The Centre Ville apart-hotel complex in Bucharest will renovate 60 rooms this year, with a budget of around EUR 0.5 million, according to Yilmaz Yildirimlar (in picture), general manager of the Radisson Blu, who also took over the Rezidor - affiliated Centre Ville management last year.

The renovation of the E wing of the complex should start in July this year and is scheduled to be finalized at the end of August. A second stage of this renovation process should start in 2013 for the rest of the complex. “We have to work hard for it and clear some cash,” said Yildirimlar.

The hotel also plans to expand the garden restaurant area with 120 more seats. The manager expects a 7 percent increase in the revenues from the food and beverage segment, following the expansion of the Le Bistro restaurant with the 120 new seats.

Both the five-star Radisson Blu hotel and the Centre Ville apart-hotel are owned by Bucuresti Turism SA, controlled by BEA Hotels Eastern Europe and by SIF Transilvania.

The Radisson Blu hotel in Bucharest has recently been awarded the best hotel in the Carlson group worldwide. “We were surprised we haven't been approached by the Tourism Ministry. We plan to contact them because this would be free of charge marketing for Romania and for Bucharest,” said Yilmaz Yildirimlar. He believes much more can be done for promoting Bucharest as a leisure destination, as the sub-development of this market currently affects all hotels in the city during the week-end.

The Radisson Blu has 718 apartments – 424 in the hotel and 294 in the Centre Ville apart – hotel, as well as 62 luxury apartments. The complex also includes eight restaurants with a total capacity of 800 seats.

Corina Saceanu, corina@romania-insider.com