Rezidor and SOK extend their strategic partnership in Finland

Rezidor, a member of the Carlson Rezidor Hotel Group, and SOK have extended their strategic partnership in Finland: The groups have renewed their cooperation agreement (originally signed in 1997 and expired at the end of 2014) by ten years. Rezidor and SOK have also optimised their joint portfolio and concluded the franchise contracts for six Finnish hotels with 1,500 rooms – located in Helsinki and other primary and secondary cities in Finland and operated by SOK. Additional projects are under review to further extend the partnership.

“We are delighted to continue our long-term relationship with SOK and thank our partners for their ongoing trust in our group and core brand. Radisson Blu is the largest international upper upscale brand on the Finnish market, and we want to further strengthen our presence in the country together with SOK”, said Wolfgang M. Neumann, President & CEO of Rezidor.

“Our aim is to continuously optimise and maximise synergies between our groups and to drive our strategic growth in Finland”, commented Elie Younes, Executive Vice President & Chief Development Officer at Rezidor. “Finland is an important and solid home market where we want to build on the strong image of Radisson Blu and combine Rezidor’s international expertise and SOK’s deep regional knowledge to our mutual benefit and success”, ended Younes.

“We are pleased to continue the long-term cooperation with Rezidor. Radisson Blu hotels are an integral part the S Group hotel portfolio diversifying our offering and strengthening our strategical competitive advantage”, said Tapio Satta, CEO of Sokotel Ltd. operating the six Radisson Blu hotels in Finland.

“Carlson Rezidor Hotel Group is a dynamic and innovative partner. Strong and continuous development of the Radisson Blu brand and our mutual cooperation together create a solid platform for building unique and evolving hotel experiences for quality-conscious customers”, added Tomi Peitsalo, Vice President SOK International Hotel Business.

About Carlson Rezidor Hotel Group
Carlson Rezidor Hotel Group is one of the world’s largest and most dynamic hotel groups and includes more than 1,350 hotels in operation and under development totaling 180,000 rooms and a footprint spanning 105 countries and territories. The Carlson Rezidor portfolio includes a powerful set of global brands: Quorvus Collection, Radisson Blu®, Radisson®, Radisson Red, Park Plaza®, Park Inn® by Radisson and Country Inns & Suites By CarlsonSM. In most hotels, guests can benefit from Club CarlsonSM, one of the most rewarding loyalty programs. Carlson Rezidor Hotel Group employs 88,000 people worldwide and is headquartered in Minneapolis, Minn., and Brussels, Belgium. Visit www.carlsonrezidor.com for more information.