INTERNATIONALNEWS IN BRIEF

INTERNATIONALNEWS IN BRIEF

FREnch merger

TWO of France's leading budget hotel chains are merging their franchised operations to create a new grouping of 362 hotels, according to L'Hôtellerie magazine.

Pargest, which operates the Balladin and Relais Bleu chains, and Groupe de l'Hôtellerie, which owns the Climat de France and Nuit d'Hôtel brands, are forming a new organisation called Hôtels et Compagnie.

All four brands will continue to operate, while both partners will retain the properties they own - in the case of Pargest 28 hotels while its partner owns 42 properties.

The new organisation hopes to attract a further 200 franchisees by 1995.

forte in frankfurt

FORTE this week expanded its Grand portfolio with the addition of the 299-bedroom Parkhotel in Frankfurt.

The company has taken over a 30-year lease of the property from Swiss-based Mîvenpick Hotels and plans to spend £3.2m refurbishing the property.

US FAST FOOD boom

SALES at fast food restaurants in the USA are projected to total $86b (£58b) this year, for the first time overtaking full service restaurants, according to the National Restaurant Association.

tourism blueprint

HORWATH Consulting, the London-based leisure consultancy, has been commissioned to producea blueprint for development of Romania's tourism industry.

hyatt EYES antwerp

HYATT International has signed a management contract to run a 221-bedroom opening in Antwerp in 1995.