Park Plaza Hotels & Resorts
An international hotel brand whose franchise and operating rights are divided between Radisson Hotel Group and Choice Hotels International by region.
Last updated August 22, 2026
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Overview
Park Plaza Hotels & Resorts is an international hotel brand established in 1986 as Park Plaza International Hotels, Inns and Resorts. It was created as a hotel management company and branded lodging business by Jonathan R. Read. The brand developed through a combination of management, licensing, franchising, acquisitions and territorial agreements rather than through a single globally unified operating company. During its early expansion, Park Plaza licensed regional rights to Park Plaza Hotels Limited, which was authorized to operate the brand in Belgium, the Netherlands, Luxembourg, the United Kingdom and Israel. The business also developed relationships with hotel and real-estate investors. In 1997, Park Plaza International was acquired by Olympus Hospitality Group, a division of Olympus Real Estate. A new holding structure, Park Hotels International LLC, was formed in connection with that transaction. At the time, the business controlled both the Park Plaza and Park Inn hotel chains. The late 1990s brought further portfolio activity. In 1998, the Olympus-backed group acquired a controlling interest in the Australian-listed Kemayan Hotels and Leisure company, which was renamed Park Plaza Kemayan. In 1999, Park Plaza Worldwide acquired half of the rights to the art'otel brand and entered into a joint venture with J.E. Robert Companies. These transactions illustrated the group's attempt to build a broader international hospitality platform alongside the core Park Plaza name. A major change came in 2000, when Olympus Hospitality Group and Carlson Hotels Worldwide formed Park Hospitality to develop the Park Plaza, Park Inn, Radisson Hotels & Resorts and Regent International Hotels brands. Carlson subsequently acquired the remaining Olympus stake in Park Plaza and Park Inn in 2003 and also reacquired Asia-Pacific brand rights that had been associated with Park Plaza Kemayan. In parallel, Park Plaza Hotels Limited received exclusive territorial rights for the Park Plaza brand in the Europe, Middle East and Africa region; that company later became Park Plaza Hotels Europe and ultimately PPHE Hotel Group. The brand's ownership and franchise structure later became regional. Carlson's hospitality operations were reorganized under the Radisson Hotel Group name in 2017. Park Plaza introduced a new logo in 2019. In 2022, Choice Hotels International acquired Radisson Hotels Americas for $675 million, including the Park Plaza and Park Inn franchise agreements covering the United States, Canada, Latin America and the Caribbean. Consequently, Park Plaza is associated with Radisson Hotel Group in the EMEA and Asia-Pacific regions and with Choice Hotels in the Americas. Park Plaza generally occupies the full-service hotel and resort segment, serving a mixture of business and leisure guests. Its system can include city hotels, resort properties, meeting and event facilities, food-and-beverage venues and other guest services, although the exact offer varies by property and territory. The brand should therefore be understood as a globally recognized lodging name operated through multiple regional ownership and franchise arrangements rather than as a single publicly listed hotel company.
History
Park Plaza International was founded in 1986 by Jonathan R. Read as a hotel management company and lodging brand. Its growth model relied heavily on territorial licensing and partnerships. In 1994, the Park Plaza brand was licensed to Park Plaza Hotels Limited for operations in Belgium, the Netherlands, Luxembourg, the United Kingdom and Israel. Olympus Hospitality Group, the hospitality division of Olympus Real Estate, acquired Park Plaza International in October 1997. A new parent structure known as Park Hotels International LLC was created in connection with the deal. The group owned both Park Plaza and Park Inn, giving it a platform that included more than one hotel-market segment. In June 1998, the Olympus-backed organization acquired a controlling stake in the Australian-listed Kemayan Hotels and Leisure company. The company was renamed Park Plaza Kemayan. In 1999, Park Plaza Worldwide acquired 50 percent of the rights to the art'otel brand from Dirk Gadeke. It also formed a joint venture with J.E. Robert Companies, which held the majority interest in that venture. The venture was associated with the acquisition of the Park Plaza Orleans Palace in Paris. The ownership structure changed substantially in 2000. Olympus Hospitality Group and Carlson Hotels Worldwide formed Park Hospitality to develop the Park Plaza, Park Inn, Radisson Hotels & Resorts and Regent International Hotels brands. Park Plaza International also acquired the Rockresorts brand in 2000, but that asset was sold the following year. In 2002, Park Plaza Worldwide granted Park Plaza Hotels Limited exclusive territorial rights for the brand in EMEA. That license-holding business was later renamed Park Plaza Hotels Europe and became PPHE Hotel Group. Carlson acquired the remaining Olympus interests in Park Plaza and Park Inn in 2003. It also bought back Asia-Pacific rights that had been held through Park Plaza Kemayan. Carlson later became associated with Rezidor's international hotel operations, and the combined Carlson hospitality business was ultimately presented under the Radisson Hotel Group identity in 2017. Park Plaza announced a new logo in 2019. The brand's territorial structure changed again in the Americas after Choice Hotels International acquired Radisson Hotels Americas in 2022 for $675 million. That transaction included Park Plaza and Park Inn franchise agreements in the United States, Canada, Latin America and the Caribbean. Radisson Hotel Group retained the Park Plaza brand relationship in EMEA and Asia-Pacific, while Choice Hotels became the relevant franchise platform in the Americas. Park Plaza therefore has a complex history as a licensed and franchised hotel brand. Its name has been connected with city hotels, resorts, accommodation for business and leisure travelers, and meetings and events. The brand's current presence and operating arrangements vary according to territory and individual property ownership.
- 2022
Choice Hotels acquired Radisson Hotels Americas
[1]Choice Hotels acquired the Park Plaza franchise agreements covering the Americas through its purchase of Radisson Hotels Americas.
- 2019
New Park Plaza logo
[1]Park Plaza introduced a new logo as part of its brand identity development.
- 2017
Carlson hospitality business adopted the Radisson Hotel Group identity
[1]The Carlson hospitality business was renamed and reorganized under Radisson Hotel Group.
- 2003
Carlson consolidated ownership
[1]Carlson acquired the remaining Park Plaza and Park Inn interests from Olympus and reacquired Asia-Pacific rights.
- 2000
Park Hospitality partnership with Carlson
[1]Olympus Hospitality Group and Carlson Hotels Worldwide formed Park Hospitality to develop several international hotel brands.
- 1999
Expansion into art'otel and a Paris joint venture
[1]Park Plaza Worldwide acquired half of the art'otel brand rights and entered a joint venture with J.E. Robert Companies.
- 1998
Kemayan Hotels and Leisure was renamed Park Plaza Kemayan
[1]The Park Plaza organization acquired a controlling stake in Kemayan Hotels and Leisure and changed its name to Park Plaza Kemayan.
- 1997
Acquisition by Olympus Hospitality Group
[1]Olympus Hospitality Group acquired Park Plaza International and formed a related holding company for the hotel group.
- 1994
European and Israeli licensing agreement
[1]Park Plaza Hotels Limited received rights to operate the Park Plaza brand in Belgium, the Netherlands, Luxembourg, the United Kingdom and Israel.
- 1986
Park Plaza International was founded
[1]Jonathan R. Read established Park Plaza International as a hotel management company and lodging brand.
Products and positioning
An upper-midscale to upscale full-service hotel and resort brand serving business and leisure travelers, with a geographically distributed franchise and licensing model.
Full-service hotels · 1986
Park Plaza Hotels
The core Park Plaza offer consists of full-service hotels in urban and other destination settings. Properties are designed to serve business and leisure guests and may include restaurants, bars, meeting rooms, event facilities and guest services. Because the brand operates through regional franchise, licensing and ownership structures, the accommodation style and amenities differ by property and market.
Resorts
Park Plaza Resorts
Park Plaza's resort presence extends the brand beyond city accommodation into leisure-oriented destinations. Resort properties provide lodging and associated hospitality services for vacationers and other leisure travelers. The available facilities, local positioning and ownership arrangements vary by individual property, so the resort label does not represent one uniform operating format worldwide.
Hospitality services
Meetings and events
Many Park Plaza properties support conferences, business meetings, social functions and other events. These services typically combine meeting space with accommodation and food-and-beverage operations. The scale and exact facilities are property-specific and are not standardized across all territories.
Brand decisions
2022
Transfer of Park Plaza Americas franchise agreements to Choice HotelsM&ABackground
Choice Hotels International purchased Radisson Hotels Americas, changing the corporate platform associated with Park Plaza franchise rights in the Americas.
Action taken
Choice Hotels acquired the Park Plaza and Park Inn franchise agreements for the United States, Canada, Latin America and the Caribbean.
Aftermath
Park Plaza became regionally divided: Choice Hotels handled the Americas franchise relationship, while Radisson Hotel Group continued the brand relationship in EMEA and Asia-Pacific.
Acquisition price. $675 million (2022 transaction)
2019
Park Plaza visual identity updateOtherBackground
The established hotel brand continued to develop its identity within the Radisson-related hospitality portfolio.
Action taken
Park Plaza announced a new logo.
Aftermath
The new logo became part of the brand's subsequent visual presentation.
2000
Creation of Park HospitalityStrategyBackground
Olympus Hospitality Group and Carlson Hotels Worldwide sought to coordinate the development of several hotel brands, including Park Plaza, Park Inn, Radisson Hotels & Resorts and Regent International Hotels.
Action taken
The two companies formed Park Hospitality as a joint platform for brand growth and hotel development.
Aftermath
Carlson later acquired the remaining Olympus interests in Park Plaza and Park Inn, consolidating its role in the brands.
Recent events
- 2022
Choice Hotels acquired Radisson Hotels Americas[1]
M&A
Choice Hotels International purchased Radisson Hotels Americas for $675 million, acquiring Park Plaza and Park Inn franchise agreements for the United States, Canada, Latin America and the Caribbean.
- 2019
Park Plaza introduced a new logo[1]
Product generation
The Park Plaza brand announced a new visual identity and logo.
- 2017
Carlson hospitality operations became part of Radisson Hotel Group[1]
M&A
Carlson's hospitality business was reorganized under the Radisson Hotel Group name, which became the regional owner or franchisor of Park Plaza rights in EMEA and Asia-Pacific.
- 2003
Carlson acquired the remaining Park Plaza and Park Inn interests[1]
M&A
Carlson acquired the remaining stake in the Park Plaza and Park Inn brands from Olympus Hospitality Group and bought back Asia-Pacific rights associated with Park Plaza Kemayan.
- 2000
Carlson and Olympus formed Park Hospitality[1]
M&A
Carlson Hotels Worldwide and Olympus Hospitality Group established Park Hospitality to expand several hotel brands, including Park Plaza and Park Inn.
- 1998
Park Plaza International took control of Kemayan Hotels and Leisure[1]
M&A
The Olympus-backed Park Plaza organization acquired a controlling interest in the Australian-listed Kemayan Hotels and Leisure company, which was renamed Park Plaza Kemayan.
- 1997
Olympus Hospitality Group acquired Park Plaza International[1]
M&A
Olympus Hospitality Group, a division of Olympus Real Estate, acquired Park Plaza International and formed a related holding structure for the hotel group.
Sources1 sources
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