Editorial

Dear Insiders,
Italy, Ukraine, Austria, Bangkok, Dubai, Germany - this is the route our news takes today. Foreign tourists kept Italy's economy afloat last year whilst the slump in domestic demand reflects the severity of their crisis. Now, we have up-to-date statistics.
"Room with a revolutionary view": Only the hotels in Kiev close to the protests are full. And that's causing problems for some owners with management contracts. A background story with a current list of hotels in Kiev.
Hoteliers are also suffering in Bangkok as a short look at Thailand shows. The price spiral has drilled itself into the ground there again.
And a unique hotel story comes today from Gasteiner Tal in Austria: There, 52 entrepreneurs, including many hoteliers, have saved a hotel! And they'd do it again...
Dubai has learnt from financial crisis: Now the Emirate has introduced a hefty tourism tax.
Hotel real estate in the EMEA region remains on track in 2014 and is even in the sights of the investment-hungry Chinese.
In other news, the German Cartel Office published its decision in the case of the online travel agent HRS this week. And the German and internationally active training institute IFH has been sold for the second time within the space of 6 months.
Also, ITB Berlin is moving closer: If you're still looking for room for quiet meetings, ask us at the Joint Stand "World of Hospitality" - centrally located in hotel hall 9. And straight after the ITB, we will take a look at the first B2B luxury fair "loop" in Frankfurt. On the last evening, the event also opens up for the "360° Luxury Networking". More on our page 1. – The full editorial …

Dear Insiders,
Next Friday, the Winter Olympics will begin in Sochi. Two weeks later, the event will be over. How empty will the hotels then be in future? Hotel and tourism advisors from Europe believe: Russian guests will continue to have the say there. In the absence of demand in future, various hotels may change use though.
Up to now, there can be no talk of an occupancy problem at Schloss Elmau in the Bavarian Alps, and it won't have a problem there in future either: The hideaway, culture and spa resort is now set to host the G8 Summit 2015. Owner Dieter Mueller-Elmau explains how the choice was made. And it's all down to Angela Merkel, the German Chancellor. His new retreat, a "hotel in a hotel" would be built without the G8 though.
And a group in London, Considerate Hoteliers, now aim to support "green" hoteliers in continental Europe - not in marketing primarily, but in the analysis and optimisation of operating costs.
Bitter pill for Kempinski: The luxury hotel chain must leave Munich Airport at the end of the year. The move means Kempinski will lose synergies with its city hotel. Rezidor's experience was similar in Vienna with its second Radisson Blu. There, an Asian chain is to take up residence. The Russian, Elena Baturina, is also making headlines in Vienna: She no longer wishes her hotels to be operated by Martinez.
Alongside news from the MICE segment, we also have some very interesting personalia in this edition. Two Germans also won the "Hotelier of the Year" this week.
The "World of Hospitality" joint stand at the ITB 2014 was expanded at short notice - providing a meeting room and an open lounge area for six and four people. Also, external companies can book the space now on an hourly basis - in Hall 9.
NSA, online portals against federal cartel offices and hoteliers against Peer-to-Peer, Eco & luxury, the new demanding Chinese, and the opinion of third parties... Keywords describing the "ITB Hospitality Day" at ITB Berlin 2014. The hotel conference, organised by hospitalityInside for the 9th time, takes up the major social subjects that have been greatly influencing the hotel industry. On Thursday, March 6 from 10:30 in Hall 7.1 B / London Auditorium at fairground. Entry is free to all trade show visitors. Moreover, the ITB Hospitality Day will be broadcast live on the Internet. – The full editorial …

Dear Insiders,
60 minutes with Sébastien Bazin: Last Monday in Berlin, I met the new Accor CEO for the first time. Immediately he asked me to "spit out" my impression of Accor... The man loves clear speaking and has no qualms about admitting errors - in this case from his time as Colony shareholder. Now, he's chief hotelier and I made no secret of the fact that I think turning things around credibility poses a big challenge. On finishing the interview he says: "Now, you've told me that five times." He listens closely and is quick with his analysis. It wasn't a PR interview.
This was Bazin's first appearance outside France, at the brand new ibis Berlin Kurfuerstendamm. The hotel itself is a milestone. It is celebrated as the 1,000th ibis hotel across the globe and as the first in Germany in which Accor presents its new rooms with completely new bathrooms: The old plastic wet room is finally a thing of the past! In Germany, ibis can now again take up the fight with Motel One. Worldwide, the new ibis will be Accor's locomotive.
Also this week, Austrian hoteliers have been thinking about what could be important to the hotel and its guests in 2025 - and have a strong "green" emphasis here. In a separate article, this edition also looks at what sustainability means for everyday business with the new German Energy Savings Ordinance.
And in other news this week - in Italy, parties and unions quarrel about national employment contracts, in Switzerland the sale of the Victoria-Jungfrau Collection gathers pace and Berlin continues to harry private accommodation agencies - and more. – The full editorial …

Dear Insiders,
Distribution is a central issue in today's edition: Macy Marvels brings us the second part of his analysis on new online distribution channels: how 'mobile' is changing the market, how many bookings are already completed through mobile devices and provides an illustration of the power of providers such as HotelTonight. In the US, the first hotel group also allows bookings to be made via Twitter...
HRS boss Tobias Ragge returned from his holidays on Monday. For the moment, he doesn't wish to make a concrete statement on HRS' new strategy following the decision of the German Cartel Office. However, he has indicated that HRS has a strategy... The ball is currently in the hotelier's court. What should he do to strengthen distribution? We have taken a look at positions in Germany and Austria here. And to our surprise have encountered some unexpectedly self-critical and OTA-friendly responses.
Fred Fettner reports from the annual OEHV Congress in Austria. The 500 participants busied themselves with a contentious issue: If the Germans do better, does this have a negative impact on Austrian tourism? On a positive note: Tourism has now been identified as a future industry!
Also, to mark the start of the year, investment and transaction specialists generally look back on the hotel real estate transactions from the previous year. That the start-up JustBook has been sold just three years after its establishment is further proof of the hyperdynamic development of online distribution. Not quite so surprising, on the other hand, are the spa trends for 2014 as forecast from the US.
hospitalityInside is also thinking hard about the ITB in March: If you're still looking for a position in the hotel hall 9 - there are still two places free on our joint stand "World of Hospitality".
Lobster Experience is already thinking beyond the ITB: The marketing and consulting company based in Offenbach near Frankfurt, a luxury hotel industry specialist for 15 years is ready with an absolute first from March 9-12: the first luxury trade fair for German-speaking Europe, "loop"! Germany, Austria and Switzerland is one of the most important sources for luxury travel worldwide - so why travel to Cannes? We expect "loop" to become an important and trailblazing event and are pleased to accompany it as exclusive media partner. Corresponding reports will be available to all hospitalityInside users on our Page 1 under "Network".
And last but not least, a note for Cornell and EHL alumni: Save the date! The ITB/IHIF reception will be on March 4 in the Grand Hyatt Berlin. Details on our Page 1. – The full editorial …

Dear Insiders,
Happy New Year and welcome to the first edition of hospitalityInside in 2014! We wish you all a lot of power for both new and old challenges... After all, these wont be quickly resolved.
The most exciting issues in 2013 were the Internet, Big Data and the NSA. Rising distribution costs, data floods and spying are reflected in our large trend summary today, whilst the buzz word distribution costs also raises its head in reviews from Austria and Switzerland. Yet there are still other highly sensitive points: the increasing pressure of finance, the impact of international capital, dependence on mega tourist events... We don't look back on 2013 chronologically, but have asked ourselves what trend have sent what signals.
A decision from the Federal German Cartel Office on December 20 made for an early Christmas present for the industry: It prohibited HRS from using its best price clause. Rate parity has therefore been ended. Hoteliers can now stop complaining and are free to exercise their own distribution muscle. Just how such power packages might be framed isn't yet evident. Insofar, 2014 will be quite an exciting year!
Because the development of OTA has interested many experts, our author Macy Marvel today looks again at their activities and provides a whole gamut of facts and figures on Booking, Expedia, Priceline, TripAdvisor and Google Hotel Finder.
Peter Hense also shakes things up a bit: Our editorial expert for online law sets out the latest changes in data protection at the German, European and American level. The changes mean much greater obligations and liabilities on hotels.
The first edition of hospitalityInside for 2014 therefore comes with a wake-up call for the industry. My conclusion: The changes which are today imposed from outside on the sector are no longer to be compensated by a more intense service to guests. Over the coming years, the hotelier will have to wind down classic hospitality a little in order to free room for these new challenges. Read it yourself!
Did you already register for our Investment Barometer in cooperation with Union Investment? Join us! Click the banner on our front page! – The full editorial …

Dear Insiders,
Outside on the streets and shops, the consumer hectic is now reaching its peak. Entrepreneurs struggle with the last deadlines and only their guests have time to enjoy leisure. For the hotel industry, a dynamic year draws to a close with lots going on. However, our final look back on 2013 will not appear until January. Experience has shown that journalists are unwise to draw their year-end conclusions too early... In our last edition of 2013 today, we again look at the IPO of Hilton last week, at the figures and Blackstone's deeper intentions.
On a journey on the Eastern Oriental Express my colleague Peter Hinze asks why the legendary luxury trains are in the process of pushing themselves on to the railway siding...
There are still a lot of travellers who don't wish to see any change. And this is one reason why Badrutt's Palace in St. Moritz is still a popular address. For generations, guests have come - to staff who themselves have worked in the hotel for decades. Resident Manager Angelo Martinelli has been at the hotel for 50 years - and has his say today.
We close the year with a range of colourful news, knowing that the New Year will again bring lots of tougher news. For ITB 2014, we can announce the first co-exhibitors joining the "World of Hospitality" joint stand; it's also a new, colourful mix. More on our front page.
For hospitalityInside, a successful year comes to an end with new subscribers, cooperations, partnerships and high quality events, to many of which you, dear readers, have made a decisive contribution. We thank you for your goodwill and confidence in our activities and our reporting. And please, continue to let us know in 2014 what we might still improve.

The entire team at hospitalityInside with its editors, editorial experts, translators and layouters wishes you a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year 2014!

The next edition of hospitalityInside.com will appear on Friday, January 10, 2014. - The full editorial ...

Dear Insiders,

Hilton went public one day earlier than announced and was able to bring in the expected 2.3 billion USD for 11.5 percent of the total shares yesterday. Now, people can look forward to Blackstone's further strategy. You will learn more details about the IPO next Friday: we do not belong to the media that hype IPOs without consideration. Therefore, we will only be providing the facts today.
Chedi Andermatt, W in Verbier, and InterConti Stilli Park Davos – three names that enrich the Swiss luxury hotel industry in these weeks. They should help, among other things, to attract additional guests from Asia. A glance at the locations and the challenges.
In order to collect 100 hotel evaluations, a hotel needs to go to a great deal of effort. At the prizeotel Bremen City, the comments of the guests disappeared over night. Qype and Yelp had merged in the background. prizeotel's CEO Marco Nussbaum is therefore explaining the complex relationships and the latest temporary court injunctions. This is further training from colleagues for colleagues!
Austrian resort hotel managers have to be inventive, like Alpenhotel Pacheiner as well as the flagship Hochschober in Carinthia... Many 5-star hotels are not even able to offer this degree of creativity and substance! Those who are not able to score with ideas just bring in Russian capital. In addition, this subject gives an insight on how top family businesses nearly wear themselves out between catering to guest demands and looking after the finances.
From the news: With the rebranding of the Concorde Hotel Berlin to a Sofitel, Starwood Capital weakens the Concorde brand even further. Brenner's Park-Hotel & Spa in Baden-Baden presents the first details about its new luxury medical spa located on 5,000 sq.m... The Austrians are travelling more again, gays & lesbians have become a strong target group for tour operators, and the ITB congress, which attracted 21,000 guests last March, presents the first major themes – among them the topics of the ITB Hospitality Day.
Did you already register for our new Investment Barometer in cooperation with Union Investment? Click the banner on our front page! - The full editorial ...

Dear Insiders,
Investors watch Hilton's planned IPO like hawks. Our author, Macy Marvel, sees the Hilton public offering as a signal for a new capitalization wave after Lehman and expects more IPOs and mergers such as, for instance, Fairmont/Four Seasons.
The confidence of the already confident Hilton CEO Chris Nassetta will strengthen the expected stock market proceeds even further. The new Accor CEO, Sébastien Bazin, was also super positive on the presentation of his new strategy, as reported last week. One statement that stood out was: "I am a manager, but this group belongs to the shareholders, not to the franchisees, not the unions, not to the staff. Shareholders are the one who take risks and they need to be compensated for that."
One reader wrote afterwards: "Who says that shareholders are the only ones to bear the risk and in the same breath points at franchisees disqualifies completely as franchisor!"
Business psychologist Leopold Hueffer provides consolation of a special kind here. He says clearly: Finance experts don't understand the hotel business! In his book, he describes why top jobs are filled with top flops. Baerbel Schwertfeger asked him for an assessment of the "wrong" hospitality CEO. Top stuff to read for top managers and their human resources specialists!
We also detect a lot of hot air about Facebook this week. We asked a dozen hotel groups whether and how many ideas they have gained from the super network. The result: Frustration. Only two - Lindner and Vienna International - managed to provide more precise answers.
Paulo Salvador, Executive Vice President EMEA of Worldhotels told us that the marketing consortium will launch a news loyalty programme. At Scandic Hotels, all guests can now check out digitally. And in Germany, there's a new judgement on the taxation of breakfast. More in our news.
Have you already registered for the new "hospitalityINSIDE Investment BAROMETER"? In collaboration with Union Investment, we measure sentiment every quarter. First register and you'll be
The preparations for ITB 2014 are making solid headway: The topics for the "ITB Hospitality Day" are roughly formulated and also more than half of the co-exhibitor spaces in the joint stand are already firmly booked. The first deadline for co-exhibiting companies in our "World of Hospitality" is December 15, 2013. Those who register up to this date will definitely still be incorporated into the printed trade show catalogue. A presence in the "ITB Virtual Market Place" can still be secured with a later reservation. If you are interested in participation in the joint stand or have questions, please contact our trade show team.   sent the questionnaire. Anyone can participate. - The full editorial …

Dear Insiders,
Accor's new CEO Sébastien Bazin declaring the chain's "asset light" strategy null and void on Wednesday. But didn't he accept the strategy as a representative of the main shareholder Colony Capital in the last years, and didn't he fire the last CEO Denis Hennequin because of the strategy's slow realisation? Hennequin's brand restructuring is also history...
Accor seems to be on a sightseeing bus tour, hopping on and off. I watched Bazin's presentation at Accor's "Investors Day" live in the internet and observed a charming Frenchman who first insulted and put down his own company only to build it up again afterwards with encouraging words. Carrot and stick – is this the new strategy at Accor?
Concerning Moxy, the budget brand of Marriott and Inter Hospitality, people also have to ask themselves if there is a powerful strategy. The project list lags far behind the pre-announced plans. This week, industry insiders told me that there are apparently discrepancies with the Scandinavian lease partner Nordic Hospitality, which may not be very familiar with the Central European market. There seems to be friction in the triangle of investor, leaseholder and franchisor. Of course, the Moxy managers are not saying anything on this matter, but finally reveal more details about the construction: the pre-fabricated modules will remain. At once, insiders raise the question of noise protection... Moxy - go live! Then we will be able to test the concept ourselves!
Currently Marriott is celebrating its 25 years of presence in Germany – an occasion for a short brand update with Gitta Brueckmann, Area Vice President Central Europe, independently of the Moxy story.
Relais & Châteaux has a new president too, as reported - and 85 new members: villas and private homes.
The senate in Berlin passed a fairly weak resolution against the grey market of holiday apartments; in France, more signs of insolvencies in the building sector are appearing; the budget chain Motel One will promote its young talents on its own campus; and the first key words about what is new at ITB 2014.
NEW: Today, hospitalityInside officially starts its cooperation with Union Investment. You are invited to participate in the new Investment BAROMETER. As soon as you are registered, you will receive an eMail with a link to the current survey once every quarter. This way, you will help to draw up an overall picture of the mood within the industry.
The result will be published as a common index on hospitalityInside's website and it will be visible for every user. As a participant, you will receive survey details via eMail. Of course, the participation does not cost extra. Your answers will be anonymised.
Since you receive this newsletter, you are already registered at hospitalityInside. When you click on this link you will be forwarded to the login page. Please login first with your access data and then register for the Investment BAROMETER.
With the start of the online barometer, hospitalityInside has moved to a newer and faster web server. The loading times of the pages should be shorter now. – The full editorial …

Dear Insiders,
Hotel operators and developers evaluate markets and locations in Germany quite differently. This was a result of the most recent study of ZIA/German Property Federation and Deloitte, which is only based on the information provided by 26 directors and CEOs. A clever PR move by the ZIA. Nevertheless, the individual aspects are interesting.
Providers of serviced apartments see their perspective very positively. Businesses like Accor/Adagio, Adina, Citadines, Derag or Marriott/Residence Inn, which have one or several properties in Germany, operate well and do not have to fear any competition in the near future. Therefore, in the pleasant atmosphere of the 4th "Serviced Apartment Camp" in Bonn last week the chains talked amiably for three hours and promised to define the lowest common denominator.
Hartwig Bohne, our new editorial expert for Human Resources, provided a summary of the discussion about minimum wages at the 4th "Hospitality Symposium" at Heilbronn University. There, the majority was in favour of 8.50 euros per hour. The news on the subject of the newest "wages mirror" in the industry is appropriate here, but in a negative context of course.
Relais & Châteaux elected a new President, Union Investment is looking for smaller hotels for its Germany fund, and Ecole hotelière de Lausanne took over 75 percent of the stock capital of the Swiss School of Tourism and Hospitality yesterday. In doing so, the Schoerghuber family from Munich parted with one of the last remains of the old hotel operating group Arabella/ArabellaStarwood.
Finally, we are promoting ourselves today and letting pictures tell a story in a video. Impressions from the trade show, opinions of readers, and statements about the future development. You'll find the video about the "hospitalityInside story" on page 1. Just activate it via Start!
Last but not least, an announcement: next week, we are starting a cooperation with the Union Investment, the so-called "hospitalityINSIDE Investment BAROMETER" – and everybody can participate. At the beginning of next week, our registered users will obtain a personal invitation to participate. Those who are not yet registered will then be able to register for the participation in the barometer on our website. - The full editorial …