Albania’s First 5-Star Hotel Opens – The Maritim Hotel Plaza Tirana

Main Photo: The room at the Plaza Tirana

Date: October 2019

Location: Centrally located in Tirana, 15 KM from Tirana International Airport

Name: Maritim Hotel Plaza Tirana

No. of Keys: 190

Seller: The hotel was the former hotel “Plaza Tirana”

Buyer: Albania’s first officially certified 5-star hotel, the new Maritim Hotel Plaza Tirana, was formally opened in the presence of Tourism Minister, Blendi Klosi, German Ambassador, Peter Zingraf, and other invited guests from the worlds of business and politics.

Centrally located at the heart of the Albanian capital, the new Maritim Hotel is surrounded by tourist attractions, renowned museums, the National Theatre and a wide array of shopping facilities.

The Maritim Hotel Plaza Tirana has 190 rooms and suites over 23 floors, with several restaurants and a modern spa and fitness centre, as well as four meeting and conference rooms which boast state-of-the-art technology and can accommodate groups of all sizes. Maritim Hotels runs the hotel on a franchise-basis.

“We took the hotel over as a going concern and have been impressed by the outstanding service and exacting quality standards from the very start,” explains Peter Wennel, the Chief Operating Officer of HMS Hotel Management Services International GmbH who has responsibility for the international expansion of the Maritim Hotels group.

It will boast an additional feature in spring 2020, when a casino located within the new Maritim Hotel will open its doors to the public. “This gives us a genuine USP and will provide an attractive service to our business and private guests,” continues HMS Chief Operating Officer Wennel.

According to the tourism professional, Tirana is a hugely exciting destination for both groups of guests, “Many holidaymakers already consider Albania to be a hidden gem; there is strong support for tourism here at present and many tour operators have their eyes on the region”. It is also expected to boost the numbers of business travellers.

Tirana International Airport connects Albania to the large European business centres including London, Rome, Munich, Istanbul and Athens and serves airlines such as Lufthansa, Austrian Airlines, British Airways and Alitalia.

Wennel is delighted with the latest addition to Maritim’s international portfolio, adding, “We are certain that the hotel will continue to enjoy positive growth under the Maritim brand name”.

The Maritim Hotelgesellschaft is Germany’s largest owner-managed hotel group, and the company’s nationwide hotel network is represented by hotels in eight countries overseas: Mauritius, Egypt, Turkey, Malta, Spain, Bulgaria, Albania and China. The group’s ongoing expansion continues to strengthen its position within the European first-class hotel industry

THPT Comment: Tirana/Albania, a city well located in Europe, with a dearth of international hotel chain attention…until now. Well done Maritim for what could be the start of good things to happen. A country that to date featured football and Norman Wisdom as it’s two key features!

First Seen: Maritim press release

The Hotel Property Team (THPT) is a small group of highly experienced business professionals. Between us, we provide a range of skills and experience which is directly relevant to those involved in the hotel property market.

For more information – Visit www.thpt.co.uk or email info@rrh.hmf.mybluehost.me.