Paramount hotel brand is replaced by Barcel

The Paramount hotel brand is being axed in the UK after venture capitalist owner Dawnay Shore Hotels leased the chain to Barceloup, a Spanish leisure company.

The company will introduce the Barceló brand as it takes over managing the 20 fourand five-star UK hotels under a 45-year deal. It will rebrand the portfolio from early next year.

The group plans to manage 40 hotels in the UK within three years and has also expanded into Germany, where it has taken over a Crowne Plaza and is building two new hotels in Hanover.

The Paramount website has already been redesigned and is running the strapline Barceló Hotels & Resorts: Formerly Paramount Group of Hotels.

Manju Goel, commercial director of Barceló UK, says that it plans to invest in marketing support once the rebrand is completed. She adds that the new brand will have a more “Mediterranean” feel.

She says: “Paramount was a high recognition brand in the leisure market, so we are taking a little time making sure we get everything right.

“At the moment we are looking at using Barceló’s online presence and we will be incorporating their products, such as the online loyalty scheme, and combining the online databases to target consumers.”

She says that Barceló will continue working with Paramount’s agencies, full service agency HRG, based in Northampton and web developers Pod1.

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