Ionut Nicolescu signs an agreement with Radisson Hotel Group for the first five-star villas resort in Romania

Real estate developer Grand Development, founded and coordinated by Ionut Nicolescu, closed a partnership with Radisson Hotel Group, by which the renowned international group will open the first five-star villas resort in Romania, under the upper-scale Radisson Blu brand.

The project is already under construction in a 2.6 hectares mountain meadow near Brasov, in the immediate vicinity of a secular forest in the Carpathian Mountains – one of the oases of wilderness in Europe, and a 20-minute distances from Brasov International Airport, Brasov city centre, the famous Bran Castle and Poiana Brasov, the most renowned Romanian mountain resort.

The opening of Radisson Blu Grand Mountain Resort, Brasov, is scheduled for the last quarter of 2026. The project will comprise 46 Scandinavian chalet-style villas, both individual and joined, with large, glazed spaces, premium amenities, and multiple individual facilities, and 20 hotel rooms, all units classified at a five-star rating.

“We see immense potential in the Romanian market. With our strong resort value proposition, we are looking to develop hotels and resorts also in leisure destinations. This new and unique Radisson Blu resort in such a sought-after mountain destination is the perfect addition to our existing portfolio in Romania and will give our guests a great variety of options,” comments David Jenkins, Vice President Business Development at Radisson Hotel Group.

Nestled amidst the untouched nature of the Romanian mountains, the new Radisson Blu resort will offer its guest all the facilities specific to a five-star hotel project, including an open-kitchen restaurant which will highlight the local gastronomy but also the most refined international dishes. The amenities list will be completed by a spa centre with an interior pool, a wellness and fitness centre, several conference rooms that will be able to accommodate events with 100+ participants, as well as a multitude of parking spaces. In addition, all guests will be able to choose from a wide range of sports and recreational activities available in the area and within the resort.

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”We have created a unique concept at a national level, which combines an exceptional location, in the middle of the nature but also close to all the attractions of Brasov’s region, a unique retreat destination of Scandinavian chalet-style villas, with large, glazed spaces, and a multitude of facilities and leisure activities, resulting an integrated tourism concept. Radisson Blu Grand Mountain Resort, Brasov, will be a benchmark for both the area and Romania and will increase the visibility of Brasov area among foreign tourists,” stated Ionut Nicolescu, founder Grand Development.

Together with Ionut Nicolescu, real estate consultant Cremona Maria – Andrei is co-owner of Grand Development, after over 15 years of experience on the local residential market, period during which she advised projects with over 20,000 homes and brokered the transaction of over 6,000 new homes. In total, Cremona managed benchmark projects in Bucharest, Brasov and Constanta with a total value of over EUR 500 million.

Alexandru Boghiu, founding partner of Mavers Wealth Management, a venture capital firm focused on supporting exceptional entrepreneurs in the digital sectors, was also co-opted into the development team. With 20 years of experience in investment advisory and control services, Alexandru has honed his expertise at companies such as PriceWaterhouseCoopers, Contrast Management Consultants and CBRE.

Grand Development also benefited from the support of Mircea Draghici, managing partner at Est Hospitality, one of the most experienced consultants in the hospitality industry, with over 20 years of experience in the profile market. Mircea Draghici is the first Romanian graduate of the MBA program at Ecole Hoteliere de Lausanne (2007), the most prestigious university in the world. Grand Development was advised in terms of legal aspects by Constantinof & Asociatii law firm.

Brasov and the neighbouring region are among the top destinations in Romania. The guests of the new Radisson Blu resort will have a multitude of options for leisure activities, from dozens of kilometres of slopes perfect for winter sports, to visits in the many medieval villages located in the heart of Transylvania, tours in the historic centre of Brasov or to Bran Castle – the home of Count Dracula – which is less than 30-minutes away.

Radisson Blu is an upper upscale hotel brand that is characterized by stylish spaces and attention to detail. Radisson Blu hotels can be found in major cities, key airport gateways, and leisure destinations. In Romania, three Radisson Blu hotels exist in Bucharest, Brasov and Cluj-Napoca. In total, Radisson Hotel Group now has 7 hotels with 1,657 rooms in operation or under development in Romania across the Park Inn by Radisson, Radisson, and Radisson Blu brands.

Grand Development is a real estate development company founded and coordinated by Ionut Nicolescu, co-founder SVN Romania and Meta Estate Trust, companies whose shareholding exited in2023.