Worldwide briefing
Essential news from around the world…
US room rates soar
Room rates in top US hotels have risen by more than 20% in the last three years, says a survey of 1,650 hotels by Zagat. New York had the highest rates among luxury and business class hotels, at $261 (£179) a night. It was followed by Miami ($226) and Los Angeles ($222). This compares with $315 a night in Paris and $326 a night in London. Zagat's correspondents voted Four Seasons their favourite chain in the USA.
Radisson plans Oslo opening
Radisson Hotels & Resorts has signed a deal with Norwegian property company Avantor to build and manage a hotel in the Nydalen business district in the north of Oslo. Opening of the 167-bedroom hotel, scheduled for June 2003, will take the number of Radisson hotels in Norway to 20.
Orient expansion
Orient Express Hotels has bought the 81-bedroom Miraflores Park Plaza hotel in Lima, Peru, and the 80-bedroom Bora Bora Lagoon Resort in the Society Islands in the South Pacific. The two properties were acquired in separate deals for a total of $37m (£25.4m).
Canadian cheese row
The Canadian Restaurant and Foodservices Association has launched a legal challenge against a decision by the Canadian Dairy Commission that restaurants say forces them to pay 32% more than frozen pizza makers for mozzarella cheese.
Shanghai surprise
Spain-based Barceló Hotels is to seek compensation against the owner of the Barceló Grand Hotel in Shanghai, China, after its management contract was withdrawn after just eight months.
