Editorial

Dear Insiders, Hilton Worldwide now believes in the announced opening date of its two Hilton and Hilton Garden Inn hotels at Frankfurt Airport. In July 2011, the construction disaster of the “Airrail Center” on top of the ICE train station is finally to come to an end. One of our articles thus deals with just this particular construction disaster while another one covers Hilton Hotels. Olivier Harnisch, VP Operations, talks about the Squaire’s “brand package”, Hilton’s new preference for cluster hotels and synergies. A current survey about hotels among individual travellers shows that 3-star hotels are the most wanted category of all - and that hotels are almost exclusively picked and booked online.Time and again, it's all about synergies just as with the Asian hotel groups: They are slowly feeling their way forward from East to West, hoping for synergies. Susanne Stauss asked the big Asian names about their current state of expansion. Furthermore, there are exciting staff developments at the Capella Hotel at Lake Woerther as well as at Steigenberger and Leading Hotels. - To the full editorial...

Dear Insiders, Today, franchising is our main subject with three contributions. We are accessing this matter more deeply by means of a survey conducted among large franchisors and franchisees; banks, consultants and auditors have also commented on this agreement and relationship pattern. The statements made by the "big names".Two weeks ago, German BBG Consulting published a critical chapter on the subject of costs and benefits of franchising – including a calculation example. We asked Martin Bowen, Franchise Developer at IHG, to comment on the consultants' contribution. The third focus contribution today describes how franchising "feels" from the guest's perspective.Last but not least, a subject, which should be interesting to all: how much are Twitter and other social media being used at events? A study shows the result.Moreover: the Louvre Group and Warimpex are finally launching their budget hotels, the Austrians are getting rid of their trade fairs, and a personnel shuffle is taking place among Dorint's general managers… - The full editorial…

Dear Insiders, Over 1,000 Berliners booked a hotel in their own city last week. The creative campaign by Berlin Tourism Marketing was introduced to boost "domestic tourism". On a global perspective, however, Europe will still find it difficult to achieve the record figures posted before the crisis. Trends from the WTM in London and the Pisa Convention of tourism experts.There is still scepticism with regard to the unexpectedly dynamic recovery of the tourism sector. The situation in the real estate and hotel market remains volatile!Just how difficult it can be to earn money is illustrated in a further article on the marketing of Vacation Ownership models. Anyone looking to step into this sales machine must be able to withstand pressure. By contrast, one particularly circumspect entrepreneur from the Bavarian Forest doesn't wish to allow any pressure to build up at all. From its very inception, he's been keen to have the Bio Kids' Resort planned and constructed with regard for sustainability. And of course, like every week, there's also a range of interesting news articles.- To the full editorial…

Dear Insiders, Dubai is finally becoming an affordable destination. And since the start of the crisis, more and more developers and operators have dedicated themselves to the budget and mid-class segment. The segment is growing. Today, each hotel category tries to participate in the business of their counterparts - this is what Asia’s luxury MICE hotels have learnt. A panel discussion at the ITB Asia mentioned some findings, while further talks explain the new heyday of Singapore.Our “Small chains” series aims at drawing attention to some less well-known names. In complete silence, some highly successful groups are on the rise, such as Star Inn. Travel Charme belongs to the rather modest players on the German-speaking resort hotel market. I had the pleasure of attending the official opening of its new hotel in Kleinwalsertal, Austria. The Ifen Hotel, a true hotel legend, has been reborn. Sustainable success results from details, not from standardization.The dismissal of Gilles Pélisson, CEO of Accor was already rumored in Paris this summer. But the true reason behind his departure is hard to find out. Furthermore our „Solutions“ Partner hotelbau presents the new mega project at the Frankfurt airport, where operator Hilton will occupy two hotels. - To the full editorial…

Dear Insiders, Hervé Humler came to Ritz-Carlton as "no. 4" in its ranks. Now, he's President – and he told us just how the luxury group is doing now. My stay in Singapore last week was a far cry from Ritz-Carlton service standards. Notes from a business traveller here. The developments at ITB Asia, which again "experimented" with new contents and offers, were then even more satisfying. Positive comments from exhibitors were also in the majority. The International Hotel Conference in Venice was less successful though, as our correspondent Guy Dittrich reported. There too, he felt a cautious optimism, whilst the conference itself suffered under the consequences of the crisis.My colleague Baerbel Schwertfeger visited Lebanon – and returned quite shocked by the still very blatant contradictions between the war-torn facades and top-modern luxury hotels. And as always, a colourful selection of international news. - To the full editorial…

Dear Insiders, a modern destination resort is to be made of the Swiss mountain village of Andermatt. In the centre of Qatar's capital city, Doha, a new city district is also being built. Both projects are to be completed in 2016, cost billions and follow a simple goal - to make money. Whilst the ambitious project in Andermatt is financed by an Egyptian entrepreneur, the money behind the development in Doha comes from the Sheika of Qatar. Both destinations are looking for operators... But should Andermatt and Doha become new tourism magnets, the hotels will face a very contemporary problem: They need qualified staff to meet the high demands of their guests. Just how concerned hotel representatives are today of other countries poaching important staff is illustrated in this week's edition in one of our articles about the Austrian Hotel Association. Growing personnel costs and changing guest behaviour is also accelerating the growth of budget chains in Europe. An interesting study which looks at the budget concepts developed by the brand hotel industry and how they are calculated. Yet, low-cost concepts aren't a thing of the future alone. Our author Baerbel Schwertfeger has observed how the holiday destination of Bodrum may develop to the St. Tropez of Turkey. And last but not least, a practical tip for companies: The increasing flood of documents and storage duties place ever more stringent requirements on organisation in companies. Micros-Fidelio today shows the solution. Click on Solutions! - To the full editorial…

Dear Insiders, Management contracts should only be concluded by crisis resistant investors. One could fall back on franchise as the new catalyst… Clear statements and lots of food for thought at the Expo Real talk round on the value of management and franchise contracts. Just as exciting was the "green" round in which Accor and InterConti presented their sustainability concepts. The latter topic is supplemented this week by our report on Switzerland's online energy platform. Activities also go on in Germany and Austria.For weeks, we have been reporting on funds, investors and hotel groups which are redefining themselves – and are all making a keen start towards Germany. Each believes it has more bite than existing operators – as does Dormero Hotels, which Gold Inn AG has now become.And of course, we supply a range of interesting other press announcements.Next week, my colleague Susanne Stauss will welcome you here as hospitalityInside flies to Singapore as ITB media partner, the 3rd ITB Asia. - To the full editorial…

Dear Insiders, The international real estate industry has been sending smoke signals: The market is recovering. The hotel industry should benefit by next year at the latest, as the Expo Real Munich illustrated… Three articles today describe the mood at the trade fair and provide expert opinion on the hotel market shifts and on possibly lucrative money sources and markets. Also this week, Treugast presented its investment ranking for Germany and Austria at the Expo Real; sale and leaseback transactions were announced and a new hotel fund has opened. Further Expo Real news and topics next week…For hospitalityInside, this Expo Real was also a great success: A special issue of the magazine, as usual in German and English version was warmly received and quickly snapped up. The announcement of the planned joint hospitality stand 2011 also met with great interest.Our second networking event "BRICKS&BRAINS" coincided with the last night of the Oktoberfest, though there were certainly enough reasons for toasts among guests. A picture series giving some insight into the event, which in future will remain true to its "by invitation only" philosophy, is available on our publically accessible "Network" page. - The full editorial…

Dear Insiders, The Expo Real Munich is just around the corner. And we believe Europe's leading commercial real estate trade fair will become increasingly important for the hotel industry. The crisis has clearly demonstrated who has the final say in the upscale and internationally oriented hospitality sector: investors/owners and banks. They decide which hotel operating companies fail and which will be established. It's time to become more professional in the international real estate market! And for this reason, hospitalityInside will be increasing its involvement at the Expo Real: I will be organising the contents of the hotel conference "Hospitality Industry Dialogue" for the third time; for the second time, executives from the hospitality and real estate sector will meet and network; and for the first time we have put together a "hospitalityInside Special Expo Real" describing the concept for the first joint hospitality stand at Expo Real 2011 - and more. The imminent trade fair has also prompted us to list the regular sector studies provided by large hotel consultancies. Painstaking work for my colleague Susanne Stauss, but a very useful overview for you! Further, we provide information on four new books. And announce our planned spa investment workshop next May.Union Investment Managing Director, Dr Frank Billand is now considering closer cooperation with franchise partners. This could unfold a significant signal effect within the industry. Conversely, a former franchise group no longer intends to focus exclusively on franchising: The Golden Tulip CEO is currently on tour presenting the group's new concept. - To the full editorial…

Dear Insiders, There are only very few destination resorts in German-speaking countries: one of them - Land Fleesensee in the north of Germany – is already ten years old. The four hotels are putting up a good fight but the investors are troubled. An insight into the "Fleesensee challenge" and Dorfhotel on Sylt. Iberotel and Dorfhotel Managing Director Michael Franke talks about strategies and figures concerning these two types of resort hotels whose profiles are to be sharpened in the home country of the TUI parent company.In the bustling federal state of Tyrol in Austria, a "cluster wellness" has been inviting participants to an exchange of experiences for some time now. Last week, a prominent name appeared - Leo Nefiodow - but this rendered little substance. The cluster friends talked shop and in the end they simply determined that only every 20th guest in Southern Tyrol books wellness or health.A glance to far-away India: one of the two major hotel groups in the country, the Taj, is really surging ahead now. Last week, the chain introduced its new lifestyle brand Vivanta.In Western Europe, more operators and investment companies are discovering the less volatile hotel market of Germany after the crisis. Today, the French are announcing plans. News melange and some whisperings... - The full editorial…