P R E S S R E L E A S E

Transcription

1 P R E S S R E L E A S E Grand opening ceremony for angelo Katowice Sixth angelo hotel opens in Katowice first one in Poland 4-star design hotel initiates new era of modern design in the industrial and commercial city Katowice is one of Poland s most rapidly developing markets Katowice/Vienna, 30 April 2010 Following the opening of the new angelo hotel in Katowice for the first hotel guests in early March, real estate developers Warimpex and UBM and hotel management firm Vienna International have officially celebrated its opening in Katowice, one of the most important commercial and industrial cities in Poland. The hotel offers a total of 203 rooms and eight conference rooms and is specially tailored to the needs of the many business travellers in the region. Poland has been a strong market in the past, even in challenging times. This reinforced our strategic decision to continue focusing on the Polish market, said CEO Franz Jurkowitsch on Warimpex s strongest market. After having proven the special concept of the angelo brand in Prague, Bucharest, Munich, Plzeň and Ekaterinburg, I am convinced that this success story will continue with the 4-star design hotel in Katowice. The new angelo hotel Katowice is a typical anticyclical investment. We started construction during the real estate crisis and are now opening the hotel just in time for the economic recovery, a feat that required perfect timing. We feel confident that Katowice will be a booming area in the coming years, said the CEO of UBM, Karl Bier. With a population of 340,000, the city of Katowice is one of the most important centres of business in Poland. Especially over the past few years, Katowice has presented itself as a city that is open to change and has plenty to offer in terms of culture. The geographical and cultural diversity of the region surrounding Katowice makes the city very attractive for visitors from all over the world. The hotel market in Katowice is currently one of the most rapidly developing markets in Poland, and the new angelo hotel Katowice with its modern look will definitely bring some fresh wind into the city. The city lies at an important crossroads in Europe and, as the centre of the Upper Silesian industrial region, is a powerful driver of the economy. Upper Silesia is the most industrialised region in Poland and represents a very unique economic opportunity for foreign investors. It is also the most populated region in Poland, with 4.7 million residents.

2 The construction of this 4-star hotel will allow us to offer our guests and business travellers a product that has already proven its worth in several countries. With the economic boom in the Silesian city of Katowice in Poland and the resulting promise of continuously strong bed occupancy rates, we are confident that our newest venture will be very successful, said Rudolf Tucek, CEO of Vienna International Hotelmanagement AG, expressing his positive outlook for the future. The 4-star angelo Hotel is located in the middle of the city s commercial district. The 203-room business hotel features an executive floor as well as 17 apartments with a separate cooking area perfect for longer stays. A special feature is the 980 m² conference area consisting of eight lightflooded meeting rooms and a conference room for up to 300 people, making this the largest conference centre in all of Katowice. Guests looking for sport and exercise to balance out a strenuous day will enjoy the hotel s fitness area with state-of-the-art cardio devices the perfect place to regenerate, followed by a relaxing sauna visit. Thanks to its location and special service, the new hotel promises to be especially attractive for business travellers while also an excellent choice for city and culture tourists. The angelo design hotels represent a fresh and modern atmosphere with select colours and forms creating an environment that is just as conducive to work as it is for relaxation. The design concept includes a blend of intense black, coral red and yellow tones highlighted by Oriental furnishings and accessories. Contact hotel: angelo Hotel Katowice ul. Sokolska 24, PL Katowice Tel.: , Fax: info@angelo-katowice.com,

3 About Warimpex Finanz- und Beteiligungs AG Warimpex Finanz- und Beteiligungs AG is a real estate development and investment company with headquarters in Vienna and offices in Budapest, Prague, Saint Petersburg and Warsaw. In the last 25 years, Warimpex has developed properties in Central and Eastern Europe with a total value of more than one billion euro. Warimpex currently owns or co-owns 21 business and luxury hotels with more than 5,000 rooms as well as five commercial and office buildings with a total floor area of approx. 32,000 m² mainly in Central and Eastern Europe. A number of further real estate projects are currently under development. In the medium term, Warimpex aims at becoming market leader in hotel real estate in New Europe. Warimpex is listed under WXF on the Vienna and Warsaw Stock Exchanges. Contact: Christoph Salzer: presse@warimpex.com Daniel Folian: investor.relations@warimpex.com Tel.: About UBM Realitätenentwicklung AG UBM Realitätenentwicklung AG is successfully active in Western, Central and Eastern Europe as a real estate developer and builder. Founded in 1873, UBM today owns new developments and existing properties with a useful area of 360,000 m² and a total lot area of 2.3 million m². The portfolio includes investments in 11 hotels in operation with over 2,800 rooms. UBM has offices in Bulgaria, Germany, France, Croatia, Poland, Romania, Russia, Switzerland, Slovakia, the Czech Republic, Ukraine and Hungary. UBM is listed on the Vienna Stock Exchange. The company pursues a risk-averse and substanceoriented business policy profit is an opinion, cash is a fact. As a result of the diversification by asset classes and markets, UBM has succeeded in closing the difficult recessionary years 2008 and 2009 positive as single of the 10 on the Vienna Stock Exchange listed real estate companies. Contact: Roman Rusy Informationsmanagement Tel.: office@rusy.at

4 About Vienna International Hotelmanagement AG Vienna International Hotelmanagement AG was founded in On the basis of individual management contracts, Vienna International operates and is developing a total of 40 first-class hotels & resorts (38 hotels and 2 hotel projects). The portfolio, which includes three Leading Hotels of the World, comprises city, resort, spa and conference hotels in ten European countries: Austria, the Czech Republic, Poland, Croatia, Switzerland, France, Germany, Romania, Slovakia and Russia. In addition to holiday and leisure products internationally, e.g. in Loipersdorf, Salzburg, Carlsbad and Opatija, the focus of the destinations is on business centres such as Salzburg, Munich, Berlin, Paris, Prague, Cracow, Łódź, Bucharest, Moscow, Ekaterinburg and Vienna. In 2010, Vienna International expects to welcome over 2,517,000 guests and post total revenues of 180 million. The hotel group employs about 2,850 people. Contact: Elisabeth Scheiring, MSc, Head of Corporate Communications Dresdner Str. 87 A-1200 Vienna Tel.: elisabeth.scheiring@vi-hotels.com

5 Facade angelo Katowice Restaurant Sunlight Lobby Bar More pictures are available at: Copyright Vienna International Hotelmanagement AG 1 / 2

6 Junior Suite Conference Room Executive Floor Conference Foyer More pictures are available at: Copyright Vienna International Hotelmanagement AG 2 / 2