Kurt Ritter to receive IHIF Lifetime Achievement Award

Kurt Ritter, President & CEO of Rezidor SAS, has received the coveted International Hotel Investment Forum (IHIF) Lifetime Achievement Award. The award was presented earlier today in Berlin during the 7th annual International Hotel Investment Forum.

Ritter has developed Rezidor SAS into one of the fastest growing hospitality companies in the world today. The first step towards this growth was taken in 1994, when a master franchise agreement was signed between SAS International Hotels (SIH) and Carlson Hotels Worldwide for sole exclusivity to operate and develop the Radisson brand in Europe, the Middle East and Africa.

In 2000, he renamed SIH, Rezidor SAS Hospitality and developed the company into a multi brand organisation. Since then he has signed a further master franchise agreement with Carlson Hotels Worldwide for their Park Inn, Country Inn and Regent brands. While also signing an exclusive license agreement with the Italian fashion house Cerruti, for life style hotels of the same name.

Kurt Ritter comments: "I am deeply honoured to receive this award. It is given to me personally but I would like to thank every employee of Rezidor SAS for their hard work. Without such a great team, we wouldn't have been able to achieve the results that we have."

Rezidor SAS has grown from 29 to 160 hotels in eight years and at the same time the company presented a positive result for eight consecutive years. The forecasted growth for the years to come is targeted at 50 new hotels a year. The ambition is to operate 700 hotels by 2012.