1.
Hospitality
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Hospitality refers to the relationship between a guest and a host, wherein the host receives the guest with goodwill, including the reception and entertainment of guests, visitors, or strangers. Louis, chevalier de Jaucourt describes hospitality in the Encyclopédie as the virtue of a soul that cares for the whole universe through the ties of humanity. Hospitality ethics is a discipline that studies this usage of hospitality, derives from the Latin hospes, meaning host, guest, or stranger. Hospes is formed from hostis, which means stranger or enemy, by metonymy the Latin word Hospital means a guest-chamber, guests lodging, an inn. Hospes is thus the root for the English words host, hospitality, hospice, in ancient cultures hospitality involved welcoming the stranger and offering him food, shelter, and safety. In Ancient Greece, hospitality was right, with the host being expected to make sure the needs of his guests were met, the ancient Greek term xenia, or theoxenia when a god was involved, expressed this ritualized guest-friendship relation. In Greek society a persons ability to abide by the laws of hospitality determined nobility, the Stoics regarded hospitality as a duty inspired by Zeus himself. In India/Nepal hospitality is based on the principle Atithi Devo Bhava and this principle is shown in a number of stories where a guest is revealed to be a god who rewards the provider of hospitality. From this stems the Indian or Nepal practice of graciousness towards guests at home, judaism praises hospitality to strangers and guests based largely on the examples of Abraham and Lot in the Book of Genesis. In Hebrew, the practice is called hachnasat orchim, or welcoming guests, one of the main principles of Pashtunwali is Melmastia. This is the display of hospitality and profound respect to all visitors without any hope of remuneration or favour, pashtuns will go to great lengths to show their hospitality. Celtic societies also valued the concept of hospitality, especially in terms of protection, a host who granted a persons request for refuge was expected not only to provide food and shelter for his/her guest, but to make sure they did not come to harm while under their care. In the West today hospitality is rarely a matter of protection and survival and is associated with etiquette. However, it still involves showing respect for guests, providing for their needs. Cultures and subcultures vary in the extent to which one is expected to show hospitality to strangers, Jacques Derrida offers a model to understand hospitality that divides unconditional hospitality from conditional hospitality. Over the centuries, philosophers have devoted considerable attention to the problem of hospitality, however, hospitality offers a paradoxical situation since inclusion of those who are welcomed in the sacred law of hospitality implies others will be rejected. Julia Kristeva alerts readers to the dangers of “perverse hospitality”, which consists of taking advantage of the vulnerability of aliens to dispossess them, Hospitality serves to reduce the tension in the process of host-guest encounters, producing a liminal zone that combines curiosity about others and fear of strangers. In general terms, the meaning of hospitality centres on the belief that strangers should be assisted and protected while traveling, however, not all voices are in agreement with this concept
2.
Hotel
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A hotel is an establishment that provides paid lodging on a short-term basis. Small, lower-priced hotels may offer only the most basic guest services and facilities, Hotel rooms are usually numbered to allow guests to identify their room. Some boutique, high-end hotels have custom decorated rooms, some hotels offer meals as part of a room and board arrangement. In the United Kingdom, a hotel is required by law to serve food, in Japan, capsule hotels provide a tiny room suitable only for sleeping and shared bathroom facilities. The precursor to the hotel was the inn of medieval Europe. For a period of about 200 years from the mid-17th century, inns began to cater to richer clients in the mid-18th century. One of the first hotels in a sense was opened in Exeter in 1768. Hotels proliferated throughout Western Europe and North America in the early 19th century, Hotel operations vary in size, function, and cost. Most hotels and major hospitality companies have set standards to classify hotel types. Full service hotels often contain upscale full-service facilities with a number of full service accommodations, an on-site full service restaurant. Boutique hotels are independent, non-branded hotels that often contain upscale facilities. Small to medium-sized hotel establishments offer a limited amount of on-site amenities, economy hotels are small to medium-sized hotel establishments that offer basic accommodations with little to no services. Extended stay hotels are small to medium-sized hotels that offer full service accommodations compared to a traditional hotel. Timeshare and destination clubs are a form of property ownership involving ownership of a unit of accommodation for seasonal usage. A motel is a small-sized low-rise lodging with direct access to rooms from the car park. Boutique hotels are typically hotels with an environment or intimate setting. A number of hotels have entered the public consciousness through popular culture, some hotels are built specifically as a destination in itself, for example at casinos and holiday resorts. The organizational chart and volume of job positions and hierarchy varies by size, function and class
3.
Tourism
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Tourism is travel for pleasure or business, also the theory and practice of touring, the business of attracting, accommodating, and entertaining tourists, and the business of operating tours. Tourism may be international, or within the travellers country, Tourism can be domestic or international, and international tourism has both incoming and outgoing implications on a countrys balance of payments. Today, tourism is a source of income for many countries. International tourism receipts grew to US$1.03 trillion in 2011, the ITB Berlin is the worlds leading tourism trade fair. The word tourist was used by 1772 and tourism by 1811. It is formed from the tour, which is derived from Old English turian, from Old French torner, from Latin tornare, to turn on a lathe. Tourism is an important, even vital, source of income for many regions and it also creates opportunities for employment in the service sector of the economy associated with tourism. This is in addition to goods bought by tourists, including souvenirs, in 1936, the League of Nations defined a foreign tourist as someone traveling abroad for at least twenty-four hours. Its successor, the United Nations, amended this definition in 1945 and it includes movements for all purposes. In 1981, the International Association of Scientific Experts in Tourism defined tourism in terms of particular activities chosen and undertaken outside the home, in this context, travel has a similar definition to tourism, but implies a more purposeful journey. The terms tourism and tourist are sometimes used pejoratively, to imply a shallow interest in the cultures or locations visited, by contrast, traveler is often used as a sign of distinction. The sociology of tourism has studied the values underpinning these distinctions. International tourist arrivals reached 1.035 billion in 2012, up from over 996 million in 2011, the World Tourism Organization reports the following ten destinations as the most visited in terms of the number of international travellers in 2016. International tourism receipts grew to US$1.2 trillion in 2014, based upon air traffic, the MasterCard Global Destination Cities Index reports the following cities as the top ten most popular destinations of international tourism worldwide. MasterCard reports the following cities as the top ten biggest earners on international tourism worldwide in 2015, as early as Shulgi, however, kings praised themselves for protecting roads and building waystations for travelers. During the Roman Republic, spas and coastal resorts such as Baiae were popular among the rich, pausanias wrote his Description of Greece in the 2nd century AD. In ancient China, nobles sometimes made a point of visiting Mount Tai and, on occasion, the Islamic hajj is still central to its faith and Chaucers Canterbury Tales and Wu Chengens Journey to the West remain classics of English and Chinese literature. The 10th- to 13th-century Song dynasty also saw secular travel writers such as Su Shi, under the Ming, Xu Xiake continued the practice
4.
Minnetonka, Minnesota
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Minnetonka /ˌmɪnᵻˈtɒŋkə/ MIN-i-TONG-kə is a suburban city in Hennepin County, Minnesota, United States, eight miles west of Minneapolis. The population was 49,734 at the 2010 census, the name comes from the Dakota Indian mni tanka, meaning great water. The city is the home of Cargill, the countrys largest privately owned company, and United Healthcare, the states largest publicly owned company. According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has an area of 28.22 square miles. Part of the city includes the tip of Lake Minnetonka. The outlet of Lake Minnetonka is Minnehaha Creek, which winds through south Minneapolis and flows over Minnehaha Falls, Minnetonka is located 8 miles west of Minneapolis, in Hennepin County. The headquarters of Carlson Companies are in Minnetonka, the headquarters of Cargill are located in Minnetonka and are in the Wayzata Post Office area. Founded in 1865, it is now the largest privately held corporation in the U. S. in terms of revenue, other companies based in Minnetonka include the uniform companies AmeriPride Services and G&K Services. The Dakota and Ojibwe Indians were the first people to settle in the area and they believed the land around Lake Minnetonka was the legendary home of an extinct race. The first recorded exploration of the area by European settlers was in 1822, in 1851, the Dakota sold the area including Minnetonka to the United States with the Treaty of Traverse des Sioux. The first census, the Territorial Census of 1857, lists 41 households, twenty-nine of the heads of households are listed as farmers. The occupations of the twelve are associated with the operations of Minnetonka Mill. In 1852, a claim was staked on Minnehaha Creek near McGinty Road, the sawmill that was constructed in the thick woods of maple, oak, elm, red cedar and basswood was the first privately operated mill in Minnesota west of the Mississippi River. Oak timbers from this mill were used to build the first suspension bridge across the Mississippi River at Saint Anthony Falls in 1853, the settlement of Minnetonka Mills that grew up around the mill was the first permanent European–American settlement west of Minneapolis in Hennepin County. In 1855, a sawmill was constructed with a furniture factory on the second floor. A building for varnishing furniture was built on the side of the creek. Production consisted mainly of chairs and bedsteads, the Minnetonka Republican at St. Anthony published a short article describing the area. The February 12,1857, issue said, In 1860, after only 8 years of operation, in 1869, a flour and grist mill were constructed and operated until the late 1880s
5.
United States
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Forty-eight of the fifty states and the federal district are contiguous and located in North America between Canada and Mexico. The state of Alaska is in the northwest corner of North America, bordered by Canada to the east, the state of Hawaii is an archipelago in the mid-Pacific Ocean. The U. S. territories are scattered about the Pacific Ocean, the geography, climate and wildlife of the country are extremely diverse. At 3.8 million square miles and with over 324 million people, the United States is the worlds third- or fourth-largest country by area, third-largest by land area. It is one of the worlds most ethnically diverse and multicultural nations, paleo-Indians migrated from Asia to the North American mainland at least 15,000 years ago. European colonization began in the 16th century, the United States emerged from 13 British colonies along the East Coast. Numerous disputes between Great Britain and the following the Seven Years War led to the American Revolution. On July 4,1776, during the course of the American Revolutionary War, the war ended in 1783 with recognition of the independence of the United States by Great Britain, representing the first successful war of independence against a European power. The current constitution was adopted in 1788, after the Articles of Confederation, the first ten amendments, collectively named the Bill of Rights, were ratified in 1791 and designed to guarantee many fundamental civil liberties. During the second half of the 19th century, the American Civil War led to the end of slavery in the country. By the end of century, the United States extended into the Pacific Ocean. The Spanish–American War and World War I confirmed the status as a global military power. The end of the Cold War and the dissolution of the Soviet Union in 1991 left the United States as the sole superpower. The U. S. is a member of the United Nations, World Bank, International Monetary Fund, Organization of American States. The United States is a developed country, with the worlds largest economy by nominal GDP. It ranks highly in several measures of performance, including average wage, human development, per capita GDP. While the U. S. economy is considered post-industrial, characterized by the dominance of services and knowledge economy, the United States is a prominent political and cultural force internationally, and a leader in scientific research and technological innovations. In 1507, the German cartographer Martin Waldseemüller produced a map on which he named the lands of the Western Hemisphere America after the Italian explorer and cartographer Amerigo Vespucci
6.
Minneapolis
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Minneapolis is the county seat of Hennepin County, and the larger of the Twin Cities, the 16th-largest metropolitan area in the United States. As of 2015, Minneapolis is the largest city in the state of Minnesota, Minneapolis and Saint Paul anchor the second-largest economic center in the Midwest, after Chicago. Minneapolis lies on both banks of the Mississippi River, just north of the confluence with the Minnesota River, and adjoins Saint Paul. It was once the worlds flour milling capital and a hub for timber, the city and surrounding region is the primary business center between Chicago and Seattle, with Minneapolis proper containing Americas fifth-highest concentration of Fortune 500 companies. As an integral link to the economy, Minneapolis is categorized as a global city. Noted for its music and performing arts scenes, Minneapolis is home to both the award-winning Guthrie Theater and the historic First Avenue nightclub. The name Minneapolis is attributed to Charles Hoag, the citys first schoolteacher, who combined mni, a Dakota Sioux word for water, and polis, Dakota Sioux had long been the regions sole residents when French explorers arrived around 1680. For a time relations were based on fur trading, gradually more European-American settlers arrived, competing for game and other resources with the Dakota. In the early 19th century, the United States acquired this territory from France, fort Snelling was built in 1819 by the United States Army, and it attracted traders, settlers and merchants, spurring growth in the area. The United States government pressed the Mdewakanton band of the Dakota to sell their land, the Minnesota Territorial Legislature authorized present-day Minneapolis as a town in 1856 on the Mississippis west bank. Minneapolis incorporated as a city in 1867, the rail service began between Minneapolis and Chicago. It later joined with the city of St. Anthony in 1872. Minneapolis developed around Saint Anthony Falls, the highest waterfall on the Mississippi River, forests in northern Minnesota were a valuable resource for the lumber industry, which operated seventeen sawmills on power from the waterfall. By 1871, the west river bank had twenty-three businesses, including mills, woolen mills, iron works, a railroad machine shop, and mills for cotton, paper, sashes. Due to the hazards of milling, six local sources of artificial limbs were competing in the prosthetics business by the 1890s. The farmers of the Great Plains grew grain that was shipped by rail to the citys thirty-four flour mills, a father of modern milling in America and founder of what became General Mills, Cadwallader C. Some ideas were developed by William Dixon Gray and some acquired through industrial espionage from the Hungarians by William de la Barre, pillsbury Company across the river were barely a step behind, hiring Washburn employees to immediately use the new methods. The hard red spring wheat that grows in Minnesota became valuable, not until later did consumers discover the value in the bran that Minneapolis
7.
Minnesota
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Minnesota is a state in the midwestern and northern regions of the United States. Minnesota was admitted as the 32nd U. S. state on May 11,1858, the state has a large number of lakes, and is known by the slogan Land of 10,000 Lakes. Its official motto is LÉtoile du Nord, Minnesota is the 12th largest in area and the 21st most populous of the U. S. Minnesota is known for its progressive political orientation and its high rate of civic participation and voter turnout. Until European settlement, Minnesota was inhabited by the Dakota and Ojibwe/Anishinaabe, in recent decades, immigration from Asia, the Horn of Africa, and Latin America has broadened its historic demographic and cultural composition. Minnesotas standard of living index is among the highest in the United States, Native Americans demonstrated the name to early settlers by dropping milk into water and calling it mnisota. Many places in the state have similar names, such as Minnehaha Falls, Minneiska, Minneota, Minnetonka, Minnetrista, and Minneapolis, a combination of mni and polis, Minnesota is the second northernmost U. S. state. Its isolated Northwest Angle in Lake of the Woods county is the part of the 48 contiguous states lying north of the 49th parallel. The state is part of the U. S. region known as the Upper Midwest and it shares a Lake Superior water border with Michigan and a land and water border with Wisconsin to the east. Iowa is to the south, North Dakota and South Dakota are to the west, with 86,943 square miles, or approximately 2.25 percent of the United States, Minnesota is the 12th-largest state. Minnesota has some of the Earths oldest rocks, gneisses that are about 3.6 billion years old. About 2.7 billion years ago, basaltic lava poured out of cracks in the floor of the primordial ocean, the roots of these volcanic mountains and the action of Precambrian seas formed the Iron Range of northern Minnesota. Following a period of volcanism 1, in more recent times, massive ice sheets at least one kilometer thick ravaged the landscape of the state and sculpted its terrain. The Wisconsin glaciation left 12,000 years ago and these glaciers covered all of Minnesota except the far southeast, an area characterized by steep hills and streams that cut into the bedrock. This area is known as the Driftless Zone for its absence of glacial drift, much of the remainder of the state outside the northeast has 50 feet or more of glacial till left behind as the last glaciers retreated. Gigantic Lake Agassiz formed in the northwest 13,000 years ago and its bed created the fertile Red River valley, and its outflow, glacial River Warren, carved the valley of the Minnesota River and the Upper Mississippi downstream from Fort Snelling. Minnesota is geologically quiet today, it experiences earthquakes infrequently, the states high point is Eagle Mountain at 2,301 feet, which is only 13 miles away from the low of 601 feet at the shore of Lake Superior. Notwithstanding dramatic local differences in elevation, much of the state is a rolling peneplain. Two major drainage divides meet in Minnesotas northeast in rural Hibbing, forming a triple watershed, precipitation can follow the Mississippi River south to the Gulf of Mexico, the Saint Lawrence Seaway east to the Atlantic Ocean, or the Hudson Bay watershed to the Arctic Ocean
8.
Pierre-Esprit Radisson
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Pierre-Esprit Radisson was a French fur trader and explorer. He is often linked to his brother-in-law Médard des Groseilliers, the decision of Radisson and Groseilliers to enter the English service led to the formation of the Hudsons Bay Company. His career was notable for its repeated transitions between serving Britain and France. An affidavit from 1697 and a petition from 1698 contain statements from Radisson himself indicating that he was 61 and 62 years old respectively, which would place his year of birth at 1636. However, a 1681 census of New France indicated that he was, at the time,41 years old, in Radissons own writings, he claims that his family, the Hayet-Radissons, originally stemmed from the town of St. Malo. However, records seem to suggest that his family more likely came from either Paris or Avignon, baptismal Records from Carpentras, a city near Avignon, concerning Radissons father provide evidence in support of the latter option. As Radisson himself describes in his writings, he immigrated from France to Canada on the 24th of May, information regarding Radissons arrival in New France is scarce, but it is theorized that he arrived with, or as a result of, his half-sister Marguerite Hayet. It is also unknown whether or not he arrived alongside other members of his family, namely his two sisters Élisabeth and Françoise. According to Radissons account, in the year he had been hunting fowl with several other men near his home in Trois-Rivières when he was captured by the Iroquois. Initially a petty squabble had separated him from his friends and by the time he had found them and this assimilation was the custom for the Mohawk, who often replaced people lost to disease and warfare and adopted young captives from other tribes and European nations. After approximately six weeks of gradual integration, Radissons assimilation and partial adoption of Iroquois nationality was largely solidified, however, shortly thereafter, while out hunting with three Iroquois, Radisson reluctantly agreed to attempt escape after meeting an Algonquin man who offered to help him return to Trois-Rivières. Eventually he was released, and, overwhelmed with relief, described the experience as a moment in all my paines and griefs ceased. Bids me be merry, makes me sing, to wich I consented with all my heart, afterwards, following the healing of his torture wounds and a subsequent 5 months war-party expedition, Radisson departed for a trading trip, alongside other Mohawk warriors, at Fort Orange. Upon arriving at Fort Orange, then controlled by the Dutch, he was recognized as a Frenchman and offered freedom by the local governor, who was willing to pay his ransom. Radisson initially refused but, after returning to the Iroquois village, later regretted the decision, returning to Fort Orange once more, he met a Jesuit Priest, Joseph Antoine Poncet, who made him a great offer. Radisson never elaborates on what that offer other than the fact that it required him to return to Holland in early 1654. He returned to Trois-Rivières later that year and, over the three years, embarked on several missionary expeditions. The expedition ended in 1658 after rising tensions with local Iroquois caused the French to flee rather abruptly, Radisson returned to Quebec soon thereafter
9.
Carlson Companies
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Carlson is an American privately held international corporation in the hotel and travel industries. Headquartered in Minnetonka, Minnesota, a Minneapolis suburb, Carlson brands and services, including franchised operations, the companys 2012 sales, including those from franchised operations, totaled $37.6 billion. It is one of the largest family-held corporations in the United States, Carlson was founded in 1938 as the Gold Bond Stamp Company by Curt Carlson, who used a $55 loan to start his venture. Founded during the Great Depression, he used Gold Bond Stamps, Gold Bond stamps were used as customer incentives in many supermarkets and gas stations and they could be redeemed for a large array of merchandise, from a set of steak knives up to a mink coat. During the 1950s, Carlson was the largest supplier of mink coats in the United States, sales were brisk until the late 1960s when trading stamps began to lose popularity. The company was renamed Carlson Companies, Inc. in 1973 as they diversified into the hospitality, corporate incentive, in 1962, Carlson purchased their first Radisson Hotel in Minneapolis. CCI then went on to purchase T. G. I, fridays in 1975 and Country Kitchen International in 1977. In 1987, Carlson founded Country Inns & Suites By Carlson, in 2000, Carlson acquired the Park Plaza and Park Inn brands. The original Radisson acquisition was a vintage Minneapolis hotel, named for French explorer Pierre Radisson, mr. Carlson and nine local businessmen friends bought it jointly, each holding ten percent. The other owners later dropped out one by one, Curt Carlson buying up each persons share until he owned the entire hotel and it was demolished in 1982, considered as being too old and deteriorated to renovate profitably. However, Carlson had built a hotel an few years earlier, the Radisson South in south suburban Bloomington. That, and the success of a Radisson Inn built near the company headquarters, thereafter, the chain grew rapidly by franchising the name and taking management contracts for new hotels throughout the USA. By the early 1980s, Curt Carlson had acquired over 50 diverse businesses, most of them small, under the administration of president Edwin C. Skip Gage, husband of Curts younger daughter, the majority of small enterprises were sold. The company then purchased the MacDonald Plaid Stamp business and merged it with the Gold Bond Stamp business to become the largest trading company in the world. In 1994, Carlson Travel Group and Paris-based Wagonlit Travel signed an alliance to form Carlson Wagonlit Travel — one of the worlds largest business travel management companies, in a return to their roots, the Carlson Companies started an electronic consumer incentive program named GoldPoints. com in 1997. The program later was modified and became goldpoints plus, the program of Carlson Hotels. In 1998, Curtis L. Carlson named his daughter Marilyn Carlson Nelson as his successor, hubert Joly became Carlsons president and chief executive officer in 2008 and served in this capacity until August 2012, when he was succeeded by Trudy Rautio
10.
Lubbock, Texas
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Lubbock is a city in and the county seat of Lubbock County, Texas, United States. The city is located in the part of the state. According to a 2015 Census estimate, Lubbock had a population of 249,042, making it the 83rd most populous city in the United States of America and the 11th most populous city in the state of Texas. The city is the center of the Lubbock metropolitan area. The area is the largest contiguous cotton-growing region in the world and is dependent on water drawn from the Ogallala Aquifer for irrigation. Lubbock was selected as the 12th best place to start a business by CNNMoney. com. CNN mentioned the traditional business atmosphere, low rent for commercial space, central location. Lubbock is home to Texas Tech University, the sixth-largest college by enrollment in the state, Lubbock High School has been recognized for three consecutive years by Newsweek as one of the top high schools in the United States based in part on its international baccalaureate program. Lubbock County was founded in 1876 and it was named after Thomas Saltus Lubbock, former Texas Ranger and brother of Francis Lubbock, governor of Texas during the Civil War. As early as 1884, a federal post office existed in Yellow House Canyon, a small town, known as Old Lubbock, Lubbock, or North Town, was established about three miles to the east. In 1890, the original Lubbock merged with Monterey, another small town south of the canyon, the new town adopted the Lubbock name. The merger included moving the original Lubbocks Nicolett Hotel across the canyon on rollers to the new townsite, Lubbock became the county seat in 1891, and was incorporated on March 16,1909. In the same year, the first railroad train arrived, Texas Technological College was founded in Lubbock in 1923. A separate university, Texas Tech University Health Sciences Center, opened as Texas Tech University School of Medicine in 1969, both universities are now overseen by the Texas Tech University System, after it was established in 1996 and based in Lubbock. Lubbock Christian University, founded in 1957, and Sunset International Bible Institute, South Plains College and Wayland Baptist University operate branch campuses in Lubbock. At one time, Lubbock was home to Reese Air Force Base located 6 miles west of the city, the bases primary mission throughout its existence was pilot training. The base was closed 30 September 1997 after being selected for closure by the Base Realignment and Closure Commission in 1995 and is now a research, the city is home to the Lubbock Lake Landmark, part of the Museum of Texas Tech University. The landmark is an archaeological and natural preserve at the northern edge of the city
11.
Szczecin
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Szczecin is the capital city of the West Pomeranian Voivodeship in Poland. Located near the Baltic Sea, it is a major seaport, as of June 2011, the population was 407,811. Szczecin is located on the Oder, south of the Szczecin Lagoon, the city is situated along the southwestern shore of Dąbie Lake, on both sides of the Oder and on several large islands between the western and eastern branches of the river. The citys recorded history began in the 8th century as a Slavic Pomeranian stronghold, in the 12th century, when Szczecin had become one of Pomeranias main urban centres, it lost its independence to Piast Poland, the Duchy of Saxony, the Holy Roman Empire and Denmark. At the same time, the House of Griffins established themselves as rulers, the population was Christianized. The native Slavic population was subjected to discrimination and Germanization in the following centuries, between 1237 and 1243, the town was rebuilt, granted extensive autonomy rights and eventually joined the Hanseatic League. After the Treaty of Stettin in 1630, the town came under the control of the Swedish Empire, in the late-19th century Stettin became an industrial town, vastly increasing in size and population, and served as a major port for Berlin. During the Nazi era, opposition groups and minorities were persecuted and treated as enemies, by the end of World War II Stettins status was in doubt, and the Soviet occupation authorities at first appointed officials from the citys almost entirely German pre-war population. In July 1945, however, Polish authorities were permitted to take power, Stettin was renamed Szczecin and became part of the newly established the Polish Peoples Republic, and from 1989 the Republic of Poland. From 1999 onwards, Szczecin has served as the site of the headquarters of NATOs Multinational Corps Northeast, the names Szczecin and Stettin are of Slavic origin, though the exact etymology is the subject of ongoing research. Other medieval names for the town are Burstaborg and Burstenburgh and these names, which literally mean brush burgh, are likely derived from the translation of the citys Slavic name. The recorded history of Szczecin began in the century, when West Slavs settled Pomerania. Since the 9th century, the stronghold was fortified and expanded toward the Oder bank, Mieszko I of Poland took control of Pomerania between 960 and 967, and the region with the city of Szczecin became part of Poland in 967. Subsequent Polish rulers, the Holy Roman Empire, and the Liutician federation all aimed to control the territory, after the decline of the neighbouring regional centre Wolin in the 12th century, the city became one of the more important and powerful seaports of the Baltic Sea. In a campaign in the winter of 1121–1122, Bolesław III Wrymouth, the inhabitants were Christianized by two missions of Bishop Otto of Bamberg in 1124 and 1128. At this time, the first Christian church of Saints Peter, Polish minted coins were commonly used in trade in this period. The population of the city at that time is estimated to be at around 5, Polish rule ended with Boleslaws death in 1138. There, a Polish contingent supplied by Mieszko III the Old joined the crusaders, however, the citizens had placed crosses around the fortifications, indicating they already had been Christianised
12.
Toronto
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Toronto is the most populous city in Canada and the provincial capital of Ontario. With a population of 2,731,571, it is the fourth most populous city in North America after Mexico City, New York City, and Los Angeles. A global city, Toronto is a centre of business, finance, arts, and culture. Aboriginal peoples have inhabited the area now known as Toronto for thousands of years, the city itself is situated on the southern terminus of an ancient Aboriginal trail leading north to Lake Simcoe, used by the Wyandot, Iroquois, and the Mississauga. Permanent European settlement began in the 1790s, after the broadly disputed Toronto Purchase of 1787, the British established the town of York, and later designated it as the capital of Upper Canada. During the War of 1812, the town was the site of the Battle of York, York was renamed and incorporated as the city of Toronto in 1834, and became the capital of the province of Ontario during the Canadian Confederation in 1867. The city proper has since expanded past its original borders through amalgamation with surrounding municipalities at various times in its history to its current area of 630.2 km2. While the majority of Torontonians speak English as their primary language, Toronto is a prominent centre for music, theatre, motion picture production, and television production, and is home to the headquarters of Canadas major national broadcast networks and media outlets. Toronto is known for its skyscrapers and high-rise buildings, in particular the tallest free-standing structure in the Western Hemisphere. The name Toronto is likely derived from the Iroquois word tkaronto and this refers to the northern end of what is now Lake Simcoe, where the Huron had planted tree saplings to corral fish. A portage route from Lake Ontario to Lake Huron running through this point, in the 1660s, the Iroquois established two villages within what is today Toronto, Ganatsekwyagon on the banks of the Rouge River and Teiaiagonon the banks of the Humber River. By 1701, the Mississauga had displaced the Iroquois, who abandoned the Toronto area at the end of the Beaver Wars, French traders founded Fort Rouillé on the current Exhibition grounds in 1750, but abandoned it in 1759. During the American Revolutionary War, the region saw an influx of British settlers as United Empire Loyalists fled for the British-controlled lands north of Lake Ontario, the new province of Upper Canada was in the process of creation and needed a capital. Dorchester intended the location to be named Toronto, in 1793, Governor John Graves Simcoe established the town of York on the Toronto Purchase lands, instead naming it after Prince Frederick, Duke of York and Albany. Simcoe decided to move the Upper Canada capital from Newark to York, the York garrison was constructed at the entrance of the towns natural harbour, sheltered by a long sandbar peninsula. The towns settlement formed at the end of the harbour behind the peninsula, near the present-day intersection of Parliament Street. In 1813, as part of the War of 1812, the Battle of York ended in the towns capture, the surrender of the town was negotiated by John Strachan. US soldiers destroyed much of the garrison and set fire to the parliament buildings during their five-day occupation, the sacking of York was a primary motivation for the Burning of Washington by British troops later in the war
13.
December 1909
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The following events occurred in December 1909, The United States severed diplomatic relations with Nicaragua, with Secretary of State Knox ordering the Nicaraguan charge daffaires to leave. Aleksandër Xhuvani University, the first university in Albania, was founded in Elbasan as a teachers college, the payout from the first Christmas club was made, by the Carlisle Trust Company. The National Hockey Association, forerunner of the National Hockey League, was founded, giovanni Giolitti resigned as Prime Minister of Italy. He was succeeded by Sidney Sonnino, the first airplane flight in Turkey was made by Baron De Cotters. The New York Amsterdam News, an African-American newspaper founded by James H. Anderson, Edward Sheldons play The Nigger opened on Broadway. Later made into a novel and a film, the play was described by critic George Jean Nathan as one the ten dramatic shocks of the century. One historian notes that the play is, despite its politically incorrect title, the chemical manufacturer later diversified, producing products such as Centrum vitamins, Old Spice after shave, and Pine-Sol cleaner. King Gustaf V of Sweden disguised himself and spent a day working as a stevedore, mr. Bernadotte spent the day unloading sacks of coal at a Stockholm harbor. The first manned glider flights in Australia and Japan took place on the same day, at Narrabeen, New South Wales, George Augustine Taylor flew in a glider of his own design, and his wife Florence Mary Taylor flew the same day. A boy near Tokyo flew on a glider built by Yves le Prieur. In a duel fought between two members of the Senate of Bolivia, Senator Adolfo Trigo Acha whot and killed Senator Emilio Fernandez Molina, Trigo continued to serve as the Senator from Tarija Department. Saratov State University was founded in the Russian city of Saratov, antonio Fernandez of Spain became only the fourth person in history to die in an airplane crash, when his aircraft fell apart while he was flying at Nice. 2, a 350-foot-long ferry, departed from Conneaut, Ohio, at 11,00 a. m. bound for Port Stanley, Ontario, one of the 49 persons on board was carrying $32,000 in a briefcase. The ship went down in Lake Erie and had not been located as of 2009, calvin Coolidge defeated Henry E. Bicknell to win election as Mayor of Northampton, Massachusetts, his first political office. The town of Anderson, Missouri, was incorporated, aleksandr Petrov, a Bolshevik who had infiltrated the Okhrana, planted the bomb that killed the security chief. Under the new service, money could be wired between British post offices and Western Union telegraph stations in the United States, with orders transmitted via transatlantic cable, American film actor, in New York City The University of Queensland was established by Act of State Parliament. In 1911,83 students began their first classes in Brisbane, died, Red Cloud,88, Oglala Sioux leader Twenty-six Moslems, found guilty of the massacre of Armenians in Adana on April 14,1909, were publicly executed in Constantinople. The first Canadian football game played in the United States took place in New York City at Van Courtland Park, the Hamilton Tigers beat the Ottawa Rough Riders 11–6
14.
Radisson Blu
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Radisson Blu is an upscale international chain of full service hotels and resorts brand for Radisson Hotels mostly outside the United States, including those in Europe, Africa, and Asia. These are operated by Carlson Rezidor Hotel Group, as of December 2014, Radisson Blu has 287 hotels operating throughout the world with 68,270 rooms, and 102 hotels under development with an additional 23,489 rooms. Scandinavian Airlines System used to be a shareholder in Rezidor Hotel Group. Following the withdrawal of SAS from the partnership in 2009, the changed from Radisson SAS to Radisson Blu. The new brand is being introduced gradually across the portfolio, in 2012, Carlson Hotels and Rezidor Hotel Group combined to form Carlson Rezidor Hotel Group. In 1960, the Royal Copenhagen hotel opened in Denmark, designed by the Arne Jacobsen for SAS International Hotels - the hotel division of the Scandinavian airline group, SAS. Then, in 1994, the Radisson SAS was created when SAS International Hotels joined forces with the Radisson brand for Europe, in 2000, Radisson SAS opened its hundredth hotel. In 2002, Rezidor introduced the SAS Hospitality brand, Radisson SAS operated more than 150 properties at this time in more than 40 countries throughout EMEA. By late 2006, Rezidor SAS, renamed the Rezidor Hotel Group, by 2008, the Rezidor Hotel Group had a total portfolio of over 360 hotels in 55 countries. “The name Blu started life as the working title. But it soon became apparent that it was actually the most natural of choices, it’s simple, it’s short, it’s relevant and we’ve applied it in a way that adds a certain modernity to the identity without taking it too far, ” he said. On 20 November 2015, at the Radisson hotel in Bamako, Mali and it was an attack by the terrorist group Al-Morabiton in co-operation with Al-Qaeda in the Islamic Maghreb. In April 2016, the first Radisson Blu Resort operated in Crete, the Radisson Blu Beach Resort, Crete Milatos is an existing property that has re-opened under the Radisson Blu flag after renovation in 2016. The resort is located in the east of the island, surrounded by fishing villages, Milatos, SAS did not have hotels in the United States. The first Radisson Blu in the U. S. the Radisson Blu Aqua Hotel opened in downtown Chicago in Aqua, a skyscraper, in November 2011. The second Radisson Blu, the Radisson Blu Mall of America, opened on March 15,2013, in Bloomington, Minnesota, and is connected to the Mall of America. After completion of a renovation, the Radisson Plaza-Warwick Hotel Philadelphia became the third Radisson Blu in 2013. The former Radisson Plaza Hotel in downtown Minneapolis was renovated and converted into the fourth Radisson Blu in 2014,2015 Bamako hotel attack Media related to Radisson Hotels & Resorts at Wikimedia Commons Official website
15.
Scandinavian Airlines
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Scandinavian Airlines, often shortened to SAS is the flag carrier of Sweden, Norway and Denmark, and the largest airline in Scandinavia. Part of the SAS Group and headquartered at the SAS Frösundavik Office Building in Solna, Sweden, the airlines main hub is at Copenhagen-Kastrup Airport, with connections to over 50 cities in Europe. Stockholm-Arlanda Airport and Oslo Airport, Gardermoen are the major hubs. Minor hubs also exist at Bergen Airport, Flesland, Göteborg Landvetter Airport, Stavanger Airport, Sola and Trondheim Airport, SAS Cargo is an independent, wholly owned subsidiary of Scandinavian Airlines and its main office is at Copenhagen Airport. In 2012, SAS carried 25.9 million passengers, achieving revenues of SEK36 billion and this makes it the eighth-largest airline in Europe. The SAS fleet consists of Airbus A319, A320, A321, A330 and A340, Boeing 737 Next Generation, in addition, SAS also wetleases ATR72, Saab 2000 and Bombardier CRJ900 aircraft. The airline was founded in 1946 as a consortium to pool the operations of Svensk Interkontinental Lufttrafik, Det Norske Luftfartselskap. The consortium was extended to cover European and domestic cooperation two years later, in 1951, all the airlines were merged to create SAS. SAS is also one of the members of the worlds largest alliance. Operations started on 17 September 1946, in 1948 the Swedish flag carrier AB Aerotransport joined SAS and the companies coordinated European operations and finally merged to form the SAS Consortium in 1951. When established, the airline was divided between SAS Danmark, SAS Norge and SAS Sverige, all owned 50% by private investors, in 1954 SAS was the first airline to start scheduled flights on a polar route. The DC-6B flew from Copenhagen to Los Angeles, California, United States with stops in Søndre Strømfjord, Greenland, by summer 1956 frequency had increased to three flights per week. It was popular with Hollywood celebrities and film people. Thanks to a structure that allowed free transit to other European destinations via Copenhagen. In 1957 SAS started a second polar route when a DC-7C flew from Copenhagen to Tokyo, Japan, SAS publicized this service as round-the-world service over the North Pole. SAS entered the jet age in 1959 when the Caravelle entered service, in 1971, SAS put its first Boeing 747 jumbo jet into service. In 1989, SAS acquired 18. 4% of Texas Air Corporation, parent company of Continental Airlines, during the 1990s, SAS also bought a 20% stake in British Midland. SAS bought 95% of Spanair, the second largest airline in Spain, in May 1997 SAS formed the global Star Alliance network with Air Canada, Lufthansa, Thai Airways International and United Airlines
16.
Chicago
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Chicago, officially the City of Chicago, is the third-most populous city in the United States. With over 2.7 million residents, it is the most populous city in the state of Illinois, and it is the county seat of Cook County. In 2012, Chicago was listed as a global city by the Globalization and World Cities Research Network. Chicago has the third-largest gross metropolitan product in the United States—about $640 billion according to 2015 estimates, the city has one of the worlds largest and most diversified economies with no single industry employing more than 14% of the workforce. In 2016, Chicago hosted over 54 million domestic and international visitors, landmarks in the city include Millennium Park, Navy Pier, the Magnificent Mile, Art Institute of Chicago, Museum Campus, the Willis Tower, Museum of Science and Industry, and Lincoln Park Zoo. Chicagos culture includes the arts, novels, film, theater, especially improvisational comedy. Chicago also has sports teams in each of the major professional leagues. The city has many nicknames, the best-known being the Windy City, the name Chicago is derived from a French rendering of the Native American word shikaakwa, known to botanists as Allium tricoccum, from the Miami-Illinois language. The first known reference to the site of the current city of Chicago as Checagou was by Robert de LaSalle around 1679 in a memoir, henri Joutel, in his journal of 1688, noted that the wild garlic, called chicagoua, grew abundantly in the area. In the mid-18th century, the area was inhabited by a Native American tribe known as the Potawatomi, the first known non-indigenous permanent settler in Chicago was Jean Baptiste Point du Sable. Du Sable was of African and French descent and arrived in the 1780s and he is commonly known as the Founder of Chicago. In 1803, the United States Army built Fort Dearborn, which was destroyed in 1812 in the Battle of Fort Dearborn, the Ottawa, Ojibwe, and Potawatomi tribes had ceded additional land to the United States in the 1816 Treaty of St. Louis. The Potawatomi were forcibly removed from their land after the Treaty of Chicago in 1833, on August 12,1833, the Town of Chicago was organized with a population of about 200. Within seven years it grew to more than 4,000 people, on June 15,1835, the first public land sales began with Edmund Dick Taylor as U. S. The City of Chicago was incorporated on Saturday, March 4,1837, as the site of the Chicago Portage, the city became an important transportation hub between the eastern and western United States. Chicagos first railway, Galena and Chicago Union Railroad, and the Illinois, the canal allowed steamboats and sailing ships on the Great Lakes to connect to the Mississippi River. A flourishing economy brought residents from rural communities and immigrants from abroad, manufacturing and retail and finance sectors became dominant, influencing the American economy. The Chicago Board of Trade listed the first ever standardized exchange traded forward contracts and these issues also helped propel another Illinoisan, Abraham Lincoln, to the national stage
17.
Aqua (skyscraper)
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Aqua is an 82-story mixed-use residential skyscraper in the Lakeshore East development in downtown Chicago, Illinois. Designed by a led by Jeanne Gang of Studio Gang Architects, with James Loewenberg of Loewenberg & Associates as the Architect of Record. The buildings eighty-story,140,000 sq ft base is topped by a 82,550 sq ft terrace with gardens, gazebos, pools, hot tubs, a walking/running track, each floor covers approximately 16,000 sq ft. The Aqua was awarded the Emporis Skyscraper Award as 2009 skyscraper of the year, Aqua was designed by Jeanne Gang, principal and founder of Studio Gang Architects, and it was her first skyscraper project. The project was the largest ever awarded to an American firm headed by a woman, Loewenberg & Associates are the architects of record, led by James Loewenberg. The Aqua Tower is located at 225 North Columbus Drive, and is surrounded by high-rises, to capture views of nearby landmarks for Aquas residents, Gang stretched its balconies outward by as much as 12 ft. The result is a composed of irregularly shaped concrete floor slabs which lend the facade an undulating. Gang cites the striated limestone outcroppings that are a topographic feature of the Great Lakes region as inspiration for these slabs. The building contains 55,000 sq ft of retail and office space, in addition to 215 hotel rooms,476 rental residential units, Aqua is the first downtown building to combine condos, apartments and a hotel. Carlson Hotels Worldwide announced May 12,2010, that it agreed to spend $125 million to open the first Radisson Blu hotel in the United States on 18 vacant floors of the highrise, the name Aqua was assigned to the building by Magellan Development Group LLC. Sustainability was an important factor in Aquas design, Gang and her team refined the terrace extensions to maximize solar shading, and other sustainable features will include rainwater collection systems and energy-efficient lighting. The green roof on top of the base will be the largest in Chicago. The tower will seek LEED certification. construction. com/people/awards/2009/0107-PaulTreacy. asp
18.
Bloomington, Minnesota
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Bloomington is the fourth largest city in the U. S. state of Minnesota. It is located in Hennepin County on the bank of the Minnesota River. Bloomington lies 10 miles south of downtown Minneapolis, the citys population is 86,435, according to the 2015 United States Census estimates. Large-scale commercial development is concentrated along the Interstate 494 corridor, Bloomington has more jobs per capita than either Minneapolis or Saint Paul, due to the United States largest enclosed shopping center, the Mall of America. The headquarters of Ceridian, Donaldson Company, HealthPartners and Toro, the city was named after Bloomington, Illinois. In 1843, Peter and Louisa Quinn, the first European settlers to live in Bloomington, the government had sent them to teach farming methods to the Native Americans. Gideon Hollister Pond, a missionary, who had been following and recording the Dakota language from Cloud Mans band, relocated later that year, establishing Oak Grove Mission, Pond and his family held church services and taught the local Dakota school subjects and farming. Passage across the Minnesota River in Bloomington came in 1849 when William Chambers, the ferry remained operational until 1889, when the Bloomington Ferry Bridge was built. Following the Treaty of Traverse des Sioux in 1851, the territory west of the Mississippi River, a group of pioneers settled Bloomington, including the Goodrich, Whalon, and Ames families. They named the area Bloomington after the city they were from, Bloomington, Illinois, most early jobs were in farming, blacksmithing, and flour milling. The Oxborough family, who came from Canada, built a center on Lyndale Avenue. Today, the Clover Shopping Center rests near the old trading center site, in 1855, the first public school for all children was opened in Miss Harrisons house with the first school, Gibson House, built in 1859. On May 11,1858, the day the state of Minnesota was admitted into the union, by 1880, the population had grown to 820. In 1892 the first town hall was built at Penn and Old Shakopee Road, by then, the closest Dakota to Minneapolis lived at the residence of Gideon Pond. After 1900, the population surpassed a thousand and Bloomington began to transform into a city, with rising population came conflict among citizens over social issues. Among the major issues during this period were parents unwillingness to dissolve the individual schools for a larger, consolidated school, by 1900, there were already six rural schools spread throughout the territory with over 200 students enrolled in grades first through eighth. By 1917, the school consolidation issue had been settled and that year voters approved the consolidation of the schools and a year later secondary education and school bus transportation began throughout the city. From 1940 to 1960, the population increased to nine times that of the population at the turn of the century
19.
Mall of America
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Opened in 1992, it is the largest mall in the United States in terms of number of stores and total floor area. The mall is managed by the Triple Five Group,80 percent of visitors to the Mall of America are from Minnesota, Wisconsin, Iowa, the Dakotas, Illinois, Ohio, and Canada. The malls concept was designed by the Triple Five Group, owned by the Ghermezian brothers, who own the largest shopping mall in North America. Mall of America is located on the site of the former Metropolitan Stadium, in 1986, the Bloomington Port Authority signed an agreement with the Ghermezian organization. Groundbreaking for the mall took place on June 14,1989, organizations involved include Melvin Simon and Associates, Teachers Insurance and Annuity, the Triple Five Group, and the office of architect Jon Jerde. In 1987, the Ghermezian brothers also met with Niagara Falls, discussions lasted for several months but a suitable economic package could not be put together by New York officials. Mall of America opened its doors to the public on August 11,1992, Mall of America became the largest shopping mall in total area and largest in total store vendors in the United States when it opened. The Mall of Americas 42 million annual visitors equal roughly eight times the population of the state of Minnesota, the mall employs over 11,000 workers year-round and 13,000 during peak seasons. During its run as an entertainment and retail venue, certain aspects. In early-2000 a Mardi Gras-themed bar, Fat Tuesday, shut its doors due to indecent exposure, the dispute stemmed from a 1999 purchase of Teachers Insurances 27. 5% equity stake by Simon Properties, giving them majority ownership. The Ghermezians claimed they were never told of the deal and sued Simon, on November 3,2006, the Ghermezians gained full control of Mall of America by spending US$1 billion. In 2007, there was a plan called Phase II. It will develop a large empty parcel of land north of the mall, the project will also include a dinner theatre, ice rink, three hotels, and a waterpark, similar in design to the West Edmonton Mall. The cost of expansion was $2.1 billion and will double the size with a 5,200. Mall of America has signed contracts to bring in Great Wolf Resorts as the operator, as well as Bass Pro Shops. The expansion section will connect to the mall on all four levels, there will be fine art exhibits and an NHL-size ice rink for public and private skating. A new parking structure will be included, adding 8,000 spaces to the complex, another considered plan would have seen fashion, architecture, and restaurants based on European styles. In early 2011, construction began on an expansion of the side of the mall near Killebrew Drive
20.
Philadelphia
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In 1682, William Penn, an English Quaker, founded the city to serve as capital of the Pennsylvania Colony. Philadelphia was one of the capitals in the Revolutionary War. In the 19th century, Philadelphia became an industrial center. It became a destination for African-Americans in the Great Migration. The areas many universities and colleges make Philadelphia a top international study destination, as the city has evolved into an educational, with a gross domestic product of $388 billion, Philadelphia ranks ninth among world cities and fourth in the nation. Philadelphia is the center of activity in Pennsylvania and is home to seven Fortune 1000 companies. The Philadelphia skyline is growing, with a market of almost 81,900 commercial properties in 2016 including several prominent skyscrapers. The city is known for its arts, culture, and rich history, Philadelphia has more outdoor sculptures and murals than any other American city. Fairmount Park, when combined with the adjacent Wissahickon Valley Park in the watershed, is one of the largest contiguous urban park areas in the United States. The 67 National Historic Landmarks in the city helped account for the $10 billion generated by tourism, Philadelphia is the only World Heritage City in the United States. Before Europeans arrived, the Philadelphia area was home to the Lenape Indians in the village of Shackamaxon, the Lenape are a Native American tribe and First Nations band government. They are also called Delaware Indians and their territory was along the Delaware River watershed, western Long Island. Most Lenape were pushed out of their Delaware homeland during the 18th century by expanding European colonies, Lenape communities were weakened by newly introduced diseases, mainly smallpox, and violent conflict with Europeans. Iroquois people occasionally fought the Lenape, surviving Lenape moved west into the upper Ohio River basin. The American Revolutionary War and United States independence pushed them further west, in the 1860s, the United States government sent most Lenape remaining in the eastern United States to the Indian Territory under the Indian removal policy. In the 21st century, most Lenape now reside in the US state of Oklahoma, with communities living also in Wisconsin, Ontario. The Dutch considered the entire Delaware River valley to be part of their New Netherland colony, in 1638, Swedish settlers led by renegade Dutch established the colony of New Sweden at Fort Christina and quickly spread out in the valley. In 1644, New Sweden supported the Susquehannocks in their defeat of the English colony of Maryland
21.
Free Trade Hall
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The Free Trade Hall in Peter Street, Manchester, England, was a public hall constructed in 1853–56 on St Peters Fields, the site of the Peterloo Massacre and is now a Radisson hotel. The hall was built to commemorate the repeal of the Corn Laws in 1846, the hall was owned by the Manchester Corporation. It was bombed in the Manchester Blitz and its interior rebuilt and it was Manchesters premier concert venue until the construction of the Bridgewater Hall in 1996. The hall was designated a Grade II* listed building on 18 December 1963, the Free Trade Hall was built as a public hall between 1853 and 1856 by Edward Walters on land given by Richard Cobden in St Peters Fields, the site of the Peterloo Massacre. Two earlier halls had been constructed on the site, the first, a large pavilion was built in 1840. The halls were vital to Manchesters considerable role in the campaign for the repeal of the Corn Laws. The hall was funded by subscription and became a concert hall. A red plaque records that it was built on the site of the Peterloo Massacre in 1819, the Free Trade Hall was bought by Manchester Corporation in 1920, but was bombed and left an empty shell in the Manchester Blitz of December 1940. A new hall was constructed behind two walls of the facade in 1950–51 by Manchester City Councils architect, L. C. Howitt. opening as a hall in 1951. As well as housing the Hallé Orchestra, it was used for pop, a Wurlitzer organ from the Paramount Cinema in Manchester was installed over four years and first used in public in a BBC programme broadcast in September 1977. When the hall closed, the organ, which was on loan, was moved to the hall in Stockport Town Hall. The Hallé Orchestra moved to the Bridgewater Hall in 1996 and the Free Trade Hall was closed by Manchester City Council, after the initial planning application was refused by the Secretary of State, a second modified planning application was submitted and approved. The hotel opened in 2004, having cost £45 million, the Italian palazzo-style hall was built on a trapeziform site in ashlar sandstone. It has a two-storey, nine-bay facade and concealed roof, on Peter Street, its ground floor arcade has rectangular piers with round-headed arches and spandrels bearing the coats of arms of Lancashire towns that took part in the Anti-Corn Law movement. The upper floor has an arcade, its tympana frieze is richly decorated with carved figures representing free trade, the arts, commerce, manufacture. Above the tympanum is a prominent cornice with balustraded parapet, the upper floor has paired Ionic columns to each bay and a tall window with a pedimented architrave behind a balustraded balcony. The return sides have three bays in a matching but simpler style of blank arches, the rear wall was rebuilt in 1950–51 with pilasters surmounted by relief figures representing the entertainment which took place in the old hall
22.
Heathrow Airport
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Heathrow Airport is a major international airport in London, United Kingdom. In 2016, it handled a record 75.7 million passengers, Heathrow lies 14 miles west of Central London, and has two parallel east–west runways along with four operational terminals on a site that covers 12.27 square kilometres. London Heathrow is the hub for British Airways and the primary operating base for Virgin Atlantic. In September 2012, the UK government established the Airports Commission, in July 2015, the commission backed a third runway at Heathrow and the government approved a third runway in October 2016. Heathrow is 14 mi west of central London, near the end of the London Borough of Hillingdon on a parcel of land that is designated part of the Metropolitan Green Belt. The airport is surrounded by the areas of Harlington, Harmondsworth, Longford and Cranford to the north and by Hounslow. To the south lie Bedfont and Stanwell while to the west Heathrow is separated from Slough in Berkshire by the M25 motorway, Heathrow falls entirely under the TW postcode area. As the airport is west of London and as its runways run east–west, for a chronicled history of Heathrow Airport, see History of Heathrow Airport. Heathrow Airport originated in 1929 as an airfield on land south-east of the hamlet of Heathrow from which the airport takes its name. At that time there were farms, market gardens and orchards there, there was a Heathrow Farm about where Terminal 1 is now, a Heathrow Hall and a Heathrow House. This hamlet was largely along a lane which ran roughly along the east. Development of the whole Heathrow area as a much larger airport began in 1944. But by the time the airfield was nearing completion, World War II had ended, the government continued to develop the airport as a civil airport, it opened as London Airport in 1946 and was renamed Heathrow Airport in 1966. Heathrow Airport is used by over 80 airlines flying to 185 destinations in 84 countries, the airport is the primary hub of British Airways and is a base for Virgin Atlantic. It has four terminals and a cargo terminal. Of Heathrows 73.4 million passengers in 2014, 93% were international travellers, the busiest single destination in passenger numbers is New York, with over 3 million passengers flying between Heathrow and JFK Airport in 2013. As the required length for runways has grown, Heathrow now has two parallel runways running east–west. These are extended versions of the two east–west runways from the original hexagram, from the air, almost all of the original runways can still be seen, incorporated into the present system of taxiways
23.
Park Inn Berlin
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The Park Inn by Radisson Berlin Alexanderplatz is the tallest building and the eleventh tallest structure in Berlin and the 29th tallest building and tallest hotel-only building in Germany. The 37-floor high-rise is in the northeast of Alexanderplatz in the central Mitte district and has a height of 125 meters, the complex was built from 1967 to 1970 in the course of the redevelopment of Alexanderplatz when it was located in East Berlin. It was designed by the team of Roland Korn, Heinz Scharlipp, however, the design as built differs in the shape and location of the tower on the lot from that envisaged in the 1964 plan for redevelopment of the square. The hotel opened as the Hotel Stadt Berlin, part of East Germanys Interhotel chain and it was a four-star hotel and mainly served for the accommodation of Comecon representatives. There was a restaurant on the 37th floor and unusually fast elevators for the time. In 1993, after German reunification, it was renamed Forum Hotel Berlin, a casino, the highest in Europe, was located in the restaurant until November 2010. There is a viewing platform on the roof. All the rooms were refurbished starting in 2001 at a cost of €20 million, between May and November 2005 the entire 15,000 sq m façade was replaced, the 6,800 new mirror glass panes cost €3 million. In October 2006, two 35 m antenna masts were erected on the roof, bringing the height of the building to 149.5 m. In December 2006 the hotel and the real estate parcels were acquired by Blackstone Group. The base of the tower rises from a commercial building that houses a Burger King, an ice cream parlor. The top floor offers direct access to the adjacent Galeria-Kaufhof, for 15 years, the ground floor and basement levels housed Berlins first Saturn electronics store, but in March 2009 this relocated to a new adjacent building
24.
Meridian Gate, Cardiff
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Meridian Gate is a hotel and residential skyscraper complex in Cardiff, Wales. Meridian Gate comprises two buildings, the taller of which is 63 metres high, has 21 floors and contains the largest hotel in Cardiff and it is the joint-fifth tallest building in Cardiff. The smaller building, called Meridian Plaza is 33 metres high, has 11 floors, Meridian Gate is a result of the trend for city living that is driving a construction boom in many major British centres. The building was proposed in early 2004, obtaining planning consent shortly afterwards, a full application was submitted in 2006 after a change of developer. The site was bought by Radisson Blu, an international hotel group requiring a prime site in central Cardiff for an upmarket hotel. The building topped out in mid-2008, the public open space is a mix of hard and soft landscaping, and the courtyards at podium level are for residents only. The Barcelona lights were retained but moved, and a statue of Jim Driscoll was placed on a stone plinth. The hotel tower has a curtain walling with solar reflective glass. The intention was to follow the finishes and colours on Callaghan Square. The gull wing or butterfly roof feature on top of the tower were added to give it more distinction, Cardiff Council welcomed the slimness of the tower and the increased glazing which creates a strong focal point in the cityscape. They wanted to see a distinctive feature to add to the landmark nature of the building. The quality of the design was critical for the scheme’s success. High quality materials were required, and the precast concrete panelling was therefore of some concern, a concern of the review panel of Design Commission for Wales was that the building needed to respect the height of the neighbouring Altolusso building, another of Cardiffs tallest buildings. Consequently, an improvement in the spacing between the westernmost wing of the Altolusso and the new residential tower was made. The hotel offers 215 rooms on 21 floors, rooms include 60 Business Class rooms,12 Junior suites and 11 accessible rooms. The hotel has two bars and a restaurant, as well as a health spa featuring a sauna, steam room, relaxation room, six meeting rooms are provided by the hotel as well as The Azzurro Ballroom with a capacity of 350. The pre-conference area has a capacity of 150, the building is located on Bute Terrace. List of tallest buildings in Cardiff Radisson Blu Cardiff Skyscraper News | Meridian Gate Hotel Tower Skyscraper News | Meridian Gate Residential Tower
25.
SAS Group
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Scandinavian Airlines System Aktiebolag, trading as SAS Group and SAS AB, is an airline holding company headquartered in the SAS Frösundavik Office Building in Solna Municipality, Sweden. It is the owner of the airlines Scandinavian Airlines, SAS used to own 19. 9% of the now defunct Spanish airline Spanair. It also owns the aviation services companies SAS Business Opportunities, SAS Cargo Group, SAS Ground Services and it holds minority ownership of Air Greenland, Estonian Air, and Skyways Express. SAS Group is partially owned by the governments of Sweden, Denmark, and Norway, with a 21. 4%,14. 3%, the remaining 50% is held by private owners, of which Foundation Asset Management at 7. 6% is the only significant one. The company is listed on the Oslo Stock Exchange, the Stockholm Stock Exchange, until 2001, the three national companies owned a fixed share of the SAS Group, after which the shares of the three companies were merged. The SAS Group previously has owned the Rezidor Hotel Group and Braathens and has had minority ownership of bmi, airBaltic, Thai Airways International, SAS was a founder of the Amadeus Computerised Reservation System and the Star Alliance, where several of the groups airlines are members. SAS runs the frequent flyer program EuroBonus, operations started on 17 September 1946. The companies then started coordination of European operations in 1948 and finally merged to form the current SAS Consortium in 1951, when established the airline was divided between SAS Danmark, SAS Norge, and SAS Sweden, all owned 50% by private investors and 50% by their respective governments. SAS gradually acquired control of the markets in all three countries by acquiring full or partial control of several local airlines. In May 1997 SAS formed the global Star Alliance network with Air Canada, Lufthansa, Thai Airways International, the first intercontinental flight is from Stockholm to New York. 1951 DDL, DNL, and ABA form the present SAS Consortium,1954 SAS is the worlds first airline to fly the Copenhagen - Los Angeles polar route in regular scheduled service. 1955 SILA is quoted on the Stockbrokers List in Sweden,1957 SAS is the first airline to offer round the world service over the North Pole from Copenhagen to Tokyo via Anchorage. 1959 SAS enters the jet age, the first jet aircraft, the Caravelle, is introduced in service. 1960 SAS opens its first hotel, the SAS Royal Hotel Copenhagen, SAS helps set up Thai Airways International, taking a 30% share in the joint venture. 1965 SAS is the first airline to introduce a reservation system. 1967 DNL is listed on the Oslo Stock Exchange,1971 SAS puts its first Boeing 747 jumbo jet into service. 1977 SAS sells its remaining stakes in Thai Airways,1980 SAS opens its first hotel outside of Scandinavia, the SAS Kuwait Hotel. SILA is listed on the Stockholm Stock Exchange,1981 SAS EuroClass is introduced on all European routes
26.
Tour Part-Dieu
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The Tour Part-Dieu is a skyscraper in Lyon, France. The building is 164.9 metres tall, in La Part-Dieu district, the building was completed in 1977. It currently stands as the ninth-tallest building in France, the top 10 floors are occupied by Radisson Blu Hotel Lyon, the highest hotel in Europe. It is a work of the American firm Araldo Cossutta & Associates, according to the wishes of the architect, the roof of this tower is roughly the same height as Notre Dame de Fourviere. At the opening in 1977, it was the 4th tallest building in France, the tower has a cylindrical shape. It is topped by a 23-metre high pyramid, on the occasion of its 31st anniversary, the tower changed its name and logo. On September 22,2008, the building was officially renamed Tour Part Dieu, the tower is fondly named Le Crayon by the Lyonnese due to its shape, and the new logo includes this nickname. The tower is served by the Gare Part-Dieu – Vivier Merle station on the metro line B, the tower was inaugurated in 1977. This construction has proved disastrous economically and hindered the development of the area during the ten years since its inauguration. Each floor covers 115 square metres surface for an area of 37,000 square metres. An underground parking area on two floors provides 224 car spaces, the main entrance of the tower is located on the esplanade of the Part-Dieu shopping center, while the entrance of the hotel is located at the ground floor, on Rue Servient. The last ten floors are occupied by a Radisson Blu Hotel, the lobby is on the 32nd floor, and is accessible by express elevators directly from the ground floor to the 32nd floor. There is a restaurant on the 32nd floor which provides 360° views over Lyon, above that floor, the hotel is hollowed on the last 10 floors, the rooms are around a circled corridor to form a central shaft which is lit by the roof pyramid. There are 20 elevators, provided by Schindler, which include and they travel at 5 m/s. two hotel elevators, from the 32nd floor to the 42nd floor. Four service elevators, two of which are serving all the floors from B2 to 42nd floor, ten elevators for the office part, serves each floor from B2 to 31st floor. Currently, the tower is the second-tallest building in Greater Lyon after the Tour Incity, the Tour Oxygène, completed in 2010, stands just below these two towers, at 120 meters. On the first four floors, a new 15, 000-square-metre commercial area was delivered with the tower, besides its nickname the pencil, the tower has inspired several items including a chocolate version. It is composed of chocolate, more than 70% of cocoa of maraschino
27.
Country Inns & Suites
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Country Inns & Suites by Carlson is the upper mid-scale hotel brand within the Carlson Rezidor Hotel Group portfolio. Country Inns & Suites hotels are designed for business and leisure travelers and provide complimentary hot breakfast and high-speed Internet. Country Inns & Suites hotels are independently owned and operated and franchised under licensing agreements with the Carlson Rezidor Hotel Group. The brand currently operates 480 hotels throughout the world and has over 30 properties contracted, the brand is working to expand by adding 150 hotels primarily in the U. S. Canada, India, and Mexico by 2015. Country Inns & Suites By Carlson opened its first hotel in Burnsville, the first one was opened next to a kitchen named Country Kitchen, which spun off into its own company, CI&S. Since 1987, Country Inn and Suites became the best selling hotel company, on August 25,1989, its headquarters is in Chanhassen, Minnesota, next to Country Kitchen, as a domestic restaurant. In 1991, in Japan, its Japan headquarters is called Country Suites Japan of Tokyo, between 1995 and 2006, Country Kitchen shut down when it became Country Restaurant in 2006. Carlson Rezidor Hotel Group – established in 2001 – is one of the world’s largest and most dynamic hotel groups. The portfolio of the Carlson Rezidor Hotel Group includes more than 1,300 hotels, a footprint spanning 81 countries and territories. The Carlson Rezidor Hotel Group and its brands employ more than 80,000 people, Carlson Rezidor Hotel Group is headquartered in Minneapolis, Minnesota, and Brussels, Belgium
28.
Missoni
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Missoni is a high-end Italian fashion house based in Varese, and known for its colorful knitwear designs. The company was founded by Ottavio and Rosita Missoni in 1953, the business was founded in 1953, when Ottavio and Rosita Missoni set up a small knitwear workshop in Gallarate, not far from Rositas home village. They presented their first collection under the Missoni label in Milan in 1958, the business prospered, with the support of fashion editor Anna Piaggi, then at Arianna magazine. Rosita met the French stylist Emmanuelle Khanh in New York in 1965, which led to a collaboration, in April 1967, they were invited to show at the Pitti Palace in Florence. Rosita told the models to remove their bras, supposedly because they were the wrong color, the material became transparent under the lights and caused a sensation. The Missonis were not invited back the year, but the business grew. Missoni designs were championed in the USA by Diana Vreeland, editor of American Vogue, Missoni reached the peak of its influence in the fashion world in the early 1970s. Tai Missoni then became interested in other projects, designing costumes for La Scala, carpets. Rosita Missoni lost interest in fashion in the 1990s and was succeeded by her daughter Angela in 1998 while Rosita took over Missoni Home, on 13 September 2011, Missoni made headlines briefly when Target Stores offered low-cost variants of Missoni products in their stores and on their website. Most items sold out within 24 hours, there were long queues outside stores, some items appeared at higher prices on eBay within hours and Target did not restock. In February 2014, Angela Missoni hired Rossella Jardini, former director of Moschino. Missoni Home has its roots in furnishing fabrics produced in 1981 in collaboration with Rositas family firm and they launched their first perfume in 1982, although the license is now held by Estée Lauder. In November 2005, Missoni and the Rezidor Hotel Group signed an agreement to create Hotel Missoni, the centrally-located property in Edinburgh is patronised by artists attending the Edinburgh Festival and other arts events held in the city. Margherita Missoni designs accessories at Missoni and is also a model, on 4 January 2013 a plane carrying Vittorio Missoni, then CEO of Missoni, went missing off the coast of Venezuela. On 27 June 2013, the Venezuelan government announced that remains of the aircraft had been found north of Los Roques archipelago, vittorios body was recovered along with those of the other passengers
29.
Radisson Hotels
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Radisson Hotels is an international hotel company and a subsidiary of the Carlson Rezidor Hotel Group. It operates the brands Radisson, Radisson blu, Radisson RED, the first Radisson Hotel was built in 1909 in Minneapolis, Minnesota, US. It is named after the 17th-century French explorer, ranger and furrier Pierre-Esprit Radisson, the hotel was purchased in 1962 by Curt Carlson and is still owned by the Carlson estate. The majority of Radisson-branded hotels are located in the United States, the original Radisson Hotel, founded by heiress Edna Dickerson, was opened on December 15,1909 at 41 South Seventh Street in Minneapolis. Radisson Blu is the name for Radisson hotels primarily outside the United States, including those in Europe, Africa. These are operated by Carlson Rezidor Hotel Group, of which Carlson is the main stakeholder, scandinavian Airlines System was previously a major shareholder and licensed its brand for Radisson SAS hotels. Following the withdrawal of SAS from the partnership on February 4,2009, Radisson Blu operates 158 hotels, with 42 projects in development. Radisson Blu previously did not exist within the borders of the United States, the first Radisson Blu in the United States opened in downtown Chicago in Aqua, a skyscraper, in November 2011. The second one opened in March 2013 in Bloomington, Minnesota and is connected to the Mall of America, former Radisson Plaza hotels in Philadelphia and Minneapolis were converted to Radisson Blu. Radisson Blu Edwardian Hotels is a line of 14 hotels in London and Manchester. Radisson RED is a brand targeted at young travelers. It officially launched in 2015, with the first hotel opening in Brussels in April 2016, Hotels will be in cities worldwide, with a target of 60 locations by 2020. Park Inn by Radisson is a group of hotels that has 127 locations worldwide. Their strategy includes expansion into North America and key emerging economies like Brazil, Russia, India, notable locations include the Park Inn Berlin
30.
Park Plaza Hotels & Resorts
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Park Plaza Hotels & Resorts is a worldwide brand of 39 hotels operating in Europe, the Middle East, the United States and Asia. Its main markets include London, Amsterdam, Berlin and one property in Bloomington, Minnesota, the hotels are either owned, managed, or franchised to independent operators by Park Plaza Hotels & Resorts. In 2000 Carlson Hotels acquired the Park Plaza Hotels & Resorts brand, today, they are operated by Carlson Rezidor Hotel Group. Park Plaza International was founded in 1986 by Jonathan Read, in 1989, PPHE Hotel Group was established with Park Plaza Mandarin Eindhoven as the first hotel opened. The Park Plaza Victoria Amsterdam built in 1890, becomes the second hotel. In 1995, Park Plaza Victoria Amsterdam joins the group and an agreement is signed with Park Plaza Worldwide, in 1997, the Park Plaza Astrid Antwerp opens. The group opens its first hotel in 1999 in the United Kingdom, in 2000, Park Plaza Hotels Europe acquires the master franchise for the brand from Park Plaza Worldwide. The Park Plaza Victoria Amsterdam celebrates its 110-year anniversary, in 2000, Carlson Hotels acquired the Park Plaza Hotels & Resorts brand from Park Plaza Worldwide. The company moves into the world of boutique hotels and expanded by opening of seven hotels in Germany, the Park Plaza Victoria, London and Park Plaza Sherlock Holmes, both in central London, open late 2001. The second art’otel in Berlin, art’otel berlin city center west opens as well, featuring 221 artworks from Andy Warhol, further expansion in the UK with the opening of Park Plaza Nottingham. Also, in 2002 strategic marketing and reservations alliance agreed with Carlson Hotels Worldwide, north America, India, and EMEA unify to form one brand. The group launched its franchise offering with the opening of its first franchise hotel, Park Plaza Trier, in 2004, Park Plaza Belfast opened. In 2005, one of London’s largest hotels to open for more than 30 years, Park Plaza Riverbank London, designed by Aedas RHWL, Park Plaza Cardiff opened, as well as the company’s first all-suite luxury hotel, Plaza on the River – Club and Residence, London. In 2006, the companys second Amsterdam hotel, Park Plaza Vondelpark, the opening of Park Plaza Tyrrelstown, Dublin and Park Plaza Wallstreet, Berlin and 2 new art’otels in Germany – art’otel Berlin Kudamm and art’otel Potsdam are completed as well. In 2007, Park Plaza Hotels floats on the London AIM Stock Exchange, the company opens its 4th Park Plaza hotel in London, Park Plaza County Hall. In 2008, the site for the first art’otel in London was acquired in Hoxton in association with the Rueben Brothers, in 2010 the largest London hotel so far opened, Park Plaza Westminster Bridge. Park Plaza in Asia Pacific are managed by Carlson Hotels in Asia Pacific, there are currently Park Plaza Hotels in key destinations such as china, India, Pakistan, Thailand
31.
AccorHotels
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Accor S. A. using the brand name AccorHotels, is a French multinational hotel group, part of the CAC40 index, which operates in 95 countries. Headquartered in Paris, France, the group owns, operates and franchises 3,700 hotels representing several brands, from budget and economy lodgings to five-star hotels. In 1967, Paul Dubrule and Gérard Pélisson founded the Société dinvestissement et dexploitation hôteliers hotel group, in 1974, they launched the Ibis brand with the opening of the Ibis Bordeaux. The following year, SIEH acquired the Courtepaille and Mercure brands, and in 1980 the Sofitel hotel brand, in 1982, the SIEH bought Jacques Borel International, the then world-leading brand offering restaurant vouchers. In 1983, the group, which had restaurant tickets and hotels, in 1985, it launched Hotel Formule 1 brand, offering basic accommodation at low prices. P. In the 1990s, it diversified to include Accor Casinos and in 2004, in June 2010, the shareholders of Accor approved the demerger of its hotel and voucher businesses. The two entities started trading as separate companies on the Paris stock exchange from 2 July 2011, in 2011, Accor introduced its new brand positioning with the slogan, Open new frontiers in hospitality. In November 2013, Accor redefined its business model on two core competencies, hotel operator and brand franchisor and hotel owner and investor. In October 2014, Accor transferred management of its Central European operations to Orbis, in December 2014, Accor announced an alliance with Huazhu to accelerate expansion in China. In June 2015, Accor became AccorHotels and adopted a new slogan Feel Welcome, in December 2015, Accor announced the purchase for US$2.9 billion in cash and shares of FRHI Hotels & Resorts, the owner of the Fairmont, Raffles, and Swissôtel chains. The transaction adds landmark properties such as the Savoy Hotel in London, Raffles Hotel in Singapore, in 2016, AccorHotels acquired John Paul, the worldwide leader in concierge services. In 2017, the European group declared plans to three hotels in Ethiopia. In 2006, Gilles Pélisson, nephew of Accor co-founder Gerard Pélisson, took over the group as CEO, Accor appointed Serge Weinberg, head of Weinberg Capital Partners, chairman of the supervisory board. In February 2009, CEO Gilles Pélisson was appointed chairman and CEO, Gilles Pélisson was co-vice-president of the Novotel brand in 1994. In 2009, Denis Hennequin joined the board of directors. He stepped down in April 2013 and Yann Caillère was appointed CEO for a transitional period, in August 2013, Sebastien Bazin was named Chairman and CEO, replacing Yann Caillère who left the group. The companys head office, which houses the executive management, is located in the Immeuble Odyssey in the 13th arrondissement of Paris. This facility is the registered office
32.
Adagio (hotel)
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Adagio City Aparthotel is a joint venture launched by Accor Hotels and Pierre & Vacances, and is a major hotel company offering rooms with cooking facilities. Adagio City Aparthotel is a joint venture launched by Accor Hotels and it manages residences and apartments to rent, in tourist cities. Urban tourism has a higher growth rate than the overall average growth rate of tourism in France in terms of overnight stays. In 2011, Adagio complemented its offerings with the acquisition of Citéa becoming Adagio Access, the Adagio network is composed of offers for Adagio and Adagio Access. Adagio has 90 locations, mostly in Europe, but the group is now established in Russia, the Middle East and Brazil. As of 2015 there are 50 Adagio locations in 11 countries, as of 2015 there are 46 Adagio Access locations in 3 countries. Pierre & Vacances Accor Hotels Adagio City Company Website
33.
Fairmont Hotels and Resorts
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Fairmont Hotels & Resorts is a Canadian operator of luxury hotels and resorts. Many of these hotels were built by the Canadian Pacific Railway. The first hotel to bear the Fairmont name is located in the city of San Francisco, the nearly completed structure survived the earthquake of 1906. Although heavily damaged by the subsequent fires, the hotel was renovated under the eye of architect Julia Morgan and it was later acquired by Benjamin Swig in 1945. Starting in the 1960s, Fairmont began developing a chain of luxury hotels in major cities across the United States. After purchasing Fairmont in 1999, Canadian Pacific Limited split into five companies in a 2001 starburst move designed to increase the valuations of its individual divisions. The former Canadian Pacific Hotels division took on the name of the much smaller Fairmont chain to reflect the new focus of the new company. In 2004, Fairmont Hotels & Resorts Inc. paid $70 million to take control of the management company that runs its properties. Fairmont completed the acquisition of the 16.5 per cent stake in the Fairmont management company from U. S. -based Maritz Wolff & Co. for about $70 million. The management company partnership stemmed from a deal that saw Fairmonts predecessor company, Canadian Pacific Hotels and that transaction led, in 2001, to the creation and IPO of Fairmont Hotels & Resorts, a Toronto-based owner of luxury hotel properties. The new hotel management company created was 67 per cent owned by Fairmont, Kingdom disposed of its stake the partnership in return for Fairmont parent stock in 2002, leaving Maritz Wolff as the remaining partner. Two months later, the U. S. company triggered an option under the original deal that created the management company. In October 2005, Fairmont dipped to a low of $35. 53–37 cents lower than its closing price on its debut in August 2001. In early 2006, after a bidding war started by investor Carl Icahn. Icahn lost the bid and Fairmont agreed to be sold for $3.9 billion USD, to Colony Capital, LLC and Saudi Arabias Kingdom Hotels International. At the time of the purchase, FRHI also owned Canadas Delta Hotels & Resorts, however, Delta was sold on 2 October 2007 to bcIMC, the British Columbia Investment Management Corporation. In October 2008, Fairmont Hotels & Resorts was named one of Canadas Top 100 Employers by Mediacorp Canada Inc. and was featured in Macleans newsmagazine, later that month, it was also named one of Greater Torontos Top Employers, which was announced by the Toronto Star newspaper. In April 2010, Kingdom Hotels sold part of its stake in Raffles Holdings International in a deal worth about $847 million, to a group of investors, including an affiliate of Qatar’s sovereign wealth fund
34.
Ibis Budget
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Ibis Budget Hotels, is an international chain of basic-service budget hotels owned by the AccorHotels Group. There are several branches in cities and close to transport hubs like the Eurotunnel terminal in Coquelles. The chain competes with chains like Holiday Inn Express and Travelodge in Europe, the rooms are simply furnished and in most cases the walls are whitewashed. Rooms typically contain amenities such as a desk, television, a double bed or a double with a bunk bed, a shower, a basin. Within the UK, the former Etap hotels do not include tea/coffee making facilities in the room, in some locations the rooms and entrance have coded locks. Some rooms may also have Wi-Fi, a towel and a bar of soap come as standard, with other toiletries for purchase at the reception. Items such as ironing boards and irons are available for hire. All Ibis Budget hotels have a breakfast area, a reception and, at some locations, there are over 370 hotels within Europe, most of which are in France. There are also ibis budget properties in the Africa and Middle East markets, as well as locations in the Asia-Pacific, as of 2015 there are 537 Ibis Budget hotels total in 17 countries. The older style is found in individual properties and those built before 2000
35.
Ibis (hotel)
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Ibis is an international hotel company owned by AccorHotels, a hotel holding company. AccorHotels is listed on the Paris Stock Exchange and was founded in 1967, Ibis opened its founding hotel in 1974 and in January 2014 the company opened its one-thousandth hotel in Surabaya, Indonesia. Around 400 Ibis Hotels are throughout France and most of the remainder are elsewhere in Europe, the hotels are generally close to city centres, airports or railway stations, and offer low rates compared to many global hotel groups of comparable size. The first Ibis opened in Bordeaux in 1974, and within a decade the chain had expanded throughout the regions of France, standard facilities are a feature of Accors economy hotels, excepting budget sub-brands Formule 1 and Ibis Budget, offering a 24-hour reception. Rooms provide a bathroom and shower room, a desk, a double or two beds, wardrobe space, and international and local channels on the television. The hotel sometimes includes a restaurant or bar offering food early in the morning to noon, generally, the Ibis hotels are seen as having an economy emphasis. Accor is endeavouring to change this by advertising all the achievements, distinctive features. The 15-minute satisfaction contract is an illustration of Ibiss commitment to customer service, if a little hitch threatens to cloud the stay of a guest, the Ibis teams have 15 minutes on the clock to sort it out. And if they do not manage to chase away this pesky cloud in the specified time, the brand has hotels on all continents, in the countries listed below. As of July 1,2015 there are 1,047 Ibis hotels worldwide, the biggest Ibis hotel in the Asia-Pacific region lies in Bandung, West Java with 606 guest rooms, opened on 8 March 2012
36.
Mercure (hotel)
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Mercure is a brand of hotels run by French multinational corporation AccorHotels. The slogan is In Harmony with People and Places Most Mercure hotels are positioned between Ibis and Novotel in the Accor estate. There is also a five branch of Mercure hotels known as Grand Mercure with a chain of 10 Grand Mercure hotels in China under the Chinese brand name Mei Jue. There are about 750 three to four-star Mercure hotels in Europe, in Australia and New Zealand, Grand Mercure Apartments is a growing 4.5 -5 star short and long stay apartment brand. Paul Dubrule and Gerard Pelisson founded Mercure in 1967, the first Mercure hotel was established in 1973 in Saint-Witz, France. Mercure Novotel was taken over in 1975 by Société dInvestissement et dExploitation, in 1983, Mercure expanded into Germany. In 1993, Accor acquired a stake in the Hungarian Pannonia hotel chain with 24 hotels, the group also expanded into Poland, Asia, Turkey, and Africa. In 1994, hotels opened in the Caribbean, Guyana and Réunion, in 1995, Mercure established themselves in Spain, Sweden, Egypt, Oman, and Dubai, and opened a hotel in São Paulo, Brazil. In 1996, hotels opened in Berlin, Barcelona, Offenburg, Weimar, San Sebastián, Bari, Israel, Croatia, in 1997, hotels opened in Estonia, Togo, Madagascar, Colombia, Egypt, Morocco, and Lebanon. In France, Accor acquired 33 Frantour hotels and rebranded them, the group also expanded the brand into the United Kingdom. In 1998, the ten hotels of the Dutch hotel chain Postiljon were acquired, in 1999,148 hotels were integrated into the network, including 42 Libertel hotels,27 hotels in Germany and 27 in Australia. New hotels were opened in Algeria, Morocco, Mauritania, Jordan, Lebanon, Saudi Arabia, in 2014, Mercure hotel was opened in Latvia. On February 19,2015 The Grand Hotel, Mercure Leicester, the Mercure Abu Dhabi Center Hotel recycles 30 percent of its approximately 1.9 tonnes of waste each month. Built in 1979 and renovated in 1997 the Mercure Abu Dhabi is one of the country’s oldest hotels, since implementation of their recycling program the hotel’s water bills have plummeted by 25 percent and their electric bills are down by 10 percent. Mercure announced the addition of three hotels to their brand in Recife, Brazil in February,2015, with the expectation of opening by May 2015, the hotels will replace three from the Pontes Hotels & Resorts network. The new hotels will be the Mercure Recife Mar Hotels Conventions, the Grand Mercure Recife Atlante Plaza, MGallery is a collection of 50 boutique hotels in 21 countries offering luxury architecture, interior design and services. Each MGallery hotel and resort has a focus on local culture and heritage. On February 192015 Accorhotels announced the sale and management-back agreement for the Zurich MGallery hotel, the agreement was made with a private investor who is already an Accor franchiser
37.
Novotel
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Novotel is a mid-up scale hotel brand within the AccorHotels group, typically slotting between the Mercure and Pullman brands. Novotel has close to 400 hotels and resorts in 60 countries, Novotel opened its first hotel in 1967 in Lille Lesquin, France. Hotel management said in a statement that the number of people staying in the room did not correspond with the number registered at the reception, the extra guests were seen moving around inside the hotel, and calls for an explanation remained unanswered, the hotel said. The activists later complained they had been detained in their room after the forced entry. Seven of the guests sued Novotel for this incident in September 2014
38.
Suite Novotel
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Suite Novotel is a chain of 3-star hotels owned by the Accor Group, it is a relatively new fast-growing chain targeting families and businessmen. The rooms cost upwards of €100, the hotel also has wireless internet access in every room. Rooms come with a video on demand system. Communal facilities include a room, a gym, a breakfast area, a bar
39.
Pullman Hotels and Resorts
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Pullman Hotels and Resorts is an upscale international hotel brand owned by AccorHotels. As of July 2015 Pullman had 99 hotels in 28 countries, Pullman Hotels was an upscale hotel chain part of the Compagnie Internationale des Wagons-Lits. It was taken over by AccorHotels who merged this chain with Sofitel in 1993, in 2007 the group recreated the brand for hotels dedicated to business travellers. Media related to Pullman hotels at Wikimedia Commons Pullman Hotels and Resorts Official Website
40.
Raffles Hotels & Resorts
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Raffles Hotels & Resorts is a collection of luxury properties located in major cities around the globe. Each hotel is designed to have its own distinct personality, the company also owns Fairmont and Raffles branded Residences, Estates and luxury private residence club properties. Raffles Hotels & Resorts was formed in 1989 to restore, redevelop, the Raffles Hotel reopened after a complete restoration on 16 September 1991 to international condemnation. In 1997, the company opened the restored Grand Hotel dAngkor in Siem Reap, Cambodia, thereafter, Raffles Hotels and Resorts further expanded its portfolio of properties with the acquirement of two European hotels, Browns Hotel in London and Hotel Vier Jahreszeiten in Hamburg. The Raffles’ lifestyle concepts were extended to Europe through the opening of two signature restaurants –1837 in Brown’s Hotel and Doc Cheng’s in Hotel Vier Jahreszeiten. The name ‘Amrita’ is an ancient Sanskrit word meaning the ‘elixir of youth’, October 2000 marked the arrival of the Raffles International brand to North America with the acquisition of L’Ermitage, Beverly Hills, located on Burton Way. On 1 January 2002, the re-branded Raffles The Plaza in Singapore joined the Raffles Hotels & Resorts group of hotels, on May 16,2002, Raffles Hotels & Resorts Limited and Hotel Okura Co Ltd signed a Memorandum of Understanding for a strategic alliance. Under this strategic alliance, both parties will discuss and explore business opportunities and joint marketing and promotion activities, Ltd, with 23 hotels, has a strong domestic network in Japan and elsewhere. In August 2003, Raffles Hotels & Resorts signed its fourth management agreement with Canouan Resorts Development Ltd to operate a resort on Canouan Island. Named Raffles Resort Canouan Island, Grenadines, the resort has 156 accommodations, an 18-hole golf course, on May 4,2004, the Montreux Palace was renamed Raffles Le Montreux Palace, adding to the portfolio of Raffles brand hotels around the world. In August 2004, the tied up with Taj Hotels, Resorts. In April 2005, Raffles Hotels and Resorts Limited signed an agreement with the Beijing Tourism Group, to re-brand, after carrying out some renovations and refurbishment, it was re-launched as the Raffles Beijing in 2006. Raffles Hotels & Resorts signed a management contract with Dubai-based diversified business conglomerate, Wafi Group, Raffles Dubai marks the Wafi Groups expansion into the growing Middle East market. On 18 October 2007, Raffles Hotels and Resorts signed an agreement with Royal Monceau Pte Ltd to manage Le Royal Monceau in Paris, the hotel will join Raffles Hotels and Resorts’ collection of luxury properties in winter 2008. In December 2015, AccorHotels has announced the plan to acquire the Raffles Hotels and this has become effective as of July 2016
41.
Sofitel
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Sofitel is a French hotel chain under AccorHotels. It opened its first property in Strasbourg in 1964 and its first overseas opening was in 1974. In 1995, Sofitel had 100 hotels in 40 countries and employed 12,500 people, two years later, Sofitel joined the Accor Group, founded in 1983 and in 2000, opened properties in Philadelphia and New York. In 2005, Sofitel continued its expansion with Sofitel Asia Pacific, in 2008, Sofitel became its own unit in the Accor group with 120 Hotels worldwide. The same magazine voted the Sofitel Berlin Gendarmenmarkt the Worlds Best Small City Hotel in 2009, the Sofitel Buenos Aires, Sofitel Cartagena Santa Clara, Sofitel Legend Metropole Hanoi, Sofitel Angkor Phokeethra Golf and Spa Resort can be found on the Condé Nast Traveler Gold List 2010. Sofitel London St. James was ranked the 8th in UK business hotels of the Readers Travel Awards 2010
42.
Home Inn
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Homeinns Co. Ltd, doing business as Home Inns Group or Home Inns & Hotels Management Inc. is a hotel chain in China. Its headquarters are in the Xuhui District, Shanghai and its English slogan is your home away from home. Home Inn is the largest budget hotel chain in China, ji Qi founded the chain in 2001, and the chain began in 2002. Private equity funded the hotel chain, in October 2006 it was listed on Nasdaq in the United States. IDG Ventures invested in the company, causing it to raise $109 million U. S. dollars in its 2006 Nasdaq listing, in 2007 Home Inn considered building hotels in Taiwan. In October 2007 Home Inn purchased Top Star, a company that had been established two years prior. The transaction netted Home Inn an additional 26 hotels, as of 2008 the company had around 250 hotels, and Home Inn, Motel 168 and Jinjiang Inn together controlled 44% of Chinas budget hotel market. At that time the company planned to increase the number to 1,000, the chain acquired Motel 168 in October 2011. Brands include Home Inn, Motel 168, Yitel, and Fairyland Hotel, Yitel is a business-oriented brand of Home Inn. 3 April 2016 Yitel Issue in Beijing Wangjing 798 area became a hot research in Chinas social media Weibo, a woman was violently assaulted by a strange man in the hotel elevator and during the violence, there were no security guard or hotel staff to help. The police department did not register for an investigation immediately after the young woman report the issue to the police, not until the issue became a hot research in China’s social media Weibo, people in Home Inn did not give any response to the issue. Home Inn Investor information Old Home Inns website
Media related to Radisson Hotels & Resorts at Wikimedia Commons
