NH Hoteles implements 'Quality Focus' strategy

Fri, 10 Jun 2011 14:52:59 GMT

NH Hoteles has announced it is stepping up its efforts to find out about, and optimise the level of satisfaction of its guests supported by technological innovation and web horizons.

To do this, the hotel chain's Quality Department has developed new channels of communication with its customers and has set up tools among the first of their kind for analysing assessments and comments made about the hotel chain online, such as satisfaction surveys, calculating and analysing online opinions and in-depth studies made regularly by 'mystery guests' who visit the hotels have all been implemented.

The website and the 2.0 networks are now well entrenched areas for exchanging opinions regarding any product or service in particular for the hotel industry; networks such as Tripadvisor, Booking, Atrapalo and many others have now gained a high level of credibility among the public.

To analyse and improve the brand reputation it and its 400 hotels around the world have, NH Hoteles has developed its very own online tool for tracking comments about the hotel chain. Quality Focus Online locates any comment posted about the hotels in the NH Hoteles chain, records them and compares them with five direct competitors at the brand level, country level and hotel by hotel.

Thus, the hotel chain is able to gain accurate information in real time about what comments are being made about the hotel chain, be it on the Internet or on social networks, such as which services are most esteemed and which services are deemed to be unsatisfactory. The feedback is then collected and analysed and can then find solutions for any issues raised.

The information, accessible in real time for all employees at head office and hotel managers, is analysed every day by the Quality Department, processed and sent out to the departments involved in each service.

The hotel chain has also established that management remuneration at its hotels shall depend on a variable of the monthly and historic results that are recorded every year by its Quality Focus Online tool.

Measuring its online reputation is not the only tool NH Hoteles uses to find out about the opinion of its customers. The hotel chain also sends out weekly satisfaction surveys to guests who have stayed at its hotels over the last seven days.

NH Hoteles is the only hotel chain that, as part of this survey, asks its guests whether they would like hotel staff to contact them to sort out any problems that might arise. Around 8% of those surveyed have asked for this extra service in which a promise is made to deal with these requests within 72 hours.

The hotel chain has set a maximum of four surveys a year (no more than one every quarter) for each of its email contacts, so as not to overload its customers.

Around 6,300 customers fill in the satisfaction forms available for every hotel on the NH Hoteles corporate website annually.

Outside experts or 'mystery guests' carry out anonymous assessments of the quality of service at the hotel chain's different hotels, based on a series of parameters called "the 600 points of quality".

About NH Hotels:
NH Hoteles ranks third among European business hotels. NH Hoteles currently has 400 hotels with 59.202 rooms in 25 countries in Europe, including hotels in London and hotels in Berlin, America and Africa. NH Hoteles has at present 23 new projects for hotels under construction, which will provide 3,000 new rooms.

The chain offers hotel services which anticipate present and future needs of both internal and external stakeholders (employees, clients, shareholders, suppliers, environment, etc.), the communities where it operates and future generations with efficient and sustainable solutions.

NH Hoteles is listed on the Stock Exchange of Madrid.

NH Hotels signs agreement with Chinese HNA Group

Fri, 03 Jun 2011 14:17:37 GMT

NH Hotels has signed a major strategic agreement with the Chinese HNA group which strengthens the financial solvency of NH Hotels and consolidates the company's process of internationalisation.

At a meeting the Board of Directors of NH Hotels decided to recommend the entrance of HNA Group as a new shareholder of the Company. The Chinese group will acquire a 20% holding in NH Hotels and will have two members on the Company's Board of Directors. The transaction, totalling €431.6M, involves making a capital increase, excluding the right of first refusal, at a price of €7 per share, which represents a significant premium to the current market price and to the average share price for the last quarter. HNA Group will thus become the second largest shareholder in the Spanish company. The agreement is subject to approval by the Chinese regulatory authorities and that two directors of HNA Group become members of the NH Hotels Board of Directors.

HNA Group and NH Hotels will also contemplate setting up a hotel management company in China to carry on the four-star hotel sector, which is where NH Hotels focuses its strategic business. The joint venture complements NH Hotels' current strategy of growing using low-risk strategies, such as management of third-party owned hotels. Moreover, it helps the hotel chain to enter one of the fastest growing markets in the world, working in partnership with a local group that is a major player in the Chinese market.

The agreement envisages bringing into a new joint venture the management of several existing HNA hotels that fit the NH Hotels brand image and segment. The joint venture will benefit from the management, loyalty and booking systems of NH Hotels, and use the NH Hotels brand name in China and would be supported by the knowledge and ability to gain local access of HNA Group in identifying the best locations for hotels, local management teams and general logistics of the group in the Chinese market.

NH Hotels chairman, Mariano Pérez Claver, said: "I would like to emphasise the great commercial value, which strengthens the balance sheet of the group and at the same time stands for a far-reaching strategic step for NH Hotels. The alliance we are now arranging means that our company will have the opportunity to enter a market which has huge potential, China, and where there is a clear opportunity available for NH, working with a major, dynamic, powerful, prestigious business group which will, furthermore, become a major shareholder of NH. As a result, NH Hotels interests in China will be fully aligned with those of HNA".

Adam Tan, executive director of HNA Group, added: "HNA Group is honoured to join with the NH Hotels' shareholders and board members to support NH Hotels' management team as they continue to grow their world-class company into a truly world-wide company by developing operations in what will be the largest hotel market in the world".

About NH Hotels:
NH Hotels ranks third among European business hotels. The Company operates 400 hotels, including hotels in Amsterdam and hotels in Brussels, with around 60,000 rooms in 25 countries, and is a leader in Europe (36% of the rooms portfolio located in Spain, 18% in Germany, 14% in Italy and 11% in The Netherlands among others), as well as being present in America and Africa. NH Hotels has at present 22 new projects for hotels under construction, which will provide 3,000 new rooms. NH Hotels is listed on the Stock Exchange of Madrid.

NH Hotels announces sponsorship of Corrente in movimento

Wed, 04 May 2011 14:37:44 GMT

NH Hotels has announced its sponsorship of the 'Corrente in movimento' (power on the road) project to promote renewable energy.

The project will see a CO2-free tour of Italy in an electric car discovering the latest innovations in renewable energy, a field in which Italian technology is at the forefront. This project is perfectly in line with the ideas and aspirations of NH Hotels, as the company has been dedicated to environmental and social themes for some time.

The electric-powered vehicle will visit the whole of Italy, from North to South, to provide a meeting point for local communities between the world of research and production.

The aims of 'Corrente in movimento' are to promote the use of renewable energy sources in Italy, showcasing cutting-edge Italian technology in the field of renewable energy in the SME sector. It also aims to unite all of Italy from North to South on the theme of renewable energy and sustainable transportation, to encourage contact between the world of research and the Italian business sector in the renewable energy field, to provide citizens with information on renewable energy, energy efficiency and alternative transportation and to demonstrate the technical and economic feasibility of a trip around Italy in an electric vehicle. Finally, it aims to promote the participation of municipalities in the Covenant of Mayors, and consequently draw up and implement an Action Plan.

Each stage of the trip will have a specific theme (solar photovoltaic power, wind power, biomass, hydroelectric power, etc.) and there will be guest appearances en-route from scientists and energy experts, showbiz personalities, sportsmen and women and cultural figures who have shown interest in environmental issues and alternative energy.

There will also be radio and television interviews with citizens, authorities, researchers and entrepreneurs.

An information desk will be set up everywhere the vehicle stops which will ensure free advice and information will be provided to citizens on the use of renewable energy sources, energy efficiency and best practices for sustainable transportation.

The electric tour will begin on May 8th and end on June 20th 2011, starting and ending in Rome and visiting Genoa, Milan, Brescia, Trieste, Ancona, Naples and more. The NH facilities with parking lots equipped for charging electric cars such as NH Bologna Villanova, NH Cavalieri in Pisa, NH Milano2 and NH Vicenza are just some of the stops on the tour.

About NH Hotels:
NH Hotles ranks third among European business hotels. NH Hotels currently has 400 hotels with 59.202 rooms in 25 countries in Europe, America and Africa. NH Hotels has hotels in popular areas such as hotels in London, hotels in Amsterdam, hotels in Brussels and hotels in Madrid. NH Hotels has at present 23 new projects for hotels under construction, which will provide 3,000 new rooms.

NH Hotels stands out in quality both as regards to services and facilities, with carefully thought out decoration, intended to please all tastes and making the guest feel comfortable.

NH Hotels' establishments offer the most advanced technologies designed to facilitate the guests' communication as well as their work and leisure.

NH Hotels converts Madrid mansion into 5-star hotel

Tue, 30 Nov 2010 16:56:30 GMT

NH Hotels has converted an impressive nineteenth century mansion in the arts district of Madrid as part of ambitious renovation plans.

The careful renovation has managed to recover the building which was originally built in 1808 by Jorge Durán, and which was designed in part by Juan de Villanueva, who designed the Prado Museum.

The new NH Palacio de Tepa, is a luxury five-star hotel located in a privileged position on the calle de San Sebastián with access to the calle Atocha and the Plaza del Ángel, and is surrounded by the active bohemian atmosphere of the Arts District with its galleries, boutiques, cafés, jazz bars and taverns, and the hustle and bustle of the calle Huertas.

The new NH Palacio de Tepa has 84 rooms which have been decorated by the architecture and design studio of Ramón Esteve in easy greys and beiges to play with the ever-present light which flows in through the large windows and skylights especially throughout the penthouse rooms.

Different interior decoration options are available across the hotel room types, with the rooms on the fifth floor providing a particularly welcoming atmosphere with their mansard roofs and minimalist decoration.

In addition to the Premium rooms on the two corners of the second floor of the building, many of the rooms are duplex suites and all the rooms have views of the streets and squares of the district, which have also been renovated recently.

Lighting is the main feature of the hotel which has been carefully renovated respecting the original domes of the building and its typical balconies. Two whitewashed interior patios, renovated in accordance with their former use as "corrala" yards, allow light to come in through the interior corridors of the hotel.

The hotel also offers several premium services including a butler service, pampering menu, a 'VIP desk' and private transfer.

About NH Hotels
NH Hotels is the third largest business hotel chain in Europe. NH Hotels has 394 hotels with 58,982 rooms in 25 countries in America, Africa and Europe, including hotels in Barcelona, hotels in Milan, hotels in Vienna and Valencia hotels. NH Hotels now has 35 projects for new hotels under construction, which will provide a further 6,000 rooms.

A key feature of NH Hotels is the desire of its employees to ensure guests satisfaction through the quality of service and constant innovations. NH Hotels’ properties offer state-of-the-art technology to help customers work, communicate and be entertained.

The restaurant facilities offer customers top-quality food with famous restaurateurs such as Ferrán Adrià and Paco Roncero creating pioneering spaces, such as “nhube”, “Fast Good” and “Estado Puro” to combine restaurants, leisure and innovation for hotel guests.

As a responsible company and industry leader, NH Hotels offers hotel services which anticipate the needs of all stakeholders: employees, customers, suppliers, shareholders, society and the environment, taking great care with every detail and providing efficient, sustainable solutions. NH Hotels is listed on the Madrid Stock Exchange.

NH Hotels wins Building of the Year award in the Czech Republic

Thu, 04 Nov 2010 11:11:16 GMT

NH Hotels' Olomouc Congress hotel in Olomouc, Moravia was recently voted the Czech Republic's "Building of the Year" by a prestigious jury that included the Czech Ministry for Industry and Trade, The Foundation for Architecture and Building Development, the National Alliance of Entrepreneurs and the magazine "Economy and Stavitel". The recently built four-star hotel's avant-garde design, the impact of the hotel on the local area and its ambitious environmental sustainability plan all helped to persuade the jury to vote unanimously for the NH Olomouc Congress in the eighteenth year of the competition.

The NH Olomouc Congress and the neighbouring Omega Health and Sports Centre, both built by construction firm GEMO, were jointly selected along with 57 other candidates for the prestigious award.

The construction of the NH Olomouc Congress hotel marks the completion of the regeneration of one of Olomouc's best known areas, the site of the famous Spartakiadas sports stadium. The NH Olomouc Congress, which integrates part of the former Spartakiadas into its new design, offers 137 rooms and three suites, a large Conference centre, as well as several sports facilities and amazing views.

The Building of the Year jury were particularly impressed by the role the NH Olomouc Congress and the Omega Sports and Health Centre are playing in helping to give a new lease of life to the area around the old stadium, which was used to host major sporting events and competitions during the Communist era. The city of Olomouc is one of the most important cities in the region of Moravia and is an emerging centre for trade and other economic activities.

The NH Olomouc Congress' sustainability plan was another key consideration for the jury. The hotel uses low power lighting and presence sensor controls to help save energy, as well as intelligent heating and lighting systems. In line with NH Hotels' Strategic Plan for Environmental Sustainability, the NH Olomouc Congress' design and ongoing maintenance prioritise environmentally conscious practices, such as responsible water consumption and waste treatment that has a minimum impact on the environment.

The town-planning development associated with NH Olomouc Congress and its surroundings was planned in four stages. The construction of the hotel marked the final phase of the project. The building work lasted five years and involved an investment of around 30 million euros.

The building is the second NH Hotels hotel complex to open in the Czech Republic in 2010 following the opening of the elegant NH Praha Radlicka in the Smichov district of the "Golden City" of Prague, the Czech capital.

ENDS

About NH Hotels
NH Hotels is the third largest business hotel chain in Europe. NH Hotels has 394 hotels with 58,982 rooms in 25 countries in Europe, America and Africa including hotels in Valencia, hotels in Amsterdam, hotels in Bilbao and hotels in Milan. NH Hotels now has 35 projects for new hotels under construction.

NH Hotels' employees constantly strive to provide the highest quality and most innovative service to guests. NH Hotels offer state-of-the-art technology to guest to assist with communications, work and entertainment. Restaurants at NH Hotels are renowned for serving top-quality food and famous restaurateurs such as Ferrán Adrià and Paco Roncero have created pioneering spaces, such as "nhube", "Fast Good" and "Estado Puro" in the hotel sector that combine restaurants, leisure and innovation for the hotel chain's guests.

As a responsible company that leads by example in the tourist industry, NH Hotels offers hotel services that anticipate the needs of all our stakeholders: Employees, Customers, Suppliers, Shareholders, Society and the Environment, taking the greatest care over detail and providing efficient, sustainable solutions.

NH Hotels is listed on the Madrid Stock Exchange.

NH Hotels reveals EBITDA more than doubled in the first 9 months of 2010

Tue, 02 Nov 2010 15:43:51 GMT

NH Hotels has revealed that the adverse situation of the industry in 2009 underwent a major turnaround during the first 9 months of 2010 leading to a significant improvement towards recovery in the Group's basic activity. NH Hotels' revenues totalled €980.5M, a 9.4% rise, and its Earnings Before Interest, Taxes, Depreciation, and Amortization (EBITDA) reflected both the strong recovery in the market and the remarkable increase in productivity. The company generated an EBITDA totalling €102.2M, more than double the figure for the same period in 2009, due mainly to an improvement in the hotel business in all the markets where NH Hotels operates.

The revenues of the hotel business grew by 10.3%, as a result of an increase in occupancy in all the markets over the first 9 months of the year. The increase in occupancy levels, of 12.6% in comparable hotels, meant that RevPar (REVenues Per Available Room) went up by 9.7%. There were increases in prices for the first time after 7 consecutive quarters, helping towards the increase in RevPar. The major growth in hotel activity compares with a smaller rise in expenses of 4.4%, as a result of the cost-cutting plan kept up by NH Hotels in 2010.

In line with the asset rationalisation and divestment plan the company set up last year, the company has commitments and down payments for a number of sales of assets totalling approximately €60M. The hotels being sold are in Europe and are minor non strategic assets for the Group. These transactions are expected to be closed during the fourth quarter of the year. In 2010, NH Hotels has sold four assets that have brought in cash for the Group totalling €117M.

Moreover, NH Hotels has cancelled contracts for another 14 hotels in the first 9 months of 2010 as part of its plan for managing loss-making and/or non-strategic assets.

About NH Hotels
NH Hotels ranks third among European business hotels. NH Hotels currently has 394 hotels with 59.107 rooms in 25 countries in America, Africa and Europe, including a range of hotels in Madrid, hotels in Barcelona and hotels in London. NH Hotels has at present 30 new projects for hotels under construction, which will provide more than 4,000 new rooms.

NH Hotels stands out in quality both as regards to services and facilities, with carefully thought out decoration, intended to please all tastes and making the guest feel comfortable.

NH Hotels’ establishments offer the most advanced technologies designed to facilitate the guests’ communication as well as their work and leisure.

NH Hotels is listed on the Stock Exchange of Madrid.

NH Hotels becomes first Spanish hotel chain to develop application for iPhone

Mon, 13 Sep 2010 11:53:59 GMT

NH Hotels, in line with its spirit of innovation, has become the first Spanish hotel chain to develop a new information and booking application for the iPhone. The new app is now being made available to downloaded free of charge through the Apple Store.

The simple and intuitive application which has been created by the multinational hotel firm has been developed to enable iPhone users to be able to search for hotels across the 25 countries where NH Hotels are located as well as providing information and the ability to book rooms via the app. This means travellers can choose between and book themselves a Munich Hotels.

The new NH Hotels application means that hotels can be easily found whilst on the move via a map function, by simply entering the name of a particular city, or even by finding which hotels are closest to the user based on the iPhone's GPS function.

The new application also makes it possible to get detailed information about each of the 394 hotels run by the NH Hotels chain, along with photos of the hotels and access to NH Hotels' many offers and promotions.

This means that iPhone users can now use their handset to locate and research hotels, book and view the processing status, find out about and take advantage of discounts and offers, as well as register for the 'NH World' loyalty programme.

About NH Hotels
NH Hotels is the third largest business hotel chain in Europe. NH Hotels has 394 hotels with 58,982 rooms in 25 countries in Europe, America and Africa including Milan hotels, hotels in Frankfurt and hotels in Seville. NH Hotels now has 35 projects for new hotels under construction, which will provide a further 6,000 rooms.

A feature of NH Hotels is the desire of our employees to give service and seek the satisfaction of our guests through the quality of our services and constantly innovating. The establishments of NH Hotels offer state-of-the-art technologies to help customers in communications, work and entertainment.

The restaurant facilities are another of the priorities of the hotels in the chain, which offers its customers top-quality food. Furthermore, NH Hotels and famous restaurateurs such as Ferrán Adrià and Paco Roncero have created pioneering spaces, such as 'nhube', 'Fast Good' and 'Estado Puro'. in the hotel sector that combine restaurants, leisure and innovation for the hotel chain's guests.

As a responsible company that is a reference in the tourist industry, NH Hotels offers hotel services that anticipate the needs of all our stakeholders: Employees, Customers, Suppliers, Shareholders, Society and the Environment, taking the greatest care over detail and providing efficient, sustainable solutions.

NH Hotels is listed on the Madrid Stock Exchange.

NH Hotels EBITDA grows by 87% in the first half of 2010

Tue, 03 Aug 2010 11:59:09 GMT

NH Hotels has announced an 87% growth EBITDA across the first half of 2010.

The negative environment that the sector suffered in the 2009 financial year presented a very positive advance in the first half of 2010. The Group income reached €646.5M, a rise of 7.2%, and the EBITDA, which shows the operational evolution of NH Hotels, reflected the significant market recovery and an increase in productivity. The company generated an EBITDA of €68M, practically double the same period of 2009, which is fundamentally due to the improvement in hotel activity in all the markets in which NH Hotels operates.

The income from the hotel activity grew by 8.3%, as a consequence of an increase in occupancy in all the markets where the company operates in the first half of the year. The increase in the levels of occupancy, of 12.4% in comparable hotels, permitted the RevPar (ratio that measures income per available room) to make an increase of 7.2%. During the second quarter of 2010, the fall in prices has been halted completely, contributing positively to the increase in RevPar. The considerable increase in hotel activity contrasts with the slight increase in costs of 3.6%, thanks to the cost containment plan that the company has maintained during the first half of 2010.

In Spain and Portugal, the fall in average prices began to stabilise and for the first time since the beginning of the crisis, the activity showed a positive result in RevPar, 4.84% in comparable hotels. Principally, there has been an increase in sales at weekends with especially good performances for the groups hotels in Madrid and Barcelona, with increases in occupancy that are greater than 20%.

Despite the fact that Benelux is the business unit which had the lowest increase, the rises in occupancy together with a slowing of the rate of fall of average prices resulted in a positive RevPar in the first half. The recovery in this business unit is marked fundamentally by the behaviour of the activity of the Amsterdam hotels, and those in Brussels, compared with a slower evolution in the secondary towns.

Germany showed the best evolution of all the markets where NH Hotels operates, reaching a growth in RevPar of 17.4% in comparable hotels. This increase in income was driven by an increase in occupancy of 9.8% and growth in the average price in Germany of 6.8%.

Customer satisfaction scores across NH Hotels for the first quarter of 2010 showed a continued increase, reaching a score for July this year of 8.42 out of 10 (29,471 respondents) compared with 8.32 in 2009 (18,644 respondents).

About NH Hotels
NH Hotels ranks third among European business hotels. NH Hotels currently has 395 hotels with 59,113 rooms in 25 countries in America, Africa and European destinations with a wide selection of Zaragoza hotels, Valencia hotels and hotels in Turin. NH Hotels has 27 new hotel projects under construction, which will provide 4,000 new rooms.

NH Hotels stands out in quality both as regards services and facilities, with very carefully thought out decoration, intended to please all tastes and making the guest feel comfortable. NH Hotels' establishments offer the most advanced technologies designed to facilitate the guest's communication as well as his work and leisure.

NH Hotels is a responsible company in the Tourism industry. The Chain offer hotel services which anticipate present and future needs of both our internal and external stakeholders (Employ

NH Hotels' The Hotel Hesperia Tower receives Travelzoo award for best hotel offer in Spain

Mon, 19 Jul 2010 14:19:29 GMT

NH Hotels' The Hotel Hesperia Tower in Barcelona has received the award for the best hotel offer in 2009. These awards are given to the European tourist companies that gave the best offers over the last 12 months. The awards were give in the One Marylebone in London and brought together more than 300 executives from the top European companies in the industry.

This is the first time the Tzoos have been awarded in Europe, although these prizes have been awarded in the United States since 2007. This year, the "American Tzoos" will be awarded in November. The Executive Vice President of Travelzoo Europe, Chris Loughlin, highlighted when awarding the prizes that Travelzoo is proud to support the top-quality agreements developed by the prize-winning companies. For his part, the General Manager of the Hotel Hesperia Tower pointed out that this award is an acknowledgement of all the work that has been done from the hotel in order to give its guests the best service at highly competitive prices.

The Hotel Hesperia Tower is a five-star hotel in Barcelona with 280 luxury rooms stands right in the very centre of the new financial district of the metropolitan area of Barcelona. Designed for both leisure and business stays, it has an executive floor, Tower Club, which meets all its guests' needs; and offers the very best in cuisine. Its two restaurants, EVO and Bouquet, run by the Chef Santi Santamaría, who has 7 Michelin stars, offers a highly differentiated cuisine: the spectacular gastronomic restaurant EVO in the glass dome on top of the Hotel and the restaurant Bouquet, offering traditional, uncomplicated meals for day-to-day needs.

The proposal offered by the Hotel Hesperia Tower in Barcelona in summer last year, which received the award, consisted of stays in superior rooms on the 15th floor with scenic views of the city, breakfast every day for two, access to the Beach Club organised by the hotel on the Gavá Mar beaches and a shuttle service to Barcelona city centre for sightseeing. The award-winning proposal, and other offers made during the year are a sign that the hotel is constantly seeking to keep its guest happy by offering services and excellence that cannot be offered by other hotels.

Travelzoo has been operating in Europe since 2005 and reaches more than 4 million travellers in France, Germany, Spain and the United Kingdom.

About NH Hotels
NH Hotels is the third largest business hotel chain in Europe. NH Hotels has 394 hotels with 58,982 rooms in 25 countries in Europe, America and Africa, including a range of hotels in Zaragoza, hotels in Madrid, and hotels in Amsterdam. NH Hotels now has 35 projects for new hotels under construction, which will provide a further 6,000 rooms.

Roncero have created pioneering spaces, such as 'nhube', 'Fast Good' and 'Estado Puro" which combine restaurants, leisure and innovation for the hotel chain's guests.

NH Hotels expands portfolio in the Czech Republic

Wed, 30 Jun 2010 10:09:15 GMT

NH Hotels opens the NH Olomouc Congress hotel in Moravia, Czech Republic. The new NH Olomouc Congress Hotel is the second NH Hotel to be opened within the Czech Republic; however it is the first of the chain to be operating under a new management agreement.

The new hotel includes a wide range of entertainment features and a comprehensive wellness and health centre - the Omega Sport Center - which has 13 tennis, badminton and squash courts, golf facilities, as well as providing fitness and maintenance programmes in its gymnasium and a fully equipped spa area with a water area, sauna and Turkish bath. The NH Olomouc Congress hotel restaurant 'Sal de Mar' can also offer excellent cuisine from Petr Zucek, who has already achieved two Michelin stars for his restaurant in London. The new menu combines international cuisine, with traditional Spanish tapas and many of the best recipes from around the region.

The NH Olomouc Congress Hotel is located just a short walk from the medieval centre of what is regarded as being the prettiest city in Moravia containing the second largest collection of historic monuments in the Czech Republic. Highlights include the City Council building, the Gothic Cathedral of Saint Wenceslas and the Column of the Holy Trinity, declared a World Heritage Site by UNESCO. Olomouc has had a rich religious and political past and was one of the first Jesuit missions in Central Europe. This provides a city with a genuine catalogue of artistic and cultural treasures. Its large university population also makes it a young, bustling city, with shops and clubs of a kind usually only to be found in the most cosmopolitan of cities.

The combined functionality of its 137 modern and comfortably furnished rooms or suites, large number of convention rooms and location within the heart of the bustling Moravian city's business centre should make this hotel ideal for both tourism and business.

Consistently with the NH Hotels environmental strategy and in accordance with its slogan "Wake Up to a Better World", this new Czech hotel has been designed and works in a highly environmentally aware way.

About NH Hotels:
NH Hotels is the third largest business hotel chain in Europe with hotels in Valencia and hotels in Berlin as well as Milan hotels and Madrid hotels in their repertoire. NH Hotels has 394 hotels with 58,982 rooms in 25 countries in Europe, America and Africa. NH Hotels now has 35 projects for new hotels under construction, which will provide a further 6,000 rooms.

A key feature of NH Hotels is the desire of its employees to give service and seek the satisfaction of guests through the quality of services and constant innovation. The establishments of NH Hotels offer state-of-the-art technologies to help customers with their communications, work and entertainment.

The restaurant facilities are another of the priorities for all the hotels within the chain with famous restaurateurs such as Ferrán Adrià and Paco Roncero creating pioneering spaces, such as 'nhube', 'Fast Good' and 'Estado Puro' which combine restaurants, leisure and innovation for hotel guests.

NH Hotels declares solutions for Eco-Design

Mon, 28 Jun 2010 09:29:07 GMT

NH Hotels gathered the company's largest suppliers at the II International Edition of the NH Sustainable Club in Berlin where they discussed and unleashed their solutions in eco-design.

Since NH Hotels started up its Environmental Plan in 2007, up to the first quarter of 2010, NH Hotels calculates it has made savings of up to 12% on its energy consumption (per guest and overnight stay) and 25% on water consumption. It has also cut its CO2 emissions by 16% and its waste production by 17%. These results have been achieved thanks to a wide variety of initiatives, such as new unfreezing processes for products and the new design for the trolleys used by room cleaners, and the new oxo-biodegradable amenities and the new printers that use cartridges made of recycled materials and smaller paper formats.

One of the ideas that has been brought forward is the idea of the Eco-Toilet. NH Hotels has studied, in collaboration with the Spanish Instituto Tecnológico del Agua how to install flow reducers, double flushing toilets and how to reuse drain water, and so generate major savings in water consumption alongside increasing guest awareness. There have been ideas presented by Villeroy & Bosch that involve zero water consumption toilets which means that the urinals use no water when flushing.

Peter del Wing, Head of Innovation at the company Villeroy & Bosch, reflected on how ceramic production processes directly affect the environment because of their water and energy requirements at the preparation, drying, firing and glazing stages, etc. Normally, 20,000 litres of water and 2 tonnes of CO2 emissions are needed to produce a tonne of standard ceramic product. Implementing new processes that use membrane filtering enable reduction of as much as 200 million litres of water a year in the production of ceramics.

Alberto Toquero, the Managing Director of the Mahou-San Miguel group explained how beer can also make a contribution towards making hotels more sustainable. Not only through a more rational distribution process which is more localised and uses hybrid transport, but also changing the perception that a new barrel should be renewed every few years, which is now obsolete. Mahou has designed large beer barrels, using environmentally sustainable materials, to ensure longer intervals between changes, less need for trips and simpler, cheaper recycling of materials.

NHHotels will be looking to develop and put into practice these ideas across its entire hotel portfolio to ensure its hotels in Milan, Brussels hotels, Madrid hotels and Rome hotels through to its hotels in Berlin are even more ecologically friendly.

About NH Hotels:
NH Hotels is the third largest business hotel chain in Europe. NH Hotels has 394 hotels with 58,982 rooms in 25 countries in Europe, America and Africa. NH Hotels now has 35 projects for new hotels under construction, which will provide a further 6,000 rooms.

A feature of NH Hotels is the desire of its employees to give service and seek the satisfaction of guests through the quality of services and constant innovation. The establishments of NH Hotels offer state-of-the-art technologies to help customers in communications, work and entertainment.

NH Hotels launches new line of oxo biodegradable amenities

Fri, 21 May 2010 12:29:01 GMT

NH Hotels's has launched its new 'Agua de la Tierra' line of amenities which goes one step further in eco design by reinventing its containers so that they are non-polluting. The hotel chain has replaced its traditional plastic bottles with new environmentally friendly bottles which have been certified by the German certification agency DIN V54900-3, in Berlin.

The introduction of the new packaging supports NH Hotels' aim to 'Wake Up to a Better World' where it has pledged to cut back toxic waste generated in the hotel business as much as possible. This has already led the hotel chain to replace plastic with potato starch, in consumable products such as laundry bags and corporate ball-point pens.

The new oxo biodegradable plastics used in the 'Agua de la Tierra' line utilise an additive called polyolefin which catalyses the natural degradation process of the materials so that it breaks down in a much shorter period compared with normal plastics - between two to seven years rather than 100 to a thousand.

The introduction of the new 'Agua de la Tierra' line, made up of four little bottles (gel, shampoo, moisturising cream and conditioner), throughout the hotel chain's 60,000+ rooms will mean that no less than eleven million fewer plastic bottles will be put on to the market, without any adverse repercussions for the comfort of the hotel chain's guests, making for a very large, positive effect on the environment.

In order to achieve its environmental aims, the hotel chain has mobilised its regular suppliers to set up the first NH Sustainable Suppliers Club. This initiative aims to forge alliances with the most environmentally responsible suppliers to help protect the planet. Companies like Amenitiespack, Philips, Johnson, Flex and Telefónica have all entered into alliances with NH Hotels on projects which are aimed at using natural resources with greater respect, saving on energy, water and light and reducing waste.

About NH Hotels
NH Hotels is the third largest business hotel chain in Europe, with a wide selection of hotels in Madrid, hotels in Milan, hotels in Berlin and hotels in Barcelona city centre. NH Hotels has 392 hotels with 58,528 rooms in 24 countries in Europe, America and Africa. NH Hotels now has 41 projects for new hotels under construction, which will provide more than 7,000 further rooms.

As a responsible company that is a reference in the tourist industry, NH Hotels offers hotel services that anticipate the needs of its stakeholders: employees, customers, suppliers, shareholders, society and the environment, taking the greatest care over detail and providing efficient, sustainable solutions.

NH Hotels is listed on the Madrid Stock Exchange.

NH Hoteles enters the Czech market

Thu, 20 May 2010 16:31:00 GMT

NH Hoteles has broadened its frontiers in Central Europe by opening a new hotel in the centre of Prague. A modern, newly built property, the NH Praha Radlicka, marks the arrival of the third biggest Spanish hotel chain in Europe.

The four-star hotel has 134 comfortable rooms, decorated in a modern style, and three junior suites, all with balconies and offering fantastic views of the city. The rooms display NH Hoteles' meticulous attention to detail; the avant-garde equipment, the wireless connection available throughout the entire hotel and the aromatic 'Aguas de la Tierra' line of amenities.

The NH Praha Radlicka is an environmentally friendly hotel that follows NH Hoteles "green" prototype which has recently led to the company winning a European Design Award. The group added a large number of energy-efficiency and water-saving measures to its rooms including presence-related lighting, LEDS for decorative lighting, low consumption lamps, water economisers in the bathrooms and double flushing tanks in toilets. What is more, all the materials used in furniture, floors and insulation have been made by ecological producers and cleaning requirements have been optimised to reduce the environmental impact to a minimum.

NH Praha Radlicka boasts an ideal location in the bustling district of Smichov, a particularly charming area in the Czech capital, just a few metres from the old city centre, which was declared a World Heritage Site by the UNESCO in 1992. The hotel is also very close to the banks of the river Moldavia and the famous Charles Bridge, the oldest bridge in Prague which crosses the Moldavia to the Little City.

Over the next few weeks, the Spanish hotel chain plans to continue its expansion plan in the Czech Republic and open a modern hotel in Olomouc. The hotel, NH Olomouc Congress, is situated right in the centre of a city located near landmarks such as the Holy Trinity Column, declared a World Heritage Site by UNESCO, and San Wenceslas Cathedral.

About NH Hoteles:
NH Hoteles is the third largest business hotel chain in Europe. NH Hoteles has 392 hotels with 58,528 rooms in 24 countries in Europe, America and Africa including Hotels Barcelona city centre, hotels in Madrid, Airport hotels Brussels and Airport hotels Amsterdam. NH Hoteles now has 41 projects for new hotels under construction, which will provide more than 7,000 further rooms.

A feature of NH Hoteles is the desire of its employees to give service and seek the satisfaction of its guests through the quality of its services and constantly innovation. The establishments of NH Hoteles offer state-of-the-art technologies to help customers in communications, work and entertainment.

The restaurant facilities are another of the priorities of the hotels in the chain, which offers its customers top-quality food. Furthermore, NH Hoteles and famous restaurateurs such as Ferrán Adrià and Paco Roncero have created pioneering spaces, such as "nhube", "Fast Good" and "Estado Puro".

NH Hoteles offers hotel services that anticipate the needs of all its stakeholders; employees, customers, suppliers, shareholders, society and the environment, taking the greatest care over detail and providing efficient, sustainable solutions.

NH Hoteles is listed on the Madrid Stock Exchange.

NH Hoteles joins with Siemens to track the energy use of guests in new intelligent rooms

Wed, 17 Mar 2010 09:26:47 GMT

NH Hoteles' latest initiative, in conjunction with Siemens, combines research into home automation, state-of-the art technology and environmental awareness to create intelligent rooms in the NH Eurobuilding hotel in Madrid.

The two prototype rooms in the NH Eurobuilding have been fitted out with the very latest technology from Siemens to monitor the water, light and energy (heating and air-conditioning) consumption of guests on a real-time basis. Its technology will make it possible, to be able to adapt lighting, heating and air-conditioning preferences to suit customer tastes, throughout the year.

Even though the switches seem traditional, every room has systems for monitoring and optimising consumption, combined with management and control software called Desigo Hotel Solution which can immediately translate the usage into the equivalent carbon emissions that can be easily viewed from reception. This information will form the basis for future projects to give guests incentives to behave in an environmentally friendly manner.

By seeing real-time consumption in the room, NH Hoteles will be also able to optimise the electricity, water and energy consumption associated with cleaning and preparation work.

The hotel chain plans to install these new intelligent rooms in its future hotel developments. NH Hoteles has set as its objective to find out the real water and energy consumption pattern of its guests and to reward guests who have a more environmentally friendly attitude.

NH Hoteles will analyse its guests' consumption patterns and compare them with the average consumption in each hotel. This means it will be able to adapt its service to the actual requirements of the public and to design future environmentally friendly rooms for maximum efficiency.

When checking out of the hotel in Madrid every guest will be able to see whether he or she has consumed more or less than the hotel average. This is a further measure being taken by NH Hoteles to persuade guests to use natural resources on a more rational basis and to make them partners in its environmentally friendly efforts.

NH Hoteles has always set itself the objective of providing its hotels with the most up-to-date facilities to achieve greater comfort for guests and also to cut down energy consumption as much as possible. To this end, the hotel chain has set up Siemens facility control systems integrated with its Check-in systems to adapt the heating and air-conditioning to the actual occupation of the room (blocked/not sold/sold/occupied).

These two new prototype rooms in the NH Eurobuilding are one more step in the NH Hoteles policy of environmental reasonability which, in accordance with its Environmental Plan and its strategy of action as set out in the slogan "Wake up to a Better World", it aims to cut its water, light and energy consumption by 20% by 2012.

About NH Hoteles
NH Hoteles is the third largest business hotel chain in Europe. NH Hoteles has 398 hotels with 60,605 rooms in 24 countries in Europe, America and Africa, including hotels in Amsterdam and hotels in Brussels. NH Hoteles now has 41 projects for new hotels under construction, which will provide a further 7,000 rooms.

A feature of NH Hoteles is the desire of our employees to give service and seek the satisfaction of our guests through the quality of our services and constantly innovating. The establishments of NH Hoteles offer state-of-the-art technologies to help customers in communications, work and

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