Cinematic hospitality: Negotiation thriller, desert science fiction, minimum wage drama

Dear Insider,

Do you like thrillers? In Germany this week, a real-life courtroom thriller, that would give most screenwriters a run for their money, has finally come to an end. The scene: the Adlon Berlin. The main character: the belligerent Adlon Fund initiator Anno August Jagdfeld. The charge: defamation of character with a claim for almost 1 billion euros in damages. The story has suspense and drama, but certainly no happy ending for the real estate mogul. 

The futuristic cities, which seem to rise out of the Saudi Arabian desert like architectural mirages, are more in the realm of science fiction. Meanwhile though, the desert sand appears to have found its way into the wheels. In view of the sometimes scandalous revelations, one can but wonder what will happen next. Sarah Douag reports.

The Finnish provider Bob W, which sees itself as a digital hotel alternative in the European market and is further sharpening its profile, is also wondering what the future holds. The focus is on sustainability and good storytelling in order to attract financially strong partners. Sylvie Konzack provides an update. By way of contrast, the 25th Tourism Summit in Berlin provided an example of bad storytelling. On the other hand, the German Chancellor's threat the following day to raise the minimum wage to 15 euros has all the qualities of drama. 

Not everything in this issue is film-ready, but there are exciting news about data on both Think Tank days: The (EU) monitor CRREM makes CO2 transparent worldwide and in the hotel asset class. And the tech start-up BeCause sweeps through hundreds of green certificates with a broom.