Carlson Hotels Worldwide

WHO WE ARE

With more than 900 hotels in 69 countries, from select-service to luxury, Carlson Hotels is truly a global company with brands to meet the needs and budgets of any traveler, and any occasion. That translates into an array of franchising opportunities for developers.

There are five hotel brands in the Carlson Hotels Worldwide portfolio: Regent International Hotels, Radisson Hotels & Resorts, Park Plaza Hotels & Resorts, Country Inns & Suites By Carlson and Park Inn.

Regent International Hotels
Luxury Experience. Redefined Daily.
Regent stretches the definition of luxury at every unique property in the collection. And at every location, the warmth and character of the local community is embraced and embodied. Architecture. Customs. Culture. Cuisine. For discerning business and leisure travelers seeking the highest standards of luxury, there is simply no equal. Other accommodations merely provide a place to stay. Regent promises an experience to remember.

Radisson Hotels & Resorts
Stay Your Own Way (SM)
Guests looking for more control over their hotel experience choose Radisson Hotels & Resorts. Our full-service offerings include fine restaurants, room service, fitness and business centers. The Sleep Number® bed, exclusively at Radisson, allows guests to adjust the firmness of their mattress with the simple touch of a button. And the innovative new Express YourselfSM program allows guests to check in at radisson.com up to seven days in advance, and pre-select options such as room type, location, e-checkout, choice of available newspapers, airport pick up and a host of other options.

Park Plaza Hotels & Resorts
The Spirit of Park Plaza. A passion for satisfaction.
Meeting every guest’s every need. Every day. It’s a smart idea, and a simple philosophy. But it is a concept that requires a dedication to excellent guest service that is ultimately delivered through the people of Park Plaza. Employees that are smart, sophisticated and truly make the brand stand apart. With resourceful natures and smiling attitudes, every staff member makes guests feel that their stay is appreciated and valued. From the business traveler to the vacationer, from big cities to the suburbs, Park Plaza’s singular standard of service is something guests return for stay after stay.

Country Inns & Suites By Carlson
Be Our Guest in over 380 convenient locations.
With its distinctive and inviting design, Country Inns & Suites conveys a warm welcome the minute guests cross the front porch. Friendly, attentive service, along with hardwood floors, open staircases, cozy lobby fireplaces, and spacious, relaxing breakfast areas, make it easy to feel right at home. Guests are invited to borrow books from our in-house guest lending library, which they may return on their next stay at any Country Inns & Suites in North America. For each book returned, $5 is donated to a national literacy organization. And with amenities including pools, fitness centers, free high-speed Internet and free breakfast, Country Inns & Suites By Carlson appeals to business and leisure travelers alike.

Park Inn
A new guest-focused hotel concept. For a new generation of travelers.
Park Inn offers a surprisingly refreshing and relaxing customer experience in the limited-service segment. Developed from extensive customer research, it is both contemporary and comfortable, with a bright, bold use of color and lighting, and distinctive touches at every point of contact. The beds feature an enhanced pillow-top inlay pad over the mattress, and are double sheeted with duvets and white synthetic feather blankets. Pillows contain a touch of down. The bright and inviting bathrooms feature cobalt blue accents, and hookless shower curtains mounted on a curved rod. Other unexpected touches include a distinctive showerhead, and thick, higher quality towels.

GLOBAL LEADERSHIP. GLOBAL SOLUTIONS.

Carlson Hotels Worldwide is backed by Carlson Companies, a global leader in providing corporate solutions and consumer services in the marketing, travel and hospitality industries. With system-wide revenues over $30 billion, Carlson Companies ranks among America’s largest privately held international companies. Our global expertise is derived from a diverse portfolio of hospitality brands that include Carlson Wagonlit Travel, Results Travel, Radisson Seven Seas Cruises, Cruise Holidays, and T.G.I. Friday’s and Pick Up Stix restaurants.

For 68 years, Carlson Companies has continued to build its brands on a solid financial foundation and industry-wide experience and expertise.

A strong partnership is essential to overcome the challenges facing today’s hospitality industry. As a privately-held family business, our focus is all about creating long-term relationships and success, instead of quarterly shareholder dividends. By working together, sharing common goals and building strong programs, we’re able to create a business relationship with our investor partners to achieve mutual success.

Some of the key drivers of that success include:

• Curtis-C – our award winning central reservations system.
• Global sales professionals in regional offices around the world deliver over $600 million in revenue to Carlson hotels each year.
• Goldpoints plusSM consumer loyalty program drives return business.
• Patented Look To Book® travel agent incentive program with over 300,000 members drives incremental bookings.
• Best Online Rate Program drives bookings on brand web sites.
• Hospitality Support Services Center (HSSC) offers assistance with Channel Distribution, Sales, Marketing, Training, IT, Guest Services and Operations, with just one call.
• Training Education and Development (TED) develops and delivers training programs including Revenue Building, Service Programs, Employee Engagement and Technology Systems.
• Innovative, integrated marketing programs generate brand awareness and drive trial.
• E-consultants are available to help with online advertising and search engine optimization strategies
• Research and development paves the way for new brand differentiators and relevant services and amenities
• Public relations assistance for new hotel openings
• Local marketing support
• Ad customization site and digital asset library lets you create your own ads and collateral at no charge
• Value-added promotions to drive trial without sacrificing rate

A CULTURE OF INCLUSION

As our guest population itself becomes more diverse, we understand that maintaining a diverse workforce is not just important in meeting our guests’ needs, it is imperative. And profound demographic changes in the U.S. and around the world are driving recognition within the industry that diversity is more than simply the right thing to do. Diversity programs represent a way for companies to fuel growth by tapping into fast-growing multicultural markets, and extend beyond recruiting, hiring and training into every key facet of the business.

Carlson Hotels Worldwide views inclusion of and collaboration with people of diverse groups as fundamental to the overall business strategy. One good reason is U.S. Census Bureau research that indicates one in three Americans will be African-American, Hispanic-American or Asian-Pacific-American by the end of this year. Together, these three key multicultural groups are increasing seven times faster than the population as a whole. This shifting population mix, along with the demands of growing international markets, have Carlson viewing diversity as more than simply a hiring practice – it’s a business imperative.

Carlson Hotels’ diversity programs range from recruiting, hiring and training people of diverse backgrounds at all levels of the organization, to establishing guidelines for increasing dollars spent with minority suppliers and creating minority business ownership opportunities.

Our multicultural committee of employees volunteer their time to provide education and awareness to other employees on topics such as diversity, multiculturalism and inclusion. We are committed to building awareness and celebrating our differences and similarities, and recognize how they strengthen us as a company, and as a community.

Hotel Ownership. Carlson Hotels is actively bringing together groups with varying backgrounds to build awareness of the opportunity that exists in franchising our brands. The Asian American Hotel Owners Association, the Hispanic Chamber of Commerce, the U.S. Pan Asian Chamber of Commerce, the National Association of Black Hotel Owners Operators & Developers, and the Fort McDowell Yavapai Nation in Arizona, are some of the groups Carlson has worked with to increase interest and ownership across their hotel brands.

Recruitment and Employee Training. Carlson Hotels is committed to attracting, developing, rewarding and retaining workforces that reflect the marketplaces served by our hotel brands. We are participating in recruitment networks that can help bring more diversity to our hotel group. Some of the resources we are working with include:

• The United Negro College Fund
• Urban League
• National Society of Minorities in Hospitality
• Multicultural Foodservice and Hospitality Alliance
• American Hotels & Lodging Association
• Recruitment fairs
• Multicultural Forums
• Various colleges and Universities

At the hotel level, we are currently testing ‘Sed de Saber,’ a comprehensive English-as-a-second-language program created by LeapFrog Enterprises for adult learners..

Supplier Diversity. Carlson Hotels has established goals to increase spending with women and minority suppliers by 4 percent to 6 percent in 2005. Carlson Companies’ Manger of Supplier Diversity Judy Gauvin, on behalf of the company, received the “Advocate of the Year” award from the Minnesota Minority Supplier Development Council (MMSDC). Both Carlson Hotels Worldwide and the parent company have also received the Minority Business Enterprise Recognition Award from the MMSDC for the company’s efforts in promoting the use of minority businesses.

We are also expanding the economic opportunities to women and minority-owned businesses, and are aligning ourselves with supplier partners that philosophically embrace diversity as we do.

Diversity Beyond Ethnicity. Carlson Hotels takes a broad perspective of diversity, adopting programs and training that address awareness and sensitivity in relation to all aspects of diversity. One example of this is a new program being tested and implemented in owned and managed hotels is designed for guests with Dwarfism. The program includes an in-room tool kit equipped with a stepstool, a reaching tool, a bar to lower the clothes rack in closets, and a device to retrofit the latch-hook lock on the door. We recognize that diversity goes beyond ethnicity and extends to diversity that can and cannot be seen.

For information on our diversity programs or franchising opportunities with any of the Carlson brands, please call 1-800-336-3301. For general information on Carlson, including employment opportunities, please visit www.carlson.com.