Rezidor announces the Radisson Royal Hotel, Moscow The Rezidor Hotel Group, one of the fastest growing hotel companies worldwide, proudly announces the Radisson Royal Hotel, Moscow. Presently known as “Hotel Ukraina”, Rezidor's new flagship in the Russian capital is one of the city's most famous landmarks. Currently under extensive renovation, the new Radisson Royal Hotel featuring 507 guest rooms and 38 serviced apartments is scheduled to open its doors on December 1st 2009. “This hotel is another milestone in our history”, remarks Kurt Ritter, President & CEO of Rezidor. “Rezidor, the international pioneer on the Russian hotel market, is today the leading international hotel operator in Russia and the CIS countries - and now manages an additional key property in Moscow which is one of the most remarkable hotel structures in Europe. We are very pleased with the professionalism and quality orientation the owner and construction professionals has proven in realizing this momentous and historic hotel redevelopment. “The choice of The Rezidor Hotel Group as our long-term partner facilitates in achieving our main aim: turning The Ukraina into a world class hotel, arguably the finest in the city, while simultaneously preserving the unique spirit of this historic site. We are confident that the Rezidor team will provide superior management and service which will further draw travellers to our capital as well as welcome Moscow residents to rediscover the hotel,” notes Aleksey Mikushko, General Director of the JSC Ukraina Hotel. Reconstruction work on the building proved to be a complex task of combining the intricate process of restoring the look and feel of the original Ukraina while at the same time upgrading the guest services and engineering systems to comply with the most stringent modern safety standards. The Radisson Royal Hotel, Moscow is located right in the city centre - on a bow of the Moskva River at the conjunction of Kutuzovsky Prospect and Novy Arbat, two of the city's most prestigious commercial thoroughfares. Within close walking distance from the property there are many notable locations such as the House of Government of the Russian Federation (Russian White House) and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. Red Square, flanked by the walls of the Kremlin, is within comfortable reach of the Hotel, and Moscow's international airports are easily accessible with the main railway terminal to Vnukovo Airport just a few hundred metres away. The property forms part of the legendary “Seven Sisters” - the Soviet skyscrapers based on an idea of Stalin and built in Soviet neo-classicism architectural style between 1949 and 1957. Designed by the leading Soviet architects Arkady Mordvinov and Vyacheslav Oltarzhevsky the monumental 34-storey-building is 206 meters high (including a spire which measures 73 metres) - the largest European hotel of its day. To make such an impressive accomplishment possible Soviet architects studied the engineering techniques used to erect Manhattan's skyscrapers. All in all approximately 2,000 architects, engineers and artisans were co-opted to lay out the details of this grandiose project. Starting from the late 50's only the most renowned citizens and guests of the Soviet Union were rewarded with stays at the hotel while visiting Moscow. The classical and elegant interiors are now being refurbished and equipped with state-of-the-art technologies; each of the 507 rooms and suites as well as 38 furnished serviced apartments with kitchenettes designated for extended rentals, with guestrooms averaging 32 sqm and suites ranging in size from 50 up to 260 square metres will offer Radisson signature services such as free high speed internet access. A further highlight is the hotel's art collection of about 1,000 original paintings by the most prominent artists of the socialist realism period. Complimenting the unique art collection are several monumental murals and ceiling frescoes located in the public areas of the hotel. The Radisson Royal Hotel, Moscow will offer four restaurants: a breakfast restaurant, a Russian restaurant, a fine dining restaurant with summer terrace operated by the renowned Russian restaurateur Arkady Novikov presenting French haute cuisine and Asian menus, and a further specialty venue on the 30th and 31st floors comprising an Italian gourmet restaurant and sophisticated Japanese restaurant. A bar on the 31st floor with breathtaking views over Moscow is bound to become a favourite place for the city's “in” crowd. For meetings and events the hotel will offer a top modern conference centre for up to 1,000 guests; comprising nine meeting rooms, a ballroom of almost 450 square metres, a business centre, and a library. The Wellness Centre & SPA will feature a total surface of 4,000 square metres and include a 50 metre 6 lane swimming pool, Jacuzzis, a Turkish bath, a Finnish sauna, extensive fitness facilities, a spa, and a dedicated kid's club. A luxury boutique gallery will host outlets for world class fashion and jewellery brands, and five high-end river cruise liners with restaurants which have been exclusively designed for the hotel will provide a unique opportunity to take a culinary boat trip in the heart of Moscow. For further information please contact: The Rezidor Hotel Group Christiane Reiter, Director Corporate Communication Tel. +32 2 702 9331, Christiane.Reiter@Rezidor.com Renu Snehi, Director Corporate Communication Tel. +32 2 702 9241, Renu.Snehi@Rezidor.com About The Rezidor Hotel Group The Rezidor Hotel Group is one of the fastest growing hotel companies in the world. The group features a portfolio of close to 370 hotels in operation and under development with more than 78,300 rooms in 58 countries. Rezidor operates the brands Radisson Blu Hotels & Resorts, Regent Hotels & Resorts, Park Inn and Country Inns & Suites in Europe, Middle East and Africa, along with the goldpoints plusSM loyalty programme for frequent hotel guests. Rezidor has signed a worldwide license agreement with the Italian fashion house Missoni, in order to develop and operate a lifestyle hotel brand of the same name: Hotel Missoni. In November 2006, Rezidor was listed on the Stockholm Stock Exchange. Carlson Companies is the main shareholder. The Corporate Office of the Rezidor Hotel Group is based in Brussels, Belgium. For more information on Rezidor, visit www.rezidor.com About the JSC Ukraina Hotel The Ukraina Hotel Joint Stock Company, established in 1999, is the property owner of the Ukraina hotel complex. After the Moscow city Government issued ordinance # 2409-RP on December 1st, 2004, providing for the “Selection of an investor for the restoration and modernization of the Ukraina hotel building” the hotel was sold at auction on November 23, 2005. Starting from 2005 the JSC is conducting a major project, due to be completed in 2009, with the key aim of restoring the original splendor of the interiors of The Ukraina. This building, originally completed in 1957, is a unique landmark and architectural monument - one of 7 “Stalin's high-rises” - an ensemble of skyscraper-like government, residential, hotel and academic buildings located in Moscow. For any additional information please visit www.ukraina-hotel.ru