LONDON -- U.K.-based Regal Hotel Group, which owns and operates 91
three-star properties in England, Scotland and Wales, is changing
its name to Corus, company officials announced at World Travel
Market here.
The firm will operate as Corus and Regal Hotels while the name
change is phased in during the next three years, a spokeswoman for
the firm said. By early 2001, the Regal name will no longer be
used. The phase-in is set to begin March 1 with 25 properties.
The spokeswoman said the change in brand name is taking place to
distinguish the firm from Regal International, another firm in the
U.K., with which Regal Hotels has no affiliation.
Regal Hotels, a public company, was founded in 1993.
Other news from World Travel Market, held recently at the Earls
Court Exhibition Center in London, follows:
Cendant Corp. said its Days Inn brand added three franchisee
hotels in India. Two are in Madras, on India's east coast, and one
is in Bombay. It also signed its first master franchise agreement
in the U.K., with Premier Hotels to develop a total of 14 Days Inn
and Howard Johnson properties.Howard Johnson, meanwhile, signed master franchise agreements
in China and Oman. The deals mark the brand's entry into these
countries.The World Tourism Organization predicted that the Asia Pacific
region will receive 5 million fewer tourist this year than in 1997
due to the economic turmoil in the region. Overall, it said that
worldwide tourism is expected to grow by between 1.5% and 2% in
1998, compared to 2.8% in 1997 and 5.6% in 1996.U.K.-based Swallow Hotels upgraded its Web site to include
detailed information on the firm's 36 hotels. A section was added
for conference organizers. Another enhancement, due out next
spring, will give consumers access to real-time availability and
on-line booking capability.Patriot American Hospitality and Wyndham International,
together one of the world's largest hotel companies, acquired the
12-property Arcadian International hotel group. The purchase price
was not disclosed. Patriot and Wyndham said the acquisition will be
a springboard for growth in the Wyndham brand in the U.K. and
Europe. Arcadian International will be split into two divisions and
will be known, respectively, as Patriot American Hospitality Europe
and Wyndham International Europe. The conversion of the properties
will take place during the next 12 months. Arcadian's portfolio
includes 10 hotels in England, one on the island of Jersey and one
in Paris.