Editorial

Dear Insiders,
The thoroughly positive sentiment at the Berlin Hotel Investment Forum this week was redolent of the super mood of 2007 immediately prior to the Lehman crash. The run on hotel real estate continues unabated, and the flood of new brands similarly.
Today, we describe the first details on a new generation of Holiday Inn Express Hotels and the first mock-up of Best Western Lifestyle brand Vib. The latter still has to refine the product a little. Further news on hotel real estate in our news mix today: More from IHIF next week.
The mood at the ITB is also buoyant. There too, the many crises are registered, but can this industry solve them? This is a matter for politicians, and so things move on happily with new ideas and all-round carefree packages. The 10th "ITB Hospitality Day", which focussed on trends, underlined the search for  change: In contrast to previous years, now people have accepted change. Here too, we'll report more in next week's edition.
We also take this opportunity to sincerely thank all those people who congratulated hospitalityInside on its 10th birthday, either by eMail or personally at the ITB!
Since not all readers could be in Berlin and the world doesn't revolve only around Berlin, in our normal edition: Baerbel Schwertfeger had the opportunity to take a look at the EXPO Milan. It's set to launch on May 1, though some countries have still not begun to build their pavilions. Massimiliano Sarti heard how hotel insiders discuss the high forecasts and complain about the late advertising for the global exhibition. All the same, the bookings are arriving.
Things are hotting up in hotel kitchens, as Romana Kanzian has observed. F&B concepts are snazzier, more international and more casual. "In" is relaxed and good. Gourmet temples stand before difficult times, the unconventional hotel with its own bakery before good times... Today, we introduce a new column "TRENDcheck": The column will introduce future societal trends which could inspire hoteliers - and will include links and sources. To kick off: Children's desire to observe nature on holiday.
Further news: Austria's winter sport industry is suffering greatly from the absence of Russian tourists. Booking.com is gaining increasing market share in the Swiss market. And hotel transactions are increasing across the whole of Europe. More to come soon on real estate/investment topics.
We want to know what you think here in our survey with Union Investment. How do you think yields will perform. Just click on the banner "Investment Barometer"!

Dear Insiders,
ITB 2015 is quickly approaching. And it will be a mega meeting of tourism experts from all over the world again. We are looking forward to meeting you, our readers, there – and would like to thank you in person: for 10 years of hospitalityInside! At the ITB 2005, we took the first step into a new media and IT world with a great heartthrob. We are still pioneers with our concept, we are very proud of it and have never regretted this step despite the first exhausting years.
You will find our thanks on page 1 and please also take a look at our "hot off the press" hospitalityInside SPECIAL ITB, where you will find hospitalityInside's timeline on the first few pages.
And just after that, you will find a double page with pictures from nine years of "ITB Hospitality Day". The hospitality conference celebrates its 10th anniversary this year as well. So far, 226 speakers have shared their knowledge with an audience that was thirsty for knowledge; 12,600 people have given us their time and attention since 2006! These are great statistics in my opinion! A big thank you to all those on, in front of and behind the stage for your dedication!
The next few years will probably be no less colourful and dynamic, as shown by the current topics: at the hotel conference, the two technology-oriented panel discussions are about "live hacking" revolving around the theft of hotel data, as well as great changes concerning distribution, which are fuelled by the new competition between OTAs and meta-search engines.
We finished the Next Gen Opti survey about online distribution and will present the results in two weeks. But today, we start our spring survey in cooperation with Union Investment. How do you assess rates of return and investments? Please participate online or directly via our special terminal at ITB, at the joint stand "World of Hospitality" in Hall 9/109.
Our co-exhibitors, all very interesting dialogue partners, await you in hall 9! Have you already made appointments?
The hot topics of this Friday's edition are: Accor is taking Booking.com to court; at the same time, prizeotel's CEO Marco Nussbaum accuses Peter Verhoeven, Booking's Managing Director EMEA, of "guest theft". The number of actions and complaints against the OTA are stacking up and it is gradually becoming uncomfortable for the operator – at least in public.
Baerbel Schwertfeger sheds light on the annoying topic of the internet from the guest's perspective: the more expensive the hotel, the more travellers have to pay for online access. This rule still seems to apply and even some of the "free" announcements have turned out to be PR tricks in the end. It is unbelievable that Marriott wanted to block the personal Wi-Fi hot spots of the guests in the US... The reaction of the hotel giant shows how helpless the chains are.
Samih Sawiris does not feel as helpless any more. After several turbulent years, the Egyptian businessman has apparently sailed into tranquil waters again. The participation in the tour operator FTI seems to be giving him great pleasure after one year – and common hotel plans are in the making. We met him at FTI's office in Munich.
See you in Berlin? At the trade show or outside? There are more events than ever this year... Alumni of Cornell and EHL, please remember your networking evening on Tuesday... See you in Berlin!

Dear Insiders,
The money held by insurance companies and pension funds has to be invested... Institutional investors currently have a real luxury problem: They are bursting with capital and can't find properties to invest in. They are worried about returns. Accordingly, they have suddenly turned to hotels. Beatrix Boutonnet on a change of heart among institutional investors.
As coincidence would have it, two weeks ago I sat together with Marc Socker, Senior Director Fund Management Hotels at Invesco. The Generator Hostel deal in December piqued my interest. Socker now reported of new nuances, subtle differences and an obviously expandable tendency towards niche hotel concepts.
An update also came from Steigenberger CEO Puneet Chhatwal, this time on foreign expansion. Slowly, the project chain has become a market focus. Though one risk is not being taken. Management contract and joint ventures see to that.
Global chains Accor, Hilton, Hyatt, IHG and Rezidor - nearly all of them bask in the excellent performance they turned in through 2014; they have published their results. For the Swiss hotel industry, there is currently more shadow than light. The Federal Council this week put forward concrete proposals to increase tourism subsidy programme - though not until 2016. For many businesses, it could already become tight this year.
For Frits van Paasschen too it appeared tight this week, as we already reported in "Breaking News" on Thursday, After seven years, it seems shareholders found the brand-oriented CEO's approach a little too little return-driven after all. Now, they again want a CEO from their own sector, from the hotel industry...
This and further interesting news in our edition today! Also updates on the ITB: We present our co-exhibitors at the "World of Hospitality" on our page 1 and summarise the trend issues from three discussion rounds at the 10th "ITB Hospitality Day"! Berlin is moving closer.
Please also take part in the online survey by Next Gen Opti on hotel distribution! The results will be assessed immediately after the ITB - and willl then naturally be reported by hospitalityInside! - The full editorial ...

Dear Insiders,
Funds in Germany are on the upswing again. The industry has shaken off its scandals and is currently shrinking to a healthy size, according to our funds expert Beatrix Boutonnet. She visited the industry's summit meeting in Frankfurt and located old and new initiators that have become fond of hotels and serviced apartments too. These are good prospects for hospitality operators!
Hyatt is "cash rich". Therefore, the hotel chain from Chicago is indeed looking for acquisition candidates but without stress and pressure. Hyatt is just as careful to check which Hyatt brand fits in which country and market. A tour d'horizon with Peter Norman, Senior Vice President Acquisitions & Development.
In Austria, winter tourism plays a very important role, especially when the Germans start a marketing initiative for this specific segment for their own country, and it is full of emotions... Fred Fettner examined the matter and reactions on both sides.
Even Best Western gives a lot of thought to brands and global presence. However, the US headquarters are still maintaining a low profile concerning the new lifestyle brand Vib. Meanwhile, the German subsidiary had a good year without the push of new brand marketing in 2014. Now, all hotels have to follow a design programme: to be honest, many older hotels are in dire need of this...
Last week, NH Hotels, Starwood and Wyndham as well as Preferred Hotels published their results for 2014. In Rome, the hoteliers are relieved that the plans for an increase in bed taxes have been discarded. In Spain, smaller private hotels are experiencing a massive decline in terms of bookings. And in France, due to the weak euro, hoteliers are spontaneously offering attractive packages to South Americans and Chinese who are fond of travelling. - The full editorial ...

Dear Insiders,
This week, Susanne Stauss dives into the flood of lifestyle brands, studies their descriptions and has found a lot of nonsense. Her conclusion: Lifestyle is again a commodity - but the chain brand managers have not yet tired of pushing this copy and paste wave further.
I explain the flood of brands as follows: CEOs only have eyes and ears for capital and investment - because most of them, as we know, come from the real estate and investment industry. As a result, they have no idea when it comes to operations and leave this business up to the top-creative super-trendy hyper-innovative brand managers. These self-proclaimed innovators then presumably stay up night after night exchanging chairs, materials, colours, target groups and words...
In Italy, investment CEOs and their investors are moving quickly forwards. The hotel industry is increasingly becoming a bargain heaven, as Massimiliano Sarti reports in two contributions this week. Everyone is going for the trophy asset. And the sector continues to struggle for revenues and occupancy.
Wyndham has acquired Dolce. Which hotel will be the next to merge? We still have 11 months of the year to go.
Preferred Hotels intends to push business forward in future with a "Residence" pillar.
In Zurich and Basel long-term projects take the next steps. And last Monday, 1,000 guests talked about both old and new business at the award ceremony for the "Hotelier of the Year". Many of them will see each other again at the ITB and IHIF in four weeks time in Berlin. Cornell and EHL have therefore already announced dates for their alumni event.
If you're bored before Berlin, then perhaps you could take part in our new online survey on the future of hotel online distribution!!! Or take a look at our spa marketing workshop on cross and upselling in March - the registration deadline is moving ever closer! The organisation of our joint stand "World of Hospitality" is also close to completion - if you still wish to get on board, please contact us... Details on all of this can be found on our page 1. – The full editorial…

Dear Insiders,
UNWTO, renowned polling institutes and STR Global expect 2015 to be a great year for tourism companies as well as for the hotel market, indeed they expect most markets to grow. For this reason, several releases today focus on these forecasts.
Not only the desire to travel persists, but also the desire for new brands and for acquisitions. But lifestyle is only interesting if you have the necessary spare change to implement the trend on the world's big stages.
For the Kuwaiti IFA Hotels & Resorts, this isn't a problem, and so they have changed the cabin character of their low budget design brand Yotel into a comfortable concept for the centres of the world's big cities. CEO Hubert Viriot on the expansion and key ratios of the strategy. He is also guest at the CEO panel at the ITB Hotel Conference on March 5 in Berlin.
Energy and stamina is now what's demanded of those hotels and funds which have financed in Swiss francs. Beatrix Boutonnet looks at the knock-on effects on the market of the decoupling of the Swiss franc and the euro in mid-January, and Fred Fettner describes the double-edged sword that this can be for Austria.
With this in mind, it's not difficult to imagine that after such financial surprises, bankers can't really muster interest for this special segment of real estate finance. A bank discussion round in Berlin revealed much prejudice and ignorance with regard to hotel real estate. This and more only for you!

Dear Insiders,
The year is only three weeks old but the abundance of negative news already gives one the feeling of being breathless again. In these difficult times, the Swiss tourism experts and hoteliers are trying not to panic after the de-pegging of the Swiss franc to the euro. However, this is easier said than done: the Swiss National Bank has dealt the hotel industry a hard blow. The surprising move to scrap the peg of the Swiss franc to the euro will probably cost one quarter if not one third of all businesses, says the association.
What are agreements and promises still worth today? Change of scene to Guangzhou in China. There, Worldhotels is currently holding a meeting. And the consortium is presently giving its members a sales promise – combined with a satisfaction guarantee. Those who are no longer satisfied with Worldhotels, will be able to terminate the agreement in future.
At the moment, Austrian hoteliers are very satisfied with the European Investment Bank: it just provided 250 million euros for tourism. For hotels, loans are available again – just in contrast to Switzerland.
The exciting and equally bizarre news continues today: allegedly, cannabis is finding its way into the wellness industry; IHG is currently trying to impress the participants of WEF in Davos with a new trend report about "Trust Capital"; Accor announced its revenues for 2014; an oil company is endangering Spanish island paradises...
But we are also looking forward: participate in our new survey concerning the future of hotel online distribution! Will OTAs die out; will chains keep their brand significance...? Read details about the 2nd luxury trade fair, loop, which takes place in Frankfurt after the ITB! And we are presenting the concept of the ITB hotel conference: this March, it will celebrate its 10th anniversary; therefore, there will be discussions with renowned experts and external parties only about the large trends in the hotel industry. You will find details on all this on page 1. – The full editorial…

Dear Insiders,
The terrorist attacks in Paris shook everyone awake anyhow. What does this mean for tourism in Paris? Sarah Douag provides first assessments. As well as permitted assumptions that hotel occupancy could fall deeply in the near future.
Austria's hoteliers are on the retreat: for the summer, the minister of economic affairs has announced a radical smoking ban in the gastronomy. At OEHV's annual meeting, the hoteliers also smirked with politicians about unemployment and the blatant lack of trainees. Currently, the industry has 30 percent fewer trainees!
The Asian Shangri-La Hotels are looking forward. They are open for all types of agreement and equity variants, as long as expansion proceeds – preferably also in Europe and the rest of the world. CEO Greg Dogan about the focus of the 5-star luxury and lifestyle chain.
The number of adults-only hotels has been growing in Spain only since the crisis. Hoteliers have found a specialisation and new revenue opportunities as a result.
The established real estate brokers announced record numbers for the German hotel real estate market. Never before have more than 3 billion euros in transactions been transferred in one year! However, the paths to new deals and hotel projects are becoming increasingly subtle and delicate, as the approach of the developer UBM from Vienna and the IHG shows. Yesterday, also Invesco Real Estate explained its differentiated strategy in London.
This week, hotels deals direct vanished from the market. The German OTA start-up, which started in December and wanted to attract hoteliers with only 5 percent provision, has given up already. You will find information on this matter in the article about HRS, as this shows how hard OTAs are fighting among each other. Fact is that HRS has a clear disadvantage in comparison to Booking.com and Expedia. Now, OTAs are allowed to work with two types of general business terms in the German market. This is not allowed to happen!
Since yesterday afternoon, frustration is running high in Switzerland: unexpectedly, the Swiss National Bank cancelled the minimum rate for the euro. In one day, Switzerland's prices went up by 15 percent compared to the euro, dollar, pound and other currencies… This is once again a hard strike for the hotel industry. More on this subject soon.
Today's edition offers enough dynamite for discussion – continue to discuss it at our ITB joint stand "World of Hospitality" – this year with a new profile. Among the most renowned co-exhibitors in 2015 are Horwath HTL and the Motel One Group. You will find more on this subject on page 1. – The full editorial…

Dear Insiders,
The hospitalityInside team wishes you a great start into the New Year! It will certainly be thrilling and fast-paced once again, as many issues that dominated 2014 will continue this year. In our review of 2014 and outlook on 2015, we describe the major topics that keep the hospitality sector in suspense.
Yesterday, HVS confirmed one of our interpretations: the renowned consultancy always keeping its finger on the pulse of the financial centre London expects numerous acquisitions in 2015. To put it kindly: consolidation is the order of the day.
This fits in well with the latest news from the bargain paradise of Italy: here, international investors such as Starwood Capital or Accor are haggling over the 31 UNA hotels. Speaking of Italy, the government imposed a penalty of half a million euros on TripAdvisor due to false hotel reviews.
2015 will unquestionably become a decisive year for DSR Hotel Holding and its a-ja hotel brand. On the one hand, there is Richard Vogel, the holding's new partner, who seemed rather insecure when it comes to hotel strategies in an interview back in December. For him, transferring a-ja's budget resort hotel concept into the city will certainly turn out to be a lesson in terms of hospitality industry. Industry insiders will be watching closely, making detailed calculations how DSR, a-ja and partners will manage to finance rooms of 24 sqm in the city and then allow them to sell at 39 euros per guest – just as in rural regions.
Unusual ideas are not always doomed to fail, as the small Lungolivigno boutique hotel group in Northern Italy shows. A family has become a driver of tourism with their hotels and their seven boutiques.
At the start of the year, there are once again a few interesting personnel issues. Accordingly, Romantik Hotels have a new chairman again. And you, dear readers, will hopefully find many new interesting topics and inspiration for your daily routine in hospitalityInside.
If your spa requires some new marketing power, how about registering your spa or marketing managers for a workshop on pre, up and cross-selling organised by Rizzato Spa Consulting and hospitalityInside on March 23 in Munich. For all details see our start page.
From now on, the rule of the week is once again: Friday is hospitalityInside day!

Dear Insiders,
It's nearly Christmas – a signal every year for "letting go", in the business world too... We are interpreting these words differently in this edition: today, three top managers from the hotel industry – Ed Fuller, André Witschi and Horst Schaffer – report how they "let go" of their businesses and careers planned and unplanned, which emotions shocked them and how they managed a rational transition into a new future. Their words are good advice for many management colleagues.
On the threshold to the New Year, the word future is often mentioned. We shed light on the mobile customers of the future, who wish to obtain unrequested information on their smartphones when they are enroute and are even willing to pay for entertainment.
And today, we talk about the future of hotel marketing: about videos provided by a drone. Professional photographer Jochen Tack bought such a flying robot and equipped it with a digital camera. The "octocopter" is now delivering lively videos in bird's eye perspective.
The strong alliance between Accor and the Chinese Huazhu Hotel Group is very future-oriented. This way, Accor obtains hundreds of locations in China; Huazhu obtains knowledge and a RevPar engine. Together, they will have 47 million members in the customer loyalty programme. This smacks of real power.
However, I sense even more joint ventures, participations and mergers in the next few months. Therefore, the IHG-Kimpton deal was probably just the beginning. There is simply too much good money in the market and the pressure of competition is too high. But we will save our report about review and preview until the New Year as many things could still happen up until New Year's Eve.
The old year is still keeping us occupied with Booking.com, which very skilfully launched its most recent rate parity offer this week. Ultimately, this gives hoteliers no freedom.
We are now taking the liberty of starting into our Christmas break. For hospitalityInside, a good year comes to a close – to which you, dear readers and business partners, have strongly contributed! We would like to thank our team, our editorial staff and experts as well as our translators who all contribute to a new and colourful edition every week.
hospitalityInside wishes you a Merry Christmas and will be back on Friday, January 9, 2015.