Editorial

Dear Insiders, The World Economic Forum in Davos has extended the contract for a further ten years! This time, participants only ordered snacks – though these resulted in satisfying swelling of coffers. The WEF 2010 from a hotelier's perspective.Swissôtel carries Switzerland's image across the globe – though "Swissness" is to be served only subtly. The hotel group will celebrate its 30th anniversary this year. Reason enough for an interview with CEO Meinhard Huck on the group's current position.Mamaison Hotels is rearing its head in Prague. With eleven hotels, the chain is still small, though their plans are anything but that. Behind the hotel group is the Orco Property Group.The VAT reduction in Germany this week took on the form of a provincial farce with hoteliers slowly being jolted awake as a result. Yesterday, the ministry of finance sent a message to the Dehoga regarding the breakfast.The discussion on budget hotels at the 5th ITB Hospitality Day in Berlin this year is one of six talk rounds at the hotel conference; today we will present the participants. Put a note in your diaries for Thursday, 11 March - with no need for prior registration and at no extra cost.Conferences reflect trends and the industry itself commissions its own studies in order to create contemporary and needs-orientated products. MICROS-Fidelio has turned to the demands posed by "Generation Y". The lifestyle of those born after 1980 implies changes in the worlds of work and leisure: Mobility, outsourcing, "green" IT and cost-reducing technologies are only a few buzzwords. Click on our SOLUTIONS pages and read more. - To the complete editorial…

Dear Insiders, In the crisis top manager turnover decreased. Those moving up were getting younger – and were less educated: provoking aspects of an analysis on CEO turnover.The world "outside" holds challenges: there are still only individual real estate transfers, and the urge for refinancing increases the danger of insolvencies. Another piece of news fits in perfectly with this: the number of distress sales is increasing. Even budget hotels have attracted criticism this week. And: Rocco Forte is surely not the only one, who had to renegotiate his large-scale loan.Two CEOs will hopefully talk about several of these issues at the "CEO Panel" in the course of the 5th "ITB Hospitality Day" at ITB. The hotel conference of the world's biggest tourism fair will present 25 top experts. Everybody with an ITB ticket receives lots of extra knowledge for zero euros extra! For the fifth time, hospitalityInside organised the hotel congress and is also media partner of the "ITB Hospitality Day" on March 11. From today on, you will find more about the fair on "Network" each week.While the Berlin trade fair announced a stable figure of exhibitors yesterday, Austria is currently struggling with positioning its own trade fairs. The laboriously established ACTB is obsolete, and now it's "ALPS".Southern Tyrol, Austria, Switzerland and Germany have only one thing in common: the German language. Their tourist strategies remain different, as a discussion revealed.Gregor Gerlach "inherited" hotels from his father, founded the self-service restaurant chain of Vapiano and a bagels chain, and has now invented 5-star living without service. It's all being put to the test.

Dear Insiders, The world has a new nuisance: Oman Air announced full mobile phone reception and unrestricted wireless Internet access above the clouds. Just the imagination of somebody next to me permanently talking or typing on their keyboard on a 10-hour flight is a pure nightmare. I’ve already had enough of the snorers next door in badly soundproofed hotel rooms! Do I have to adapt my sleeping habits to those of my neighbour? I wonder what would happen, if hoteliers recommended guests to sleep only when their room neighbours sleep as well??? Meanwhile, the VAT issue is also close to a farce in Germany. After a proper smear media campaign last week Dehoga, the industry association in Berlin is saying nothing. In contrast, Austria’s hoteliers talked clear text at the OEHV congress this week. They are fed up of being the victims of ruthless banks and launched their own online portal for evaluating banks. Relais & Châteaux is increasingly accepting city hotels. And the Department of Tourism at the Munich University of Applied Sciences places great hopes in its new hospitality management master programme. And of course, there are various other pieces of news...Ideas grow with the challenges of the market: this is why you should also take a look at our new article on our “Solutions” micro site. The balleywasl* brand specialists from Munich help crisis-stricken hoteliers in repositioning their hotel. And they accept performance-related remuneration as part of their fee. - See the full editorial…

Dear Insiders, 2009 is over - a self-critical look in hindsight is good, even though hopes for better times are pushing everyone into the new year. The VAT reduction passed on December 18, is still being strongly criticised by the media. This criticism will remain, as long as the industry does not show solidarity! Our snapshot about who deals with this "tax gift" in what way gives some cause for concern.Occurring questions concerning company succession are problematic, but not insolvable. Once again, nevertheless: entrepreneurs have to deal intensely with details and emotions. An article with lots of subtle tips.Americans have a talent for detecting market trends. This is also true of the spa sector. Not everything can be adapted to the European market, and some things are considered differently here. The top spa trends from overseas.At the start of the new year, we naturally look at several staff issues and lots of hospitalityWhispering.Look forward to 48 new issues this year, and the hospitalityInside team is looking forward to your feedback! What ever happens: we'll keep at it.

Dear Insiders, We picked, among other things, two rather thought-provoking topics for our final issue in 2009 at the close of the year: real estate expert Dr. Joerg Frehse looks back on the hotel real estate hype of the past few years and says: some of the major hotel companies are not entirely innocent as regards the cause of the crisis. At the threshold of 2010, neither complaints nor euphoria are the order of the day – but rather critical self-contemplation.There is also a pinch of contemplation in our humorously written report on the "etiquette courses" for German hotel employees in Switzerland. A hospitality trainer will explain to you the meaning of German terms in rather "flowery" Helvetian German.RIMC, a wellknown hotel operator in Hamburg, has also developed a sensitive feeling for the demands of hotel investors. Gert Prantner and his partner Marek Riegger explain their strategy at the company's 20th anniversary in 2010 – bristling with news. A "silent operator" is speaking.Our other small reports today: Dirk M. Feid, who has been head of Treugast Consulting so far, is building up a new hotel operating group together with new partners; Accor separates the hotel business from the services division; and seven countries have agreed on common European hotel standards in Prague. And more…

Dear Insiders, This week's current tourism figures brought a very successful region into focus: South Tyrol. However, it is difficult for international investors and operators to gain a foothold there. Families rule the country. And the Hoteliers- und Gastwirte-Verband "protects" them by trying to prohibit hotels with more than 80 rooms. A market overview reveals the trends; young hotel manager Jonas Mairhofer from Hotel Alpenpalace confirms many of those trends by way of his activities; a third article about hotels at Lake Garda shows that different rules dominate between Brenner Pass and Verona.Today, in our series of "Small Chains" we portray the Zech Group, which is active in the market with two brands – and therefore follows its own rules following the motto "everything under one roof". Also, German Dorint Hotels are about to define new rules. The new managing board officially started to work last week. Among our news today: the review and preview of the German Hotel and Restaurant Association, the investors' spirit for 2010, the drawback for Samih Sawiris in Andermatt, and much more.

Dear Insiders, top managers from the Accor headquarters in Paris giving straight answers to German journalists is a quite a seldom occurrence. This week, COO Yann Caillère promised that Accor wanted to open itself more to the German market. Insiders should remember this sentence! For my part, I reminded him that Accor's second largest market outside France would welcome an open explanation of the strategy and personnel decisions being taken. The COO certainly gave an interesting and detailed insight into the way Accor is currently juggling contracts and real estate. The next two weeks will presumably also be a balancing act. Until the VAT reduction on overnight stays becomes law in Germany hotels will be treading carefully. Details. At the recent investment conference in St. Petersburg, different approaches to dealing with real estate and investors became clear. The crisis has strengthened each party's standpoint. How nice it is then when a hotel belongs to a king. The legendary La Mamounia in Marrakech has opened its doors again, with much pomp and circumstance. And among today's smaller news: The hotel industry's reaction to the Swiss minaret decision, Sheikh Al Jaber finally becomes hotelier in Austria and in Gstaad, a renowned director couple must clear their desks as the owner falls victim to the economic crisis. Read more here….

Dear Insiders, The official position is still unclear, but Elke Schade will possibly leave Dorint Hotels. The exact reasons behind her possible departure and how the hotel group will move forward with restructuring are still the subject of speculation. Now, the Supervisory Board must convene and decide. The course for the Austrian Arcotel, on the other hand, is clear: Expansion – primarily in Germany. The small chain has streamlined its portfolio and is now fixed its attention on its bigger neighbour. Courageous! The consortium Global Hotel Alliance is also looking to fill gaps. At the moment, the group is very concentrated in Asia. Now, this is to change with new members. The second instalment on our series on the meta-search engine TrustYou today focuses on the advantages for hoteliers.Contrary to popular opinion, staff are still being sought in Dubai and surrounding region. A human resources expert explains why not everyone is welcome though. Also, yesterday Dubai's extremely high debts generated negative headlines!

Dear Insiders, How have you budgeted for 2010? The hoteliers we asked were as slippery as eels when it came to the figures - especially those listed on the stock exchange... At the moment, no-one seems willing to announce results or make concrete statements to the public.Accor doesn't have crystal ball either when it comes to introducing its long-stay brand, Adagio, to Germany. The potential is certainly there.The small group, Abba hotels, are also trying to work out their market chances. And for those finding Europe too small, there's always Africa: The black continent is increasingly being treated as a "secret tip".Two years ago, many hoteliers were full of scepticism when it came to the online evaluation portals. Now, a meta-search engine helps to gain an overview of commentaries from a whole range of websites.And read more about other notable events of the past week….

Dear Insiders, Marriott is slowly making a fool of itself. On Wednesday of this week, it presented its 18th brand. With this, they're even skimming off the private fish from the pond – the independent hotels. Bill Marriott would do better to ensure that he has his existing brands under control. After a few "nebulous" years, Kempinski again seems to have found its line of action. CEO Reto Wittwer and Europe President Gianni van Daalen explain their new focus on expansion and contracts. Behind Russian hotels, there are almost always very rich investors. All the same, the crisis has hit the market hard. The investment conference in St. Petersburg takes a look at the current situation. Europe's stability in the hotel industry is thanks to healthy medium-sized enterprises like the Romantik hotels; they have felt little of the crisis. Good understanding of quality and a strong feeling of responsibility towards the next generation paired with the courage to try new ideas - their recipe for success.A recent health study in Austria and Germany looks at a "healthy" perception of the market in a double sense. Hotels and destinations accord health better chances for the future than classic tourism.These and many more news, read more….