Editorial

Dear Insiders, When you open this issue today, the trade-visitor days of the 45th ITB will just be coming to a close. The mood was great and the industry was almost euphoric. The halls were packed right from the beginning, and the "ITB Hospitality Day" organised by us set a new record: 1,900 attendees listened to the discussions - 35% more than last year! We were present at a number of events and talks again and will provide you with detailed reports on everything – on the ITB itself, the hotel conference, and the investment conference early this week.Today: In Doha, Qatar, a modern city quarter is being created based on old tradition – a completely new approach to city and hotel development. In London, our architecture and design specialist took a close look at another mega investment: the famous Savoy after its 260 million euro renovation.Compared to this, German Welcome Hotels are a very modest group convincing by a solid step-by-step expansion. Two weeks ago, the group captured the first major city, opening its 15th hotel. Further major cities will follow.Wellness Hotels Deutschland also trusts in virgin soil: it offers health trips supported by health insurances via its new partner Premedion.In addition to that, we have a colourful range of news, some of them fresh from ITB. - The full editorial…

Dear Insiders, In one week's time, we'll know more above whether the positive mood felt up to now remains and whether the sector has managed to translate this into good business: The 45th ITB is around the corner! The hospitalityInside team won't be far away. You will certainly find us on Thursday in hall 7.1b/auditorium London for the "ITB Hospitality Day".There, you can take your own copy of the "hospitalityInside SPECIAL ITB 2011", hot off the press. Those not attending the ITB can find the online version of the special on our homepage in the next days. We will also provide comprehensive reporting of each round of the conference under our "Network" section, accessible to all our readers. Before the ITB, the International Hotel Investment Conference will take place. Our team will also hopefully be able to bring you exiting news from this event. So we'll see each other in Berlin!Today's topics: As of this year, GfK will also assess hotel bookings made by tour operators. In light of social media and hotel review platforms at the ITB, it is surprising to hear that even large chains still support hotel stars - but preferably the EU hotelstars. Europe puts a lot in perspective – also in an analysis on hotel density in Austria. Swiss are in the process of establishing a new hotel group: Starling Hotels. The former Leading front man, Jean Jacques Gauer, is behind the move.Our colleagues at "hotelbau" also today present topics from their new publication - click on "Solutions" to view these. - The full editorial…

Dear Insiders, Social media is hip – but is it also credible? Today, social media hotelier Marco Nussbaum and Markus Luthe, head of the German Hotel Association, are analysing the potential risks and opportunities of Google, TripAdvisor, Facebook and the networking between search engines and hotel evaluation platforms. In another article today, we watch the American hotel evaluation portal TripAdvisor and its plans for Europe.Whether all these parties will be friends forever because of the linking will hopefully be revealed at the respective talk at the 6th "ITB Hospitality Day". More information by clicking on the ITB logo on our home page.The subject of "closed funds" is much more rational today. Their financial volume is twice as large as the entire gold reserves of Germany. Now, they are getting stronger again.In Spain, NH-CEO Gabriele Burgio was surprisingly dismissed this week. Is he the victim of a shareholder, similar to Gilles Pélisson at Accor? Since Tuesday, everybody has been caught up in turmoil in Vienna upon learning the news of Shangri-La's withdrawal from the agreement two months before the hotel opening. The background details. Last Saturday, Kempinski put on an impressive show with its "Career Day" when more than 1,000 external applicants met in Munich. In the background, the personnel carousel is turning again. Once more, social media: As customers continue to include social media in their decision-making process, companies must keep pace with them. Today, Micros-Fidelio focuses on this issue by presenting solutions regarding distribution - please, click on "Solutions". An exciting issue today, full of details... - The full editorial.

Dear Insiders, A perfectly renovated building, but a big flop as hotel investment: how long can Heiligendamm still be kept? Reduction of capital, reduction of value, several millions of new capital needed – these key words alone show the new dimension of this scandal. In contrast, the nhow Hotel in Berlin seems to become a success story – as soon as one gets used to its shrill design. After Madrid, NH Hoteles courageously set foot in Berlin. Best Western "Premier" – tested in Germany and now considered good for the US. In return, the Americans transfer the Best Western "Plus" brand to Europe. But where is the differentiation? These days, several chains are presenting their positive balance sheets and company results for 2010: Marriott and IHG, Hospitality Alliance, and Ringhotels. Kempinski and Grand City Hotels also want growth. At the "CEO Panel" during the "ITB Hospitality Day" hotel conference, the CEOs of both chains, Reto Wittwer and Christian Windfuhr, will explain their strategies. Worth listening to beforehand: two surveys about the key words environment/CSR and hotels beyond 2020. - The complete editorial.

Dear Insiders, Egyptian hotels are already suffering intensely: Hotels close floor by floor; staffs are being dismissed. New tourists are coming in sparsely - the tour operators have put their offers on ice. Romana Kanzian asked hoteliers in the country on the current issue.By contrast, there is optimism in the European hotel real estate market. However: The investors are checking their investments especially meticulously now.In the article "Baby-Hotels", Sonja Sahmer describes which arrangements and offers hoteliers can use to score points with families with toddlers: Hoteliers give tips to hoteliers.Not every child has an interest in taking over the succession of their parents in the company later on in their life. A panel at the "ITB Hospitality Day" discusses these problems: In particular, the middle-class hotel sector is among the branches threatened. Does this mean "The End for Mom-and-Pops?" With us, you can find the programme for the entire hotel conference when you click on the ITB logo on our homepage. By the way, ITB Berlin has announced stable exhibitors´ figures for this year!"WikiLeaks" by Vienna International: After Rudolf Tucek's expulsion from the board of directors last week, confidential correspondence from the executive floor became public. Hamed Al Jaber's company Kneissl is insolvent and TUI wants even more hotel brands. - The full editorial…

Dear Insiders, InterConti is playing poker: Last week, the chain "voluntarily" and above all very quickly terminated its management contracts for three locations in Germany. The hotel in Berlin's Budapester Strasse occupies one of the top locations in Europe. The current situation is unclear, also because a number of things are up in the air for contract partner Dorint as lessee. The parties involved veil themselves in secrecy, the battles between lawyers have already begun and the rumours are overflowing. If he had his way, Rezidor Development Officer Puneet Chhatwal would delete Germany from the map in terms of lease agreements. Today he explains Rezidor's current considerations.Two articles today look at serviced apartments - speckled with facts and figures on this segment.As part of our reporting series on the 6th ITB hotel conference, the "ITB Hospitality Day", we look today at the panel which will be discussing Eastern European hotel markets. Is there a real perspective or is everything just a mirage? Experts from Poland, Romania, Croatia and Russia discuss the situation. This week also provides some interesting job changes - in the Vienna International and in the Steigenberger Davos. Read it yourself! - The full editorial…

Dear Insiders, Principle economic figures from across the globe are meeting in Davos this week at the World Economic Forum – and the new congress centre will ensure that the Alpine ski resort will in future not only remain the home of the WEF. Our author Birgitt Wuest took a closer look at the congress business in Davos and at planned new hotels there.MICE business is also the key to success for London and other British markets. Russell Kett from HVS explains the background and compares London with other cities. "The race for recovery" between 36 cities in Europe is analysed. Travellers must be wooed, and Austria has recently seen some hefty dispute around budgets of the Austrian Tourist Board. Since this Wednesday, budgets are fixed again. Young people are a target group for the hotel industry with large potential. For this reason, one expert looked at their expectations at the meeting of the Austrian Hotelier Association. Its ironic conclusion: young people are mobile without having to move! Despite iPhone, iPod & Co, young people are travelling more. So a panel at the 6th "ITB Hospitality Day" at the ITB Berlin will look at this new trend focussed on youth hostels and budget hotels. Experts discuss "A Good Night's Sleep for Peanuts?" All ITB Hospitality Day articles will as of immediately be accessible to all users on our "Network" page. A click on the ITB logo on our homepage is sufficient. - The full editorial…

Dear Insiders, Helmut Kohl was enjoying a piece of apfelstrudel when Michel Maass, Chairman of Kempinski, told him about the imminent sale of the company in1992… Next week, Michel Maass turns 70; he was the “silent number two” next to Karl Theodor Walterspiel. He also dedicated his life to Kempinski and he has now revealed details hardly known up to this time.Foreigners are still highly interested in German hotel groups today and even more so in German hotel real estate, as shown by the analysis of Christie+Co and CBRE Hotels. The two authors Peter Hinze and Susanne Stauss have visited Thailand in the past few months talking with top city hoteliers about the impact the upheavals have had on the country. The good news: tourism is recovering.Yesterday, Accor presented its – absolutely positive – revenue figures for 2010. A Kempinski manager privately invested in the alpine village Almdorf Seinerzeit. There are further staff issues and everybody's Berlin schedule is already attracting increasing attention: Cornell and EHL are inviting their alumni to a reception and a breakfast. - The full editorial…

Dear Insiders, We wish each of you great success in the New Year! And we hope to contribute further with precise information, analyses and trend tips. Today, our editorial experts – renowned consultants from Germany, England and the USA – have a look back and forward. Their statements reflect the spectrum of the industry challenges. Moreover, two trend research institutes have caught the future in headlines. A statistic proves that national and European hotel groups expanded in Europe in the last decade faster than global players. Nevertheless, Europe firmly remains interesting: Now, after the acquisition of Nikko and JAL Hotels, even the Japanese Okura Hotels have this part of the world in their strategic focus. Social media is booming, but the US-stock market supervision and opinion polls are also slowly getting a feel for the negative sides of Facebook and the like. Of course, there are also new personality news in the New Year and for the members of the Historic Hotels of Europe, there is anticipation: The consortium will come together for its first unlimited meeting in Saint Moritz. hospitalityInside will be present.Should you be interested in the new hospitalityInside projects, have a look to the starter page of our website. There, you will find more information and the deadlines. - The full editorial…

Dear Insiders, After a turbulent 12 months, our impression is that 2010 has for many hotels been much more difficult than expected... We will give more details here in our annual review 2010 in January. Today, in our last edition of 2010, Munich-based Consultant Dr Joerg Frehse takes a critical look at movements on the investment markets, primarily on the Anglo-Americanisation…In contrast, we also bring you some lighter reading – on hotel shops. The tills are ringing towards Christmas. The spectrum of these shops meanwhile reaches from large boutiques to lifestyle shops with milk bars and the small stores. In early 2011, the ITB and thus the 6th "ITB Hospitality Day" will take place. hospitalityInside will be exclusive media partner for the 6th time and will organise topics and participants – the programme and first guests are already fixed. In April, we will also be at the "World Tourism Forum" in Lucerne as media partner…About Solutions today: Our partner hotelbau interviewed Hans Rudolf Woehrl for the January issue. Following retail and airline business, he steps into the hotel industry now. For us too, a dynamic year is drawing to a close. We are grateful for the recognition and respect we have meanwhile gained within the industry and which is an incentive for the entire hospitalityInside team to continue to be there for you every Friday also in 2011… The new year will also bring new activities: Have a look at our first page, at the announcements about the 1st ITB hospitalityInside Special and the details of the 1st hospitality joint stand at Expo Real 2011! I would like to say a heartfelt thank you here to all our readers, friends and supporters, as well as to our staff here in Augsburg as well as to our freelancers in other editorial offices, to our editorial experts and to our translators – and I wish you all a very Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year! - The full editorial…