Turning from Blu to Red

Valerie Schuermans, senior director for business development at Carlson Rezidor Hotel Group: In 2016 we announced that the Radisson Red Vilnius would be opening – the project is in the planning phase and is expected to open at the turn of 2019 and 2020. We are committed to development across central Europe and across the whole EMEA region. So what are your plans for the CEE region? The development strategy for Radisson Red is clearly defined for Poland: it was important to launch the brand in a premier market, such as Warsaw or Kraków. Kraków is a dynamic market full of energy and cannot be compared to any other market in Poland: it has more legends and myths, and a strong sense of the arts and entertainment. We have also identified Warsaw, Wrocław and Gdańsk as other cities suitable for adding Radisson Red to their hotel offer. Within the CEE region we are mainly going to focus on establishing our presence in key primary cities, such as Prague, Budapest and Bucharest. Wha