Swissôtel Hotels & Resorts has announced a further addition to its portfolio of Russian hotels, following the signing of a management contract for a luxury hotel in the Gorky-Gorod mountain resort in Sochi.
The new hotel, to be known as the “Swissôtel Sochi Gorky Gorod” will become Swissôtel Hotels & Resorts’ first ever ski resort in a country where it has already had a long established presence, running the extremely successful Swissôtel Krasnye Holmy in Moscow for several years already.
Swissotel agree deal for first ever ski resort in Sochi, Russia.
Plans are already afoot for the new hotel to play a part in the Winter Olympics to be held in Sochi in 2014. Swissôtel Sochi Gorky Gorod will be included in the Krasnaya Polyana winter sports zone, providing accommodation to athletes and officials for the games. By 2014, officials plan to have up to 59 ski lifts in operation, which will be able to access almost 200 km of ski pistes.
Meinhard Huck, Swissôtel’s president, was enthusiastic about his company’s plans for its new acquisition, saying:
“About 158 elegant rooms and suites, six penthouses, several restaurants and bars, as well as a Spa & Fitness Centre are planned for the new hotel. Most of our company’s hotels are primarily city or business hotels in large metropolises, and this will be our first ski resort. It’s an exciting project, especially given that Krasnaya Polyana is going to be comparable in terms of infrastructure and atmosphere to the most famous mountain resorts in the Alps.”
Sergey Kovalevsky, of NBB Development, the Russian firm responsible for designing and building the hotel, was just as hopeful:
“Thanks to the efforts of the government, the participation of investors and the support of the largest banks in Russia, Sochi has acquired the potential to become the first world class resort in Russia. NBB Development sees its global task in creating a modern, comfortable and safe environment for life and recreation in Russia.”
Krasnya Polyana contains two world class ski villages that will be used during the Olympics, and will be the stage for all outdoor events in the games. In addition, the resort will accommodate over 4,000 foreign journalists during the games at the Olympic Media Village which is being constructed in the area.
As well as the Olympics, the prospects for the Swissôtel Sochi Gorky Gorod and the Krasnya Polyana region look good – located just 40 minutes drive away from the beach resort of Sochi, which attracts more than 4 million tourist visitors from both Russia and abroad each year, the possibility of combining a beach holiday with top class skiing has never been easier.