SS Rotterdam sold to WestCord Hotels

[Twynkle]

Posted by a ship loving friend on another website
" Good news, just heard the ss Rotterdam is sold to the Dutch WestCord Hotels for 30 million. they also own former HAL office hotel New York, so they know how to exploit a historical landmark.
She’s staying here and not going to Oman!"

Sounds as if all will be well for Rotterdam.

[Lynda Bradford]

Good news for SS Rotterdam.  I was fortunate enough to visit last month and she really is a lovely ship.

When we were speaking to the tour guides they were so proud of her and wanted to see her succeed as a tourist attraction in Rotterdam. 

I can think of one other famous ship that could also succeed as a hotel and conference centre in Dubai if she was given the chance. 

[Isabelle Prondzynski]

Posted by a ship loving friend on another website
" Good news, just heard the ss Rotterdam is sold to the Dutch WestCord Hotels for 30 million. they also own former HAL office hotel New York, so they know how to exploit a historical landmark.
She’s staying here and not going to Oman!"

Sounds as if all will be well for Rotterdam.

That must be the good news of the day!

Thank you, Rosie, for giving me a huge smile  .

Thank you also, Lynda, for the news of your visit and the pride of the staff in their ship. There is hope for another ship yet...

[Isabelle Prondzynski]

It's official. SS Rotterdam is staying in Rotterdam. Thank you, Rosie, for having broken the news.

This is what SS Rotterdam writes in Facebook :

Het stoomschip Rotterdam blijft in Rotterdam. Woonbron heeft een exclusieve overeenstemming bereikt over de verkoop van het schip met WestCord Hotels. WestCord Hotels is een Nederlands bedrijf en is gevestigd in Rotterdam, Delft, Amsterdam en Leeuwarden. Zij zijn onder meer eigenaar van Hotel New York in Rotterdam, het Fashion Hotel en de Art Hotels in Amsterdam en Strandhotel Seeduyn. WestCord Hotel staat voor hoge kwaliteit, uitstekende service en persoonlijke aandacht.
Zoals de missie van WestCord luidt: Voel je thuis bij ons! Wij blijven u van harte verwelkomen op het ss Rotterdam!

It also seems excellent that WestCord Hotels are already the owners of the Hotel New York, the other jewel of Rotterdam (the old HAL baggage hall converted into a beautiful hotel / restaurant), situated very close to the ship and now linked by a new bridge.

Really, the news for the ship could not be better! It will be interesting now to see whether this sale has any impact on the management roles of, and co-operation between, the various tenants.

[Isabelle Prondzynski]

For the Dutch speakers among us, here is a newspaper article :

http://www.nrc.nl/nieuws/2012/11/02/hotelketen-koopt-ss-rotterdam-schip-blijft-in-rotterdamse-haven/

This explains, among other things, why the sale is expected to be finalised some time between January and March 2013 -- there are still many details to be sorted out with the social partners and with the various tenants. It looks as if this is a matter of time though rather than a make-or-break.

[Isabelle Prondzynski]

It is done. Great news!

Willem van der Leek has written to New Liners' Group :

Since June 11 the Dutch hotel operator WestCord Hotels is the proud owner of the ss Rotterdam. WestCord Hotels is chosen by Woonbron from 100 interested parties. The housing company Woonbron bought the ss Rotterdam in 2005 en refurbished it to a multifunctional place for working, learning and leasure. The transfer to WestCord Hotels was postponed for some months because of juridical problems that have been solved now. We are grateful that Woonbron saved the ship from scrap to give it a new future. We welcome the new management of the ship, Mr. and Mrs. Westers, and are looking forward to a fruitful cooperation.

http://groups.yahoo.com/group/NewLinersGroup/

The news is confirmed in the SS Rotterdam newsletter of 15 June 2013 :

Het ss Rotterdam is verheugd te kunnen mededelen dat het stoomschip vanaf vandaag onderdeel is van WestCord Hotels. WestCord Hotels is een familiebedrijf met 14 hotels op o.a. Vlieland, Terschelling en Ameland, en is in Rotterdam al eigenaar van Hotel New York. Met de overname van het ss Rotterdam worden de oude banden tussen de twee Rotterdamse iconen weer aangesterkt. Het stoomschip zal al haar functionaliteiten behouden en alle boekingen en reserveringen zullen worden overgenomen door de nieuwe eigenaar.

The SS Rotterdam and the Hotel New York (also in Rotterdam) are now owned by the same group, which is bound to lead to some interesting new projects for both!

[Rob Lightbody]

Fantastic news.

I love Rotterdam Cruise Hotel, but there are many ways she could be improved, and I hope she now will be. She deserves to be a success.   

[cunardqueen]

For the people on here who know of the ship SS Rotterdam but dont really follow her or have visited her
Is this going to be good news ? Does this mean that the whole ship is now under one operation ?

[Rob Lightbody]

For the people on here who know of the ship SS Rotterdam but dont really follow her or have visited her
Is this going to be good news ? Does this mean that the whole ship is now under one operation ?

I presume it won't immediately combine the various operators however the ownership and future of the ship has very much been in doubt and this secures it.

The new owners also operate the utterly fabulous Hotel New York (http://www.hotelnewyork.nl/en/) which is just a pleasant walk from the SS Rotterdam - so they'll make wonderful partners in this area of the city.

[Isabelle Prondzynski]

For the people on here who know of the ship SS Rotterdam but dont really follow her or have visited her
Is this going to be good news ? Does this mean that the whole ship is now under one operation ?

I believe that this is so. I understood that all the previous managers / tenants had to hand over to the new owners before the deal could be completed. In any case, there had been far more co-operation already, with many events on board involving several of the three working together.

It is very tempting to go there and check out the new arrangements some time soon and report back!

[Hank Hargrove]

The SS Rotterdam is one of my favorite liners! It's in my top ten. The others being:

1. Queen Mary
2. United States
3. Queen Elizabeth 2
4. Rotterdam
5. Queen Mary 2
6. Windsor Castle
7. Statendam
8. Augustus
9. America
10. Funchal