NH Hoteles calls end to Golden Tulip era
Spanish group NH Hoteles said last week that it was to scrap the Golden Tulip name in the hotels it operates and run them all under the NH brand.
The name will be phased out gradually in the group's 49 Golden Tulip and 17 Tulip Inns throughout the world.
NH took over the Golden Tulip hotels when it bought the Dutch Krasnapolsky chain in autumn 2000.
The change will not mean the complete disappearance of the Golden Tulip name, though. NH holds the licensing rights for it and will continue to franchise the name to other operators.
NH said its hotels had been largely unaffected by the 11 September attacks. Gabriella Burgio, executive chairman, said: "We lost 5-6% of business in Madrid and Barcelona in the first two months afterwards, but elsewhere things have improved."
NH, like other hotel groups, has wanted a hotel in London for some time, but said it had not yet found a suitable building.
by David Harris
NH Hoteles
- Number of hotels: 181 in 17 countries, strongest in Spain (93), the Netherlands (30) and Belgium (18)
- Stock Exchange listing: Main listing in Madrid, but 40% of shares owned by British pension funds
- Brands: Several, but the group has decided to operate with just the NH name in future
- Ownership: 40% owned, 39% leased, 21% managed
