Worldhotels creates new position to expand branded hotel offering

Frankfurt (ots) -

Robert van der Graaf appointed Regional Vice President Full Licence
Europe, Middle East and Africa

Worldhotels, a leading global group for independent upscale
hotels, is growing its branded soft franchise solution as the ideal
alternative to traditional franchising and has newly created the
position of Regional Vice President Full Licence Europe, Middle East
and Africa to head the development and consultancy of the branded
hotels. Robert van der Graaf, previously Director of Marketing
Services at Worldhotels, has taken over the new role.

Van der Graaf will report directly to Managing Director Robert
Hornman, who states, "I am very glad Robert van der Graaf has taken
on this new responsibility. He has achieved great things for our
group, most recently by introducing the new branding in 2012. He
knows the brand and the company inside and out and I am convinced he
is the perfect candidate to drive our branded hotels model."

Since introducing the branded soft franchise model in 2011,
Worldhotels has already branded 15 hotels and plans to add another 20
by 2014. The offer is extremely competitive, as costs to owners are
based purely on brand performance in total net room revenue delivery.
The branded solution focuses purely on the commercial side of the
business, to generate and capture opportunities for room revenue
growth from all segments and all distribution channels. The model
does not require any hardware standards, as Robert van der Graaf
illustrates: "We've always said that standards don't have to mean
standardisation," he states. "Our role is solely to make sure the
brand and supporting systems deliver the best possible results for
our hotels, without interfering in the actual delivery of an
authentic upscale hotel experience."

The model is built on over 40 years of success of Worldhotels'
affiliation model and focuses on three areas - first of all full
commercial support to maximise the hotel's exposure under a global
brand, secondly increase hotel market share through total brand
performance, system delivery and finally distribution cost control to
ultimately achieve a very healthy return on investment for hotel
owners.

About Worldhotels:

* Worldhotels is a global brand that brings together some of the
world's most unique independent hotels. With the tagline "Where
Discovery Starts" it targets savvy business and leisure travellers
that seek an authentic and local experience when choosing a hotel.
Worldhotels now offers 500 hotels in 250 destinations and 65
countries worldwide.

* With over 40 years of excellence in the industry, the company's
mission is to provide access to 4 and 5 star hotels of character and
distinction. Each hotel in the Worldhotels portfolio has been
carefully selected to ensure it meets the group's strict quality
standards. Each hotel is measured against over 1,000 quality criteria
every year.

* Guests can also earn miles for each stay thanks to an extensive
list of airline partnerships that includes 24 frequent flyer
programmes of the world's premier international carriers. Air France,
Cathay Pacific, Lufthansa, United Airlines are just some of the
partners that make earning miles with Worldhotels easy.

* Through a comprehensive range of services that includes global
marketing, sales, training, e-commerce and state-of-the-art
distribution and technology, Worldhotels backs independent hotels
with the power of a global brand while allowing them to retain their
individual character and identity. In addition to its classic
"affiliation model", the group offers independent hotels a soft
franchise branding solution which is the perfect alternative to
standard franchise contracts.

For reservations or information, visit worldhotels.com. Images are
available in the "news & press" section of worldhotels.com or from
ehuebner@worldhotels.com.

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Media contact:
Elisabeth Hübner
Worldhotels
+49 (0) 69 660 56 ? 257
ehuebner@worldhotels.com