Carlson Hotels Unveils Five-Year Growth Strategy

During the opening session of Carlson Hotels’ Global Business Conference, taking place at the Gaylord Palms Hotels & Convention Center in Kissimmee, Fla., President and Chief Executive Officer Hubert Joly announced a new five-year strategy for the company called Ambition 2015.

To establish this goal, the company plans to establish clear positioning for each of its brands, fulfill the brand promises, accelerate development, win the revenue battle, and build a global team capable of executing the strategy.

In order to execute the strategy, the Minneapolis-based hotel group will expand Radisson to make it a globally consistent brand; accelerate the growth of Country Inns & Suites in key markets, including the U.S., Canada, Mexico and India, by adding another 250 properties to the brand portfolio in the next five years; grow Park Inn; and continue Carlson Hotels’ overall push to develop hotels, especially mid-scale properties, in markets with emerging economies.

The Radisson brand is also about to undergo a revitalization. Joly announced that the company will invest $1 billion to $1.5 billion to establish flagship Radisson properties in key U.S. cities, upgrade the existing portfolio in the U.S., and enhance management contracts in the U.S. as well as enhance sales and marketing support and technology, particularly online.