering approximately 6,000 units. PPHE Hotel Group's development pipeline includes two new hotels in London and one in New York City which are expected to add an additional 600 rooms by the end of 2022/2023.
Park Plaza Hotels UK have been recognised as the AA Large Hotel Group of the Year 2019-2020 following the completion of an extensive multi-year investment programme by PPHE Hotel Group across the property portfolio.
PPHE Hotel Group is a Guernsey registered company with shares listed on the London Stock Exchange and a constituent of the FTSE 250. PPHE Hotel Group also holds a controlling ownership interest in Arena Hospitality Group, whose shares are listed on the Prime market of the Zagreb Stock Exchange.
Company websites
www.pphe.com
www.arenahospitalitygroup.com
For reservations
www.parkplaza.com
www.artotels.com
www.arenahotels.com
www.arenacampsites.com
For images and logos visit
www.vfmii.com/parkplaza
Forward-looking statements
This announcement may contain certain "forward-looking statements" which reflect the Company's and/or the Directors' current views with respect to financial performance, business strategy and future plans, both with respect to the Group and the sectors and industries in which the Group operates. Statements which include the words "expects", "intends", "plans", "believes", "projects", "anticipates", "will", "targets", "aims", "may", "would", "could", "continue" and similar statements are of a future or forward-looking nature. All forward-looking statements address matters that involve risks and uncertainties. Accordingly, there are or will be important factors that could cause the Group's actual results to differ materially from those indicated in these statements. Any forward-looking statements in this announcement reflect the Group's current views with respect to future events and are subject to risks, uncertainties and assumptions relating to the Group's operations, results of operations and growth strategy. These forward-looking statements speak only as of the date of this announcement. Subject to any legal or regulatory obligations, the Company undertakes no obligation publicly to update or review any forward-looking statement, whether as a result of new information, future developments or otherwise. All subsequent written and oral forward-looking statements attributable to the Group or individuals acting on behalf of the Group are expressly qualified in their entirety by this paragraph. Nothing in this announcement should be considered as a profit forecast
