Radisson Hospitality, Inc. (trading as Radisson Hotel Group) is an American multi-national hospitality company. It started as a division of Carlson Companies, which owned Radisson Hotels, Country Inns & Suites and other brands. In 1994, Carlson signed a franchise agreement with SAS International Hotels (SIH), after which SIH started to use the brand Radisson SAS in the Europe, Middle East and Africa markets. In 2005, Carlson acquired 25% of the shares of SIH, at that time known as Rezidor SAS Hospitality. In 2010, Rezidor Hotel Group (formerly Rezidor SAS) became a subsidiary of Carlson. The enlarged hotel group adopted a new trading name, Carlson Rezidor Hotel Group, which was one of the top hotel corporations in 2013.
In 2016, Carlson Companies sold Carlson Rezidor Hotel Group to Chinese conglomerate HNA Group. In the fourth quarter of 2017, Carlson Hotels, Inc. (the holding company of the hotel group) was renamed Radisson Hospitality, Inc., while the listed subsidiary (Rezidor Hotel Group AB) was renamed Radisson Hospitality AB. In 2018, HNA Group re-sold Radisson to a consortium led by multinational hospitality company, Jin Jiang International.
As of 2021, Radisson Hotel Group owns or operates nine hotel brands: Radisson Collection, Radisson Blu, Radisson, Radisson Red, Radisson Individuals, Park Plaza, Park Inn by Radisson, Country Inn & Suites by Radisson and prizeotel. The loyalty program is known as Radisson Rewards.
In June 2022, the Radisson Hotel Group agreed to sell Radisson Hotels Americas, consisting of the Radisson franchise agreements, operations and intellectual property in the United States, Canada, Latin America and the Caribbean to Choice Hotels for $675 million. The deal closed on August 11, 2022.
History
Predecessors
Curt Carlson, founder of the namesake company, bought Radisson Hotel in downtown Minneapolis in 1962 (Radisson Hotel Group claimed it was 1960). 40 years later, the hotel division of Carlson had expanded into one of the top hotel corporations, as of 2013. On top of Radisson Hotels, the division also owned several other brands, such as Park Inn, Park Plaza (acquired in 2000), Country Inns & Suites (founded by Carlson in 1986), etc. The division acquired the brand Regent in 1997, but sold the brand in 2010.
In 1994, the division expanded into Europe, the Middle East and Africa markets (EMEA) by signing a franchise agreement with SAS Group's SAS International Hotels (SIH). SIH would use Carlson's brand Radisson in EMEA. The agreement gave birth of the co-brand Radisson SAS, which became Radisson Blu since 2009. SAS International Hotels, later known as Rezidor SAS Hospitality in 2001 and then Rezidor Hotel Group in 2006, had expanded into a hotel group that consisted of more than 320 hotels as of 2008.
The franchise agreement was renewed in 2002 and again in 2005. The 2002 deal added Park Inn, Regent and Country Inns into the agreement, while in 2005 agreement, Carlson purchased 25% shares of Rezidor SAS from SAS Group. The 2005 franchise agreement would last until year 2052.
Rezidor Hotel Group also had other brands, such as Hotel Missoni, which was licensed from Missoni.
Carlson Rezidor Hotel Group
Rezidor Hotel Group, formerly Rezidor SAS, became a listed company in 2006. SAS Group ceased to be the shareholder of Rezidor Hotel Group in 2007, while Carlson, a significant shareholder of Rezidor SAS since 2005, became the parent company of Rezidor Hotel Group in 2010.
Since January 2012, the enlarged hotel group was trading as Carlson Rezidor Hotel Group.
In February 2014, Carlson Rezidor terminated the license agreement of Hotel Missoni. Carlson Rezidor's Hotel Missoni Edinburgh and Hotel Missoni Kuwait would cease to use the brand Hotel Missoni not later than June 30, 2014. In the same month, two new brands of the group were introduced, namely Quorvus Collection and Radisson Red.
In March 2016, Carlson Rezidor acquired a 49% stake in German hotel chain prizeotel, for €14.7 million, with a future right to acquire the remaining 51% of the shares. (On October 4, 2019, Radisson announced that it was purchasing the remaining 51% of prizeotel.)
In April 2016, Carlson Rezidor Hotel Group was sold to HNA Tourism Group, a division of Chinese conglomerate HNA Group. The loyalty programs: HNA Group and Hainan Airlines' Fortune Wings Club and Radisson's Radisson Rewards, signed a partnership agreement in June 2018.