History of the Hotel and gradual development

· 01.01.1904: festive opening of Hotel Imperial - Ostrava. Owner Mr. Josef Peczak and his wife.
· 19.10.1909 - 28.03.1913: construction of second part of the hotel.
· 18.01.1919: new owner, Mr. Alfred Abter and his wife.
· 30.09.1945: because the fact that the owner was German the hotel was confiscated by the Czechoslovak government.
· 21.02.1949: hotel was nationalized and became a part of Czechoslovak hotels in Prague.
· 11.04.1949: reconstruction of the hotel.
· 17.03.1952: became a part of the Northmoravian Hotels and Restaurant chain.
· 04.12.1954: opening of the Café and Wine House after reconstruction.
· 01.06.1963: became a part of Interhotel Ostrava chain
· 01.01.1989: moved to Cedok Praha
· 01.04.1990: name changed to Interhotel Imperial Praha
· 01.05.1992: became Hotel Imperial Ltd, joint-stock company
· 1995: reconstruction of third part of the hotel
· 2000: hotel was sold to the present owner: Orco Hotel Development Ltd. A French investor.

Because of the fact that I'm rather new and only two years ago Orco became the new owner I have limited information about the last period. I can tell you that revenue and GOP is improving and for 2003 we do expect a 10 to 15% increase.

The present position on the market with the growing importance of the region and the increasing number of foreign businessmen travelling to the region.

The Hotel Imperial Ostrava is the best hotel in the region of Easter Moravia, with a tradition of fine service, quality facilities and name recognition as the leader in the hospitality industry. The clients at the Hotel Imperial are primarily business transient travelers and group guests for meetings and events. The hotel has a tradition of hosting important meetings in Ostrava area and has the most modern and professional Congress and Meeting facilities in the region. The expected economic conditions in the Czech Republic in general and Ostrava in particular have reached a base level after economic slowdown of the late nineties. The prognoses show growth and recovery over the next five years.

What are the most important development plans you have for the Hotel?

In 2003 we will upgrade 15 standard rooms to luxurious rooms. Also six long stay apartments will be made. The lounge area will be upgraded as well as our three restaurants. Restaurant Legend, the most prestigious place in Ostrava for fine dining, Brasserie Mimosa for business lunches, and Beer pub Radegast for typical Czech food.

Conference tourism in Ostrava, how do you evaluate it?

I'm very optimistic about the conference market in Ostrava in the future. The connection from Prague to Ostrava by air and by train is very good. Our facilities are competitive with Prague, our service is better and our prices are lower. A meeting in Ostrava inclusive air fare will be cheaper than a meeting in Prague. Our hotel is situated in the city center and Ostrava and the surroundings has a lot to offer. I would advice meeting planners to compare Hotel Imperial with similar hotels in Prague.

What is the competitive advantage of the Hotel Imperial?

The Hotel Imperial Ostrava is the premier international hotel in the region. It has the most modern and well-equipped hotel rooms, congress center, relaxation center, and technical facilities in Ostrava and in Eastern Moravia. The service and hospitality have improved to very high level. Imperial Ostrava is your home while traveling.

What are your estimations about the possibilities of foreign investments in the tourist sector of the region?

The Ostrava Region was the leading industrial producer in the Czech Republic in the eighties. It accounted for 12.54% of the Czech GDP in 1996. Almost all of the industry in the region is heavy industry such as coal mining, metallurgy and energy production. The last two mentioned are currently undergoing major reconstruction and downsizing. The chemical, pharmaceutical, engineering and electro-technical sectors are also historically important in the region, as well as paper, textile, and food industry. The service sector is underdeveloped. Recently companies from several countries made big investments in Ostrava and surroundings. The new enormous Philips factory in Hranice is a good example that major international companies have invested in this area because of very interesting circumstances.
Plus the Czech Republics EU integration can only bring additional benefits to the Hotel.