Worldwide briefing

Mandarin morton's

Morton's of Chicago, the 39-strong US steak restaurant chain, has opened its first restaurant outside the USA at the Mandarin Oriental hotel in Singapore.

Calgary Hilton

Hilton Hotels Corporation is to open a 135-bedroom Hilton Garden Inn hotel in Calgary, Canada, next year. The group has entered into a franchise agreement with Canada's Goldencare Holdings. Hilton has 130 hotels under the Garden Inn name.

Karos takeover

Swiss hotel group Mövenpick Hotels & Resorts is to take over South African hotel group Karos. The deal will give the Swiss group a majority shareholding in the listed company. Karos operates 15 three- and four-star hotels.

Libertel contracts

Libertel Hotels, the French hotel group managed by Compagnie Generale d'Hotellerie et de Services, has acquired the management contract for three-star hotels Libertel Nation in Paris and Libertel Phillipe Le Bon in Dijon.

Tulips bloom

Golden Tulip International, the Dutch hotel management company, is to develop and manage two new hotels in Blankenburg, Germany. The 150-bedroom Golden Tulip Thermenhotel will open in 2000 and the 142-bedroom Tulip Inn will open early next year.