Australian hotel group Rydges is to rejoin the Global Hotel Alliance next year.
Rydges Hotels and Resorts was one of GHA’s founding members back in 2004, but subsequently left the alliance in 2006.
The brand - along with its partners QT Hotels and Resorts and Art Series Hotelsm – will now rejoin GHA early next year, replacing Mirvac Hotels and Resorts which was bought by Accor (see online news December 20, 2011).
The three brands (all owned or managed by Amalgamated Holdings Ltd) total 44 properties across Australia, New Zealand and the UK, including the Rydges Kensington Hotel in London, and the Rydges World Square in Sydney.
The re-integration of the group into GHA will be completed early next year, with the brands officially becoming members on April 1.
Announcing the news GHA’s CEO Chris Hartley said:
“When we lost Mirvac due to the Accor takeover, we couldn’t have imagined a better scenario than to entice Rydges back into GHA. We’ve come a long way since our pioneer days, and we are now confident in our ability to deliver measurable value to our members, through both cost efficiencies and new revenue streams.
“This makes GHA membership a compelling proposition for regional brands like Rydges. And of course Australia and New Zealand is a critical component of any global network; and the broad AHL portfolio ensures we maintain a solid presence in those markets.”
For more information visit gha.com, rydges.com.
Report by Mark Caswell
