Penta Hotels is a lifestyle hotel brand with 28 operating hotels under the brand across Europe and Asia as of 2020.
Business overview
The hallmark of the hotels is the Pentalounge - a combination of lounge, bar, café and reception – that stands out with its living room look and feel. Penta's hotels feature Penta PlayerPad Rooms, a unique suite category featuring gaming consoles and other arcades facilities. The employees wear Diesel jeans. The brand also pioneered the "check in at the bar" concept.
History
Original Penta Hotels chain
The first incarnation of the company was established in 1971 as Penta Hotels. It was named Penta because it was a joint venture between five airlines - Lufthansa, Swissair, Alitalia, BOAC and BEA. The chain operated large hotels in major airline hubs across Europe and eventually throughout the world. The hotels provided accommodation to crews from the partner airlines, thus guaranteeing high occupancy. In 1984, Lufthansa bought a controlling interest in the chain from British Airways, which had been formed in 1974 by the merger of BOAC and BEA. In 1993, German investor Dieter Bock, CEO of Lonrho, one of the chain's owners, arranged its sale to Hong Kong businessman Cheng Yu-tung, which is the founder and majority owner of Chow Tai Fook group and its associate company New World Development. From 1992–93 to 1993–94 financial years, Renaissance Hotels, a second-tier subsidiary of New World, acquired the management rights of 21 Penta hotels in Europe. New World owned Renaissance Hotels via its 64% owned subsidiary New World Hotels. In June 1995, New World Development's hotel operations were consolidated into New World Hotels 's listed subsidiary Renaissance Hotel Group and the Penta Hotels brand disappeared from the market. New World Development sold Renaissance Hotel Group to Marriott International in 1997.
Modern Pentahotels chain
New World Group relaunched the hotel chain as Pentahotels in 2007, targeted as a boutique lifestyle brand. The Italian designer Matteo Thun created the hotel's interior design. Pentahotel Shanghai was opened in October 2008 by New World China Land's New World Hotel Management Limited. In 2011, The Courtyard by Marriott Beijing has converted into pentahotel Beijing. The hotel structure is also owned by New World China Land. The Reading, Berkshire hotel was Pentahotels' first UK location. In 2013, Pentahotels opened its first location in Hong Kong, and its second one in 2016. Chow Tai Fook group, via a subsidiary CTF Development, acquired 5 hotels in Belgium in April 2013. The hotels would be managed by Pentahotels after renovation. The hotel in Brussels, Belgium, re-opened in 2015 as a Penta hotel. In December 2013, New World Hospitality, at that time a subsidiary of the listed company New World China Land, acquired Pentahotels' European operation, which incorporated in Germany as Penta Hotels Germany GmbH and Penta Hotel Holdings Limited in the BVI, from Chow Tai Fook Enterprises, for €13.5 million. Rosewood Hotel Group was privatized by Chow Tai Fook Enterprises in 2015. It was followed by New World China Land was privatized New World Development in 2016. In 2016, Pentahotels launched the PentaPlayer Pad, a room type designed for gamers with a PlayStation 4, a pinball, and a gamer-themed design. The brand also launched its first location in France, in Paris. Pentahotels launched its repositioning in 2017 amidst stated plans for global expansion. Pentahotels announced its first Thai hotel with an opening planned for 2020 and named its first executive chef, John King. In October 2017, Eugène Staal was named president of the group. The Moscow location opened in February 2019 in the Book House building complex. Circa 2020, Pentahotels is operated by Penta Hotels Worldwide GmbH, a subsidiary of 360 Operator GmbH. In turn, 360 Operator GmbH is a subsidiary of Centrifuge Holding GmbH.
