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…

Dear Insiders, Chains are not the only ones that come up with new brands, private hoteliers like Harald Ultsch from Innsbruck also have “ideas for new systems”, create new brands and even hire top designers such as Philippe Starck. TUI also created two new hotel brands for 2011. Also, tour operators are currently competing for exclusivity and target groups – for me, these are simply two new euphemisms for increased cutthroat competition. Today, three spa experts take a look at the status quo of spa development about 10 years after the big boom.And last but not least we take a look back on 75 years of Swiss tourism statistics, a piece of Swiss history. Of course, there is also lots of other interesting news.And how do you create synergies from sustainability, design and guest orientation? On our “Solutions” microsite, Siemens Hospitality shows how hoteliers can put their product in perspective and create an atmosphere of well-being and even save energy in doing so. Immerse yourself in the new hotel LED world.We won’t say goodbye yet for the Christmas holiday, as hospitalityInside will be appearing on your desktop next Friday one more time… - To the full editorial.

Dear Insiders, A little scepticism remains, though the outlook for 2011 is good: Investors are again buying hotels. Our colleague Beatrix Boutonnet provides a snapshot of the current state of play. Matthias Buchholz too, Consultant with Kohl & Partner in Vienna, draws his own conclusions – on the development of health tourism: Expectations have up to now not been fulfilled! For this reason, he provides reason for thought with five theses. Managers are dismissed or go "voluntarily". The reasons for this often include more than physical exhaustion. Franz Josef Koenig, an expert for System Management and the former Accor Manager Marc Hildebrand describe an industry that has lost its balance. The victims? Chain hotel managers. Helmuth Herfurth has left a chain in order to set up his own group: Advena Hotels. Nevertheless, he's still proud in the knowledge that it was Hyatt that recognised his skills. A Managing Director will presumably resign from Dorint Hotels today, and Leading Hotels present their new focus… - To the full editorial.

Dear Insiders, With every new CEO, a new future begins – also for Steigenberger. Arco Buijs, who I met this week, made a very confident and competent impression. He gave a preview of Steigenberger's future. By contrast, owner Hamed El Chiaty grants little insight into his future planning – up to now he has not come out in public with his commitment to Steigenberger.Because Thomas Althoff finds it more difficult to expand with his 5-star gourmet hotels than with the 4-star business hotels, he has now modified his Ameron brand...Google is taking the world by storm with many "trailblazing" innovations – with respect to Google Streetview, though, there's hardly been a ripple in the industry.The "bed tax" will be a headache in future too; creative people at the recent travel managers' meeting relabelled it "mattress toll". It sounds funny but is a politicians' revenge on the back of an entire industry.Marco Nussbaum is already practising the future: He lives social media every day. Now, in order to inspire and transfer interest to his colleagues, he will report regularly - and exclusively for hospitalityInside.com - on short episodes from his day-to-day on the Web… He greets you today with "Good Morning, Social Media!" - To the full editorial…