NH Hoteles to branch out into toiletries

Spanish hotel chain NH Hoteles is expanding into the retail world with its own brand of bathroom goods.

President and chief executive Gabriele Burgio said the group had had enough of paying fees to have other people's products in its bathrooms and had decided to launch its own range, which it is also offering for sale.

He added that initial sales of the shampoos, conditioners, shower gels and body lotions were encouraging and that in the first month of having the new products in NH bathrooms, more than 12,000 samples had been taken home.

NH Hoteles is also about to start selling its one-foot-deep mattresses, which are made especially for the group.

Burgio added that NH Hoteles' changes to its food and beverage operations were proving a success. The group recently teamed up with Michelin-starred chef Ferr n Adri to launch NHube, a restaurant concept that mixes fine dining with Internet kiosks and reading areas, and has just launched "fast-good", a range of healthy foods that can be prepared and served quickly.

Burgio said the group had decided to launch "fast-good" following the recent publicity about the growing problems of obesity. He added that there could be opportunities to franchise the concept as stand-alone restaurants if it proved a success.

NH Hoteles is the third-largest three- and four-star hotel group in Europe, behind giants Hilton and Accor.