Azimut Hotels

Azimut Hotels is a privately held Russian company that manages an international hotel chain.^[4] By mid-2021, it operated 40 hotels in Russia and Europe.^[5] According to Hotels Magazine, in 2015 the company was among the largest hotel networks worldwide. From 2008 to 2013 the company engaged in several significant acquisitions, partnerships and hotel purchases that significantly increased their overall number of properties.

AZIMUT Hotels

Industry	Hospitality
Founded	2004[1]
Founder	Alexander Klyachin
Headquarters	18/1, Olympiyskiy avenue, Moscow, Russia, 129110 (mailing address)
Number of locations	39 hotels[2]
Area served	Europe, Asia-Pacific
Key people	Walter Neumann, Director
Products	Hotels
Services	Hotel management
Revenue	₽3.5 billion (2012)[3]
Net income	180,000,000 Russian ruble (2020)
Number of employees	more than 2000
Website	azimuthotels.com

Azimut Hotels
Chinese	阿兹姆特连锁酒店
Transcriptions Standard Mandarin Hanyu Pinyin Āzīmǔtè Liánsuǒ Jiǔdiàn

Overview

The hotels are located in Russia, Germany, Austria, and Israel. Some of them are of private ownership, and some are based on a management contract or long-term lease contracts. The company was established in 2004 by Alexander Klyachin.^[6] In 2015, the hotel chain consisted of 24 hotels of the category 3 and 4 stars; the total number of Azimut rooms is about 8 thousand.^[3]

The hotel chain was rated in 2015 as amongst the largest hotel networks worldwide, according to Hotels Magazine.^[7] As of 2018, the hotel chain counted 29 properties across three countries.^[2]

Business model

Renovation of Soviet hotels

In Russia, the business model of Azimut Hotels is based on the reconstruction and modernization of hotels built during the Soviet period. For example, it renovated the hotel National in Samara, which was renamed Azimut Hotel Samara since 2006 and is on renovation since 2014. There has been also the modernization of hotels in Ufa, Kostroma, St. Petersburg, Vladivostok and other Russian cities.^[8]

SMART concept

Azimut Hotels developed SMART concept for the hotel rooms. The main idea of the concept is combination of a minimal design in the classic German school of thought, multifunctional furniture and ergonomics.^[9] The color scheme of the SMART spaces includes berry tones with darker wood floors and warm eclectic lighting.^[10]

China Friendly

The company joined China Friendly to create a comfortable environment for Chinese tourists. Special conditions for travellers from China include Chinese-speaking staff, Chinese breakfast, information materials and website in Chinese. The first hotels to join the program were Azimut Moscow Olympic Hotel and Azimut Hotel Vladivostok.^[11]

Ownership and management

The main shareholder and chairman of the board of directors is Alexander Klyachin.^[12] He also has owned since August 2012 the Hotel Metropol Moscow^[13][14] and development company KR Properties.^[15]

Since November 2013, the company is headed by Walter Neumann^[9] who previously worked for Rocco Forte Hotels as a Director of the St. Petersburg hotels Astoria and Angleterre.^[16]

History

In 2004, Alexander Klyachin acquired his first hotels in Samara,^[4] Kostroma and Ufa.^[17] In 2005, the hotel chain expanded with hotels in Saint Petersburg,^[18] Vladivostok, Astrakhan and Murmansk.^[19]

In 2007, the company had become one of the largest hotel chains in Russia: its turnover amounted to 54 million US dollars with an annual growth rate of 30%.^[20] In 2008, the hotels in Germany and Austria were acquired and control over the assets was transferred through management contracts and franchise agreements (for a period of 20–25 years).^{[clarification needed][21][22]} The European office was located in Berlin.^[23]

In 2010, the hotel chain acquired hotels in Novosibirsk,^[24] and took over the management contract Voronezh.^[25] In 2011, the hotel chain acquired a hotel in Nizhny Novgorod.^[26] As at the end of 2012, the company's revenue amounted to 3.5 billion rubles.^[3]

Since 2013, the company has controlled the largest hotel complex in Sochi. The Azimut Hotel Sochi was opened in anticipation of the 2014 Winter Olympics in Sochi.^[27][9] At the end of 2013, the hotel chain also acquired the 487 room Azimut Moscow Olympic Hotel, which was renamed from the "Olympic Penta".^[28]

In April 2015, the Vienna Delta Hotel joined Azimut Hotels chain.^[29] In May 2015, Azimut Hotel Vladivostok, the biggest investment project in the Russians Far East in 2014-2015 and the first SMART hotel in the region, opened after renovation. With 378 modern rooms, it is also the largest hotel in the area. Investment in this project exceeded €20 million.^[30] In 2015, Azimut Hotels started cooperation with the countries of Asia-Pacific region. The first step was a Service Voluntary Certification Program China Friendly, Chinese: 友好中国.

The Moscow Hotel 'Belgrad' was bought by the Azimut Hotel chain in 2014.^[31] The hotel was closed for renovation in 2016. The hotel was projected in 2016 to be reopened as Azimut Moscow Smolenskaya Hotel.^[32]

History of Hotels under brand Azimut

Azimut Hotel Saint Petersburg is the 156th largest hotel in the world as per foreign ranking agencies.

Azimut Hotel Sochi was the largest European hotel with 2880 rooms opened in 2013 prior to 2014 Winter Olympics in Sochi.^[33]

Arctic 18-floors building tallest beyond the Polar circle.^[34]

Azimut Hotel Moscow Tulskaya Moscow loft-hotel is the former Danilovskaya manufactory ^[ru] built in 1867 and restored later on^[35] (concept by Bruzkus Batek Architects and Reardonsmith Architects).

No.	Name of the hotel	City, Country	Room stock	Former name	Year of construction
1	Azimut Moscow Tulskaya Hotel 3*	Moscow, Russia	144	former bureau of Danilovskaya manufactory [ru][36]	1867
2	Azimut Moscow Olympic Hotel 4*	Moscow, Russia	496	Olympic Penta, Olympic Penta Renaissance	1991
3	Azimut Hotel Saint-Petersburg 3*	Saint Petersburg, Russia	581[37]	Sovetskaya Hotel	1967
4	Azimut Hotel Sochi 3*[38]	Sochi, Russia	2880	—	2013
5	Azimut Hotel Astrakhan	Astrakhan, Russia	242	Lotos Hotel	1971
6	Azimut Hotel Vladivostok 4*	Vladivostok, Russia	378	Vladivostok Hotel
7	Azimut Hotel Voronezh 3*	Voronezh, Russia	308	Brno Hotel	1984
8	Azimut Hotel Kostroma 3*	Kostroma, Russia	90	Intourist Kostroma Hotel[39]	1991
9	Azimut Hotel Murmansk 4*[40][41]	Murmansk, Russia	186	Arktika Hotel	1984
10	Azimut Hotel Nizhny Novgorod 3*	Nizhny Novgorod, Russia	157	Nizhegorodskaya Hotel[42]	1965
11	Azimut Hotel Samara 3*	Samara, Russia	96	National Hotel[43]	1906
12	Azimut Hotel Siberia 3*	Novosibirsk, Russia	259	Intourist Siberia Hotel[44]	1991
13	Azimut Hotel Ufa 3*	Ufa, Russia	204	Rossiya Hotel[45]	1967
14	A Hotel Fontanka 3*	Saint Petersburg, Russia	456	former part of Sovetskaya Hotel	1967
15	A Hotel Amur Bay 3*	Vladivostok, Russia	203	former part of Vladivostok Hotel
16	Azimut Hotel Berlin Kurfurstendamm 3*[46]	Berlin, Germany	133	Hotel Belmondo Berlin (Austrian Hotel Company); Hardenberg; Frühling am Zoo	1920-е
17	Azimut Hotel Berlin City South 3*[47]	Berlin, Germany	156	Best Western Eurohotel Berlin (Schönefeld) Airport; Sorat	1994
18	Azimut Hotel Dresden 3*[48]	Dresden, Germany	64	Hotel Belmondo Dresden; Coventry-Hotel	1992, Altbau [de] 1895
19	Azimut Hotel Cologne City Center 3*[49]	Cologne, Germany	190	Belmondo	2008, Altbau [de] 1925[50]
20	Azimut Hotel Munich City East 3*[51][52]	Munich, Germany	167	—	2008
21	Azimut Hotel Erding 3* [48]	Erding, Germany	55	Euro Suites Hotel	1995
22	Azimut Hotel Nuremberg 3*[53]	Nuremberg, Germany	118	Azimut Eurohotel & Suites	1991
23	Azimut Vienna Delta Hotel 4*[54]	Austria, Vienna	180	Delta Hotel Vienna	2006
24	Euro Hotel Vienna Airport 3*[54]	Austria, Vienna	114	Euro Hotel; Marco-Polo Hotel; Airport Hotel Vienna	1992

References

1. Ovcharenko, Rudenko & Barashok 2015, p. 38
2. "Our history, geography - official website of AZIMUT Hotels chain". en.azimuthotels.com. Retrieved 2018-02-15.
3. "Azimut: Companies' list from the newspaper Vedomosti" (in Russian). Vedomosti, Sanoma Independent Media. Retrieved 18 December 2015.
4. Patrick Mayock (19 April 2012). "Azimut strengthens foothold in Russia". Hotel News Now. Retrieved 4 December 2015.
5. "Дело в связях: Kempinski в Геленджике откроется под брендом "Метрополь"" [Connections matter: Kempinski hotel in Gelendzhik will open under the Metropol brand name] (in Russian). RBC. 1 April 2021. Retrieved 5 August 2021.
6. "Alexander Klyachin, Chairman of the Board of Directors at Azimut Hotels" [Russia's 200 Richest People 2015 ranking]. Forbes Russia (in Russian). 2015. Retrieved 14 December 2015.
7. "HOTELS 325 ranking of the world's biggest hotel companies, July/August 2015" [AZIMUT Hotels ranks 150 out of the 325 rating participants] (PDF). Hotels magazine. 2015. Retrieved 18 December 2015.
8. Ovcharenko, Rudenko & Barashok 2015, p. 166
9. Patrick Mayock (5 December 2013). "Azimut strengthens foothold in Russia". Hotel News Now. Retrieved 4 December 2015.
10. "Azimut Hotel Saint-Petersburg and Berlin-based Bruzkus Batek Architects" [Perspectives sketchbook]. Hospitality Design. 1 May 2015.
11. "China Friendly Program". Travel Association «World Without Borders» (in Chinese). Archived from the original on 2018-04-11. Retrieved 2019-05-20.
12. "Alexander Klyachin to receive Visionary Award". Property Magazine International. 19 September 2013. Retrieved 18 December 2015.
13. "Russia's historic Hotel Metropol that was seized by Vladimir Lenin put up for sale". Telegraph Media Group Limited. 30 August 2012.
14. Yulia Petrova; Svetlana Danilova; Anton Filatov (10 July 2010). "Alexander Klyachin will build a hotel for Hyatt". Vedomosti (in Russian). Retrieved 18 December 2015.
15. "Among the 30 largest Russian developers according to RosBusinessConsulting". RBC Business Magazine (in Russian). 28 May 2014. Retrieved 18 December 2015.
16. "Persons: resignation and appointment" [Walter Neumann appointed as CEO of Azimut Hotels]. Vedomosti No. 3480 (in Russian). 25 November 2013. Retrieved 18 December 2015.
17. "Azimut Hotels History". Azimut Hotels Press Center.
18. "The Azimut Hotels chain bought the hotel Sovetskaya in St. Petersburg" [Federals Hotels chain]. Expert (in Russian). 18 September 2006. Retrieved 14 December 2015.
19. Eva Hartog (29 September 2014). "Soviet-Era Arktika Hotel Reflects Murmansk's Turbulent History" [Hotel Arktika: Tallest Building North of the Arctic Circle]. The Moscow Times. Retrieved 14 December 2015.
20. Chudnowski, Zhukova & Kormisheva 2014, p. 25
21. "The hospitality and the competition" [There are more than 210,000 hotel rooms in Russia]. Izvestia (in Russian). 23 June 2008. Archived from the original on 25 September 2015. Retrieved 18 December 2015.
22. Kirill Krukov; Anton Filatov; Bela Lyauv (4 April 2008). "Azimut Hotel Company acquired Austrian Hotel Company (AHC)" [Alexander Klyachin became an hotelier]. Vedomosti (in Russian). Retrieved 18 December 2015.
23. Vorontsova 2014, pp. 87–88
24. Mikhail Rudnev (10 August 2010). "Azimut Hotels chain took over the management of the Novosibirsk hotel for 20 years". Vedomosti, No. 2665 (in Russian). Retrieved 18 December 2015.
25. "Azimut manages the largest hotel in Voronezh". RIA Novosti Realty (in Russian). 3 November 2010. Retrieved 18 December 2015.
26. Elena Evseeva; Alexey Valugin (3 July 2009). "Azimut in Nizhny Novgorod". Kommersant, No. 118 (in Russian). Retrieved 18 December 2015.
27. Aminov, Halil (21 May 2013). "Viktor Vekselberg appointed Azimut (Alexander Klyachin) to manage its hotels in Sochi". Kommersant, No. 84 (in Russian). Retrieved 18 December 2015.
28. M. V., Arifullin; L. S., Morosova (2012). The Strategy of transnational hotel chains’ creation and development [Monograph] (in Russian). Moscow, Russia: MATHC. pp. 178, 180. ISBN 978-5-9630-0022-9. Archived from the original on 2022-06-16. Retrieved 2015-12-18.
29. Wolfgang Tropf (21 April 2015). "AZIMUT: Zweites Hotel für russische Kette in Wien" [Mit dem AZIMUT Vienna Delta Hotel haben die russischen AZIMUT Hotels soeben ein zweites Hotel in Wien eröffnet]. Österreichs News-Portal für Reise und Tourismus (in German). Archived from the original on 2015-09-25. Retrieved 18 December 2015.
30. Theodore Koumelis (10 May 2015). "AZIMUT Hotel Vladivostok — the biggest hotel and investment project in the Far East". TravelDailyNews Asia-Pacific. Archived from the original on 22 December 2015. Retrieved 4 December 2015.
31. Ludmila Klementjeva (22 April 2014). "Azimut Hotels купил гостиницу "Белград"" [Azimut Hotels has bought hotel 'Belgrad' which is situated against The Ministry of Foreign Affairs in Moscow]. Vedomosti (in Russian). Retrieved 1 February 2016.
32. Vladimir Mironov (text), Nikolai Kruzhkov (Photo) (21 January 2016). "Близнецы на Смоленской: как изменится гостиница "Белград" после реконструкции" [New exterior of hotel 'Belgrad' after renovation or Twin brother towers at Smolenskaya Square in Mosocow]. RosBusinessConsulting (in Russian). Retrieved 1 February 2016.
33. "The largest European hotel complex was opened in Olympics park". Vedomosti, Interfax (in Russian). 6 December 2013. Retrieved 18 December 2015.
34. "Azimut Hotels joins the rating of largest hotel chains worldwide" [AZIMUT Hotel Murmansk 4**** – the world's largest hotel North of the Arctic circle]. Hotels magazine (Europe). 4 August 2015. Archived from the original on 2015-12-22. Retrieved 14 December 2015.
35. Yulia Petrova (31 May 2012). "Azimut Hotels opens its first hotel in Moscow". Vedomosti (in Russian). Retrieved 17 December 2015.
36. Maria Antonova (July/August 2012) (2012). "The Azimut Hotels chain has opened its first property in the capital". Russian Life. Archived from the original on 2015-12-21. Retrieved 2015-12-18.{{cite journal}}: CS1 maint: numeric names: authors list (link)
37. total number of rooms is 1037 with «Fontanka» building
38. "Azimut Hotel Sochi and Radisson Blu Paradise Resort were opened in Sochi". RosBusinessConsulting Krasnodar Krai (in Russian). 6 December 2013. Retrieved 18 December 2015.
39. "Intourist Kostroma Hotel is becoming Azimut Hotel Kostroma". REGNUM News Agency (in Russian). 8 September 2006. Retrieved 18 December 2015.
40. "Hotel Arctic is on reconstruction". Real estate bulletin (BN newspaper) (in Russian). 21 May 2008. Retrieved 18 December 2015.
41. "2 billion rubles were invested into the reconstruction of Arctic". Interfax Realty (in Russian). 15 September 2014. Archived from the original on 25 September 2015. Retrieved 18 December 2015.
42. "Net profit Of Nizhegorodskaya Hotel increased in 27 times in 2013". RosBusinessConsulting Nizhny Novgorod (in Russian). 23 March 2014. Retrieved 18 December 2015.
43. "New status of National Hotel in Samara" [New Image and brand for oldest Samara's]. Information Group of 63 region (in Russian). 22 September 2006. Retrieved 18 December 2015.
44. Dmitry Mikhalev (8 June 2011). "Azimut conducted a rebranding of one of the biggest hotels in Novosibirsk". RIA Novosti Realty (in Russian). Retrieved 18 December 2015.
45. S. G., Sinenko (2007). Old and New Ufa [Popular encyclopedia] (in Russian). Ufa, Russia: Governments Bashkortostan Publishing House. ISBN 978-5-8258-0236-7.
46. "Aus Belmondo wird Azimut Hotel Berlin Kurfürstendamm" [Neuer Name]. AHGZonline (Allgemeine Hotel- und Gastronomie-Zeitung) (in German). 28 May 2010. Retrieved 18 December 2015.
47. "Nils Jansen neuer Resident Manager im Azimut Hotel Berlin" [Neuer Resident Manager im Azimut Hotel Berlin City South]. AHGZonline (Allgemeine Hotel- und Gastronomie-Zeitung) (in German). 3 January 2012. Retrieved 18 December 2015.
48. "Azimut Hotels expandieren nach Dresden und Erding" [Azimut Hotels expand to Dresden and Erding]. AHGZonline (Allgemeine Hotel- und Gastronomie-Zeitung) (in German). 16 July 2010. Retrieved 18 December 2015. Die Azimut Gruppe eröffnet zwei neue Hotels
49. "Russian Azimut Hotel chain has opened the second hotel in Europe" [The hotel is situated in the highest building of the historical center of Cologne on the Hansaring Square]. RosBusinessConsulting (in Russian). 1 November 2008. Archived from the original on 25 September 2015. Retrieved 18 December 2015.
50. "AZIMUT Hotel Cologne City Center ausgezeichnet als «Bestes Hotel 2013»". City News Köln (in German). 2013-12-15. Retrieved 18 December 2015.
51. "AZIMUT: Start für neues SMART-Konzept in München" [neu gestalteter „Living Lobby“]. tma-online.at (Travel Management Austria) (in German). 7 April 2014. Retrieved 18 December 2015.
52. "AZIMUT Munich City East Sylvia Vesper ist GM". Top hotel (Das Magazin Der Hotellerie) (in German). 3 July 2015. Archived from the original on 13 July 2019. Retrieved 18 December 2015.
53. "AZIMUT Hotels: Rabatt-Aktion im Herbst". tma-online.at (Travel Management Austria) (in German). 25 September 2014. Retrieved 18 December 2015.
54. "AZIMUT eröffnet zweites Hotel in Wien". tma-online.at (Travel Management Austria) (in German). 22 April 2015. Retrieved 18 December 2015.

Bibliography

• Vorontsova, M. G. (2014). Hotel Industry: Theory and Practice [Monograph] (in Russian). Saint Petersburg, Russia: Saint-Petersburg State University of Culture and Arts. ISBN 978-5-94708-194-7.
• Ovcharenko, N. P.; Rudenko, L. L.; Barashok, L. S. (2015). Organization of Hotel Industry [Educational edition] (in Russian). Moscow, Russia: Dashkov & Co. ISBN 978-5-394-02514-3.
• Chudnowski, A. D.; Zhukova, M. A.; Kormisheva, A. V. (2014). Strategic management in Tourism Industry [Educational edition (Tourism, Management)] (in Russian). Moscow, Russia: KnorusMedia. ISBN 978-5-406-01822-4.

External links

Media related to Azimut Hotels at Wikimedia Commons

• Official website
• "Azimut evaluates the investments into the Russian hotel market at 5 billion US dollars". RIA Novosti (in Russian). 21 December 2010. Archived from the original on 22 February 2014. Retrieved 18 December 2015.