Azimut Hotels

The hotels are located in Russia, Germany, Austria, and Israel. Some of them are of private ownership, and some are based on a management contract or long-term lease contracts. The company was established in 2004 by Alexander Klyachin.^[6] In 2015, the hotel chain consisted of 24 hotels of the category 3 and 4 stars; the total number of Azimut rooms is about 8 thousand.^[3]

The hotel chain was rated in 2015 as amongst the largest hotel networks worldwide, according to Hotels Magazine.^[7] As of 2018, the hotel chain counted 29 properties across three countries.^[2]

The main shareholder and chairman of the board of directors is Alexander Klyachin.^[12] He also has owned since August 2012 the Hotel Metropol Moscow^[13][14] and development company KR Properties.^[15]

Since November 2013, the company is headed by Walter Neumann^[9] who previously worked for Rocco Forte Hotels as a Director of the St. Petersburg hotels Astoria and Angleterre.^[16]

In 2004, Alexander Klyachin acquired his first hotels in Samara,^[4] Kostroma and Ufa.^[17] In 2005, the hotel chain expanded with hotels in Saint Petersburg,^[18] Vladivostok, Astrakhan and Murmansk.^[19]

In 2007, the company had become one of the largest hotel chains in Russia: its turnover amounted to 54 million US dollars with an annual growth rate of 30%.^[20] In 2008, the hotels in Germany and Austria were acquired and control over the assets was transferred through management contracts and franchise agreements (for a period of 20–25 years).^{[clarification needed][21][22]} The European office was located in Berlin.^[23]

In 2010, the hotel chain acquired hotels in Novosibirsk,^[24] and took over the management contract Voronezh.^[25] In 2011, the hotel chain acquired a hotel in Nizhny Novgorod.^[26] As at the end of 2012, the company's revenue amounted to 3.5 billion rubles.^[3]

Since 2013, the company has controlled the largest hotel complex in Sochi. The Azimut Hotel Sochi was opened in anticipation of the 2014 Winter Olympics in Sochi.^[27][9] At the end of 2013, the hotel chain also acquired the 487 room Azimut Moscow Olympic Hotel, which was renamed from the "Olympic Penta".^[28]

In April 2015, the Vienna Delta Hotel joined Azimut Hotels chain.^[29] In May 2015, Azimut Hotel Vladivostok, the biggest investment project in the Russians Far East in 2014-2015 and the first SMART hotel in the region, opened after renovation. With 378 modern rooms, it is also the largest hotel in the area. Investment in this project exceeded €20 million.^[30] In 2015, Azimut Hotels started cooperation with the countries of Asia-Pacific region. The first step was a Service Voluntary Certification Program China Friendly, Chinese: 友好中国.

The Moscow Hotel 'Belgrad' was bought by the Azimut Hotel chain in 2014.^[31] The hotel was closed for renovation in 2016. The hotel was projected in 2016 to be reopened as Azimut Moscow Smolenskaya Hotel.^[32]