Golden Tulip plans UK push
Golden Tulip, the Netherlands-based hotel consortium, is launching a major expansion effort in the UK to recruit 90 more hotels by 2003.
Most of the consortium's present members in Britain are hotels from the Jarvis hotel group. But Golden Tulip has now set up a London office and plans to start recruiting hotels next month before formally launching in the autumn.
Heading the consortium's British operation will be Len Louis, previously sales director with rival consortium Best Western. Louis parted company acrimoniously with Best Western in February.
Initially, Golden Tulip will be looking for members in major cities, including London and Edinburgh.
Worldwide managing director Hans Kennedie said that, because of Golden Tulip's close relationship with Dutch airline KLM, the consortium would like to pick up members in areas near the airports served by the airline.
Golden Tulip wants to recruit four-star and top-end three-star hotels. An average 70-bedroom hotel would pay £14,500 in annual fees plus 8.5% commission on bookings made through the consortium's system.
Golden Tulip also aims to have 30 Tulip Inn three-star hotels, also by 2003, and is to look for a small number of hotels to join its luxury Barbizon chain.
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