Editorial
The "Harry Potter Hotel" in London burnt down on Wednesday - shortly before 100 million pound renovations were completed .... Here in the Midland Grand Hotel above St. Pancras, parts of one of the Harry Potter films were shot. Perhaps a certain demonic wizard was left behind?? Something not wished on the LSF Hotel Palmengarten in Offenburg. It will be home to several professional cyclists during the Germany Tour 2007 in August. Let's hope they find their way without the steroids.
Party chat .... In July, many celebrated the summer with informal get-togethers. At NewGen plc, on the other hand, things were a little more serious. Last Monday was their general shareholder meeting. After the ups and downs of recent years, in particular the integration and later split with Dorint, top priority in Berlin on Monday was to convey a feeling of "business as usual" to shareholders.
Just four days previously though, NewGen plc appeared before the county court in Moenchengladbach after a shareholder contested their recent decision. Judgement is expected on 9th August. André Witschi by the way, Board Speaker at NewGen plc, played no active role any more last Monday, but he was there. Yesterday, Accor officially confirmed that the top manager will leave the company.
The Varta-Guide intends to redefine itself on the hotel scene. It is now sending out interviewers to survey guests in hotels. The plan doesn't fill every hotelier with joy. In Dornbirn, Austria, one businessman has built and is now busy marketing quite a clever little hotel as a sort of motel. The idea is catchy. And the idea of hotel videos encouraging hotel bookings seems to be a challenging one .... .
The positioning of the luxury hotel group Four Seasons is meanwhile difficult to fault. Six months after taking on the new position, new Chairwoman Kathleen Taylor, Wolf Hengst's successor, spoke with hospitalityInside.com on the new owner structures, on expansion and her understanding of the brand. The core message: Four Seasons is to stay Four Seasons.
Submerge is the many big and small news reports, all of which show: The classic "summer break" is a thing of the past.
Yours, Maria Puetz-Willems
Editor in Chief
Questions? maria@hospitalityInside.com
André Witschi will leave Accor. This is our insider information. Officially, this news has not been confirmed. But we are inside, as you know. Next Monday it will become obvious anyway, during the Annual General Meeting of the NewGen AG in Berlin. There, Witschi should appear as spokesman of the board. We will keep you informed....
The "locusts" are about to enter professional education in tourism. Last week's marginal note has become an interesting topic - we spoke with the new owners of the Internationale Fachhochschule Bad Honnef near Bonn. The takeover of this private school is planned to be just the first of many for the private equity company located in Munich.
Capital will flow for Park Plaza as well - since last week, the hotel group has been quoted on the stock exchange. Susanne Stauss provides an outline about the group's current expansion plans. The Feuring consultancy is also entering large-scale real estate deals with Vivico due to sales of unused railway areas.
There is still a lot of room for hotels backed by the financial power of foreign investors in Germany - mainly in the resort segment, says Martina Fidlschuster of Hotour in Frankfurt. Her consultancy has been observing the development of the domestic holiday destinations for ten years and considers resort hotels in Germany to be part of a profitable niche! Cast a glance at this interesting analysis.
Not a resort hotel, but a niche - that's what the meerSinn health centre on the island of Ruegen decided. Last November, it turned away from the classic resort hotel concept with wellness and took on a new health philosophy, which is unique in Germany so far. Here, only people who want to recover from diseases are allowed to go on vacation. The start has been difficult, but there is considerable confidence in the project. It is just another example of how the vague term, "medical wellness", can be realised in a serious and professional way.
If one takes the multi-million plans of Beberbeck with multi-hotel plans, there is still a lack of confidence... Five hotels in the middle of nowhere? A single expression of interest by Kempinski - and a mayor already considers himself to be the communal Redeemer. This will probably become an episode of the series: "How politicians create a monument for themselves...."
In Villach, Carinthia/Austria, the former Dorint board member Alfred Weiss officially reappeared. He will manage a new Holiday Inn there....
Enough of these meaningful tidbits - form your own opinion.
Yours, Maria Puetz-Willems
Editor in Chief
Your comments? maria@hospitalityInside.com
Dear Insiders,
You can expect an issue filled with staff decisions: top managers move on or away - Jennie Chua from Raffles to Ascott, Martin Elsner from Munich to Rome, Natale Rusconi from Cipriani to retirement. And there will be even more new names - even in new markets: Shangri-La has secured itself a choice part in Vienna, InterConti wants to participate in the Dresden boom. And Park Plaza is aiming for the top of the financial world. Going public is obviously imminent.
In Germany, there has been a rumour concerning top manager André Witschi of Accor. But read for yourself.
Everybody should have a healthy relation concerning his own health. New studies could help to "heal" a few hotels in the Alps. A short trip into the mountains has been proven to be healthy! Now it is up to you, dear mountain hoteliers, to take on a healthy course with your offers!
Well, when inhaling hotel evaluations on the Internet, hoteliers should not give up a healthy critical attitude. The more travellers/guests that evaluate your hotel, the greater the chance that there will not only be negative comments. Our own research and two discussion panels about online hotel review platform have shown: even the providers have their problems. A hotel representative even managed to manipulate a provider in a test. Immerse yourself into this thrilling subject including tables and a hotel survey. So that you can relax and exhale again without tension.
Steigenberger has now taken a deep breath and decided against its distribution partner Worldhotels and in favour of Pegasus. This means Worldhotels is losing its strongest member. Lindner is looking for more partners - not only on a classic operative level, but also as a provider of know-how for ailing private hotels. The operating company is increasingly making a name for itself as a restructuring company.
Accor's 4-star brands are also undergoing a type of correction. Fred Fettner, our correspondent for Austria, learned a lot about new brands and planned sub-brands - even in the 5-star segment - in Paris. The great number of nuances gives rise to suspicion that Accor is slowly but surely turning away from its concept as a creator of standardised brand profiles. Established brands are under the gun at the moment anyway.
Yours, Maria Puetz-Willems
Editor in Chief
Questions? maria@hospitalityInside.com
Dear Insiders,
What will come after the Hilton deal, and who will pay more than 26 billion dollars for a hotel group? Insiders say: the company is perfectly suited for being broken up despite all assertions by Blackstone. There will surely be clever minds and concepts for selling the values within the company for even more money in future. This is the way profit maximisation works. Marriott was in the hotbed of rumours for a long time, while Hilton was hit "overnight". Now Blackstone is the undisputed "locust" no. 1 in the hotel industry. But there is a lack of trust in order to bring this company on to a level with Prinz Al-Waleed and his strategic investments. Hilton's shareholders can already rub their hands.
It seems that clearances were on the order of the day this week. Eric Lassiaille has doubtlessly rendered outstanding services to the Dorint resorts in the past few years, but now he steps down. Elke Schade, who is now sole Managing Director of Neue Dorint GmbH, will get the group with the big old name and the many worries back on course again. Discussions in the company management have been cleared up for the moment.
The structure of the Falkensteiner hotel group seems to have gained a bit more composure. Edgar van Ommen, Managing Director, said quite honestly in the course of the official receptions: the group had to become trustworthy! It seems to be well on the way. One year ago, it was not issuing open statements about figures, weaknesses and difficulties.
Our article about the top leaders of Moevenpick Holding and the Moevenpick hotel group as well as our article about the ultra detailed online database with regard to conferences, seminars and incentives by a company in Frankfurt are less "exciting", but certainly no less interesting from a strategic point of view. Another interesting topic for our sales-oriented readers: the history of Sonnenhotels AG.
You will find further big and small news in the "news" column...
Yours, Maria Puetz-Willems
Editor in Chief
Questions? maria@hospitalityInside.com
Our six-month survey among major hotel groups revealed: Germany's upswing seems to be stabilising. At the conference of the German International Hotel Association in Travemuende two weeks ago, I met cheerful hoteliers exclusively. Nevertheless, German hoteliers have to continue their struggle, e.g. against rising energy costs and incredible legislation. To top this off: In the middle of the upswing, the mega problem of the future is slowly evolving: The first hotel companies are calling out loud for qualified employees!
I prophesy the newly opened Graeflichen Park Hotel & Spa in Bad Driburg a bright future. In the middle of the classic health resort, it demonstrates an amazing potential: The timbered buildings are uniquely located and they provide a stylish historical ambience and existing links to medical wellness and sports. Behind all this, there is an agile family of entrepreneurs with a long tradition and long-term visions. Accordingly, the aristocratic family celebrated the reopening of the hotel and the 225th anniversary of the spa with legitimate pride last weekend.
Another article provides insight into the future strategy of Emirates Hotels and Resorts. Long-term thinking and courage to invest can be found as well. Emirates will build its next resorts under strict environmentally friendly aspects and wants to force other developers to change their views in the long term.
The planners of the Rigi Kaltbad in Switzerland have to think over their plans as well, as the newly planned wellness temple of the star architect Mario Botta runs the risk of falling apart. And some timeshare providers have to think over their strategies as well, should the new EU regulation come into force in 2010.
Immerse yourselves in the world of news in brief that reflects plans, success and disappointments. Please, also see our new story about Micros-Fidelio's new software to improve your customer relationship management, look at our sub-website hospitalitySolutions today!
Yours, Maria Puetz-Willems
Editor in Chief
Questions? maria@hospitalityInside.com
Dear Insiders,
Some ideas sound like "fakes", like copies of an original to which they can hardly be compared. For instance, medical wellness: some would be happy to see it stamped as "true" wellness and only confuse the public with empty definitions. In practice, however, a huge spectrum within "medical wellness" can be observed. A talk round at the annual conference of the German Hotel Association was attended by top speakers and brought sober, real, "original" details to the fore.
As regards wellness and medical wellness, the suspicion may well arise that individual certifiers are out only to swindle the hoteliers through their expensive seals. So, questions are overwhelming while discussing the "7 star" certifier. The Swiss SGS has a good reputation in fact. Their office in Milan, however, is currently in the process of causing confusion with its 7 star explanations and outs itself as "fake" as a result. Confusing research balanced by the opinion of the 5 star makers.
Horst Schulze, the former Ritz-Carlton Chairman, was very much reserved at the opening of his first Capella Hotel in Europe, as our Austrian correspondent Fred Fettner reports from the official press weekend at Lake Woerther. For that, the banks put the list of superlatives and superlative capabilities in perspective: No, the hotel doesn’t have to be a profit machine! Minor troubleshooting with the original. And the bank: it’s making headlines all of its own in recent days.
Last but not least, Marriott announced its 14th brand last week. We were made privy to the first details on Marriott’s new design brand by Ian Schrager. All of this and of course a whole range of interesting news today… Original and completed with original details by hospitalityInside.com.
The story about the Emirates Hotels' eco-concept, announced for this issue, will be published next week.
Yours, Maria Puetz-Willems
Editor in Chief
Questions? maria@hospitalityInside.com
Dear Insiders,
The worldwide ranking of a French consultancy says there is still a lot of room for chains in Europe. easyHotels took up on this statement and announced ten "super budgets" for Germany on Wednesday. The bubbly head of easyGroup with his conglomerate of a low-price airline, low-price cruise line, low-price hotels and many other low-price companies is on the verge of reducing the German budget concept dominated by a rather noble budget design down to an orange plastic standard. You can see the first easyHotel in Basle.
A new old hotel group dares to enter the German hotel market: Dorint: Now, after merger and marketing errors with Accor, it is "the" Dorint again, with a new logo and a hotel portfolio many describe as being only second-class. However, who says that in second-class it is impossible to earn money? The new Managing Director of New Dorint GmbH gave her press debut yesterday in Cologne. Susanne Stauss was on site for us and provides an up-to-the-minute report.
Speaking of up-to-the-minute, we also have a report on Heiligendamm, although the media probably wrote more about the G8 summit than about any other event last week. GM Martin Kolb was not tired despite a hundred press interviews and told us eagerly about what had been gained by the world economic summit and how he wants to conduct marketing for the shaken resort at the Baltic in future. The investor of Fundus will have to decide between mass and class.
There were no big concerns for Emirates when it came to securing the future of the desert resort Al Maha in Dubai. The Sheikh collaborated with them and created a national park around the resort. This marks the first environmental counterpoint in the exploding concrete giant of Dubai. The environmentally conscious Europeans are drawing new hope. But for Emirates Hotels Group, this is only the beginning of a consistent ecological-resort strategy. The portrait of global IFA Hotels, whose CEO does not speak with any press medium, shows that Dubai definitely looks beyond its own borders.
Have a great week.
Yours, Maria Puetz-Willems
Editor in Chief
Ideas? maria@hospitalityInside.com
Dear Insiders,
Paris Hilton has been shortly in jail this week now; for two days, until tonight the participants of the G8 summit are "behind bars" in Heiligendamm at the Baltic Sea for two days. Both circumstances provide indirectly inestimable advertising for hotel brands; and for by way of exception the "white town at the sea" - a property of the German investment fund Fundus under the management of Kempinski - is getting paid well for it. The German Government is paying a seven-digit amount to owners and operators, as we were told by the former General Manager Torsten Dressler in January. Next week, the current hotel manager we will hopefully tell us more.
Today, Kempinski is still one of our subjects - with a little different "acknowledgement" of its 110th anniversary. Our reporter Karin Krentz dug out notes and internet prints, which had been stored away for years, and examines a less known and less pleasant part of Kempinski's history. Until today, Kempinski's heirs have been fighting for their name.
Andreas Pflaum also continues the story of Pflaums Posthotel Pegnitz. An exceptional German hotel manager who, with the aid of his family, transformed a Franconian provincial hotel into an international magnet. The "PPP" is known to state visitors as well as to the Dalai Lama, Michael Jackson and Simone Beauvoir. Pflaum's Posthotel is celebrating its 300th anniversary and I am personally pleased to reserve a special place for one of the most creative, innovative and also most down-to-earth German hotel managers - in our VIP column. He very clearly belongs to the "very impressive people" in this industry. Also, because he was finally able to conclude the refinancing of his business - in recent weeks after his bank went bankrupt four years ago. The 300-year old PPP trusts private equity now.
The first time that I have heard the saying "quality results from torture" - it came from Andreas Pflaum - thus, it is not surprising that it was he again who defined the term Service Design after searching for new qualities in hotels. A professor from Cologne explains the meaning of Service Design.
The niche is in demand again. Customers reward convincing niche concepts - because they are willing to pay more for them. A Swiss research institute draws up 10 theses for the niche market. - Read more about niches; in this respect, our news is not easy today either.
Yours, Maria Puetz-Willems
Editor in Chief
Questions? maria@hospitalityInside.com
Dear Insiders,
Competence and quality show themselves in many ways: Hilton has decided not to fill the company top job with an external CEO, but to trust in their own number 2. Matthew Hart therefore follows Stephen Bollenbach. The move signals continuity and reliability. Perhaps this is a lesson well learned from the Starwood disaster. The vacuum affecting Orient Express Hotels, on the other hand, is becoming ever larger. Now, the finance boss has announced his departure from the sinking ship. A state of affairs that is certain to leave the hotel collection in ever more perilous waters.
Peter Leitgeb is a further cause of mystery. The German, who was ever rhapsodising his fantastic relationship with Leela Palaces, will now leave the chain. Captain Nair soberly invites replacement candidates to submit their applications. Will Leitgeb come back to Frankfurt?
Sir Rocco Forte was this week extremely tight lipped, obviously determined to give nothing away in respect of the difficulties experienced with construction of his golf resort in Sicily. We bring you the news all the same. German travel managers unleash heavy criticism on the competence and quality of conference hotels. They refer to salesmen as "walking prospectus stands" and accuse the hotels of playing a game of hide and seek in respect to expenses. Every manager may put the criticism in perspective for himself with reference to his own banquet department.
In Berlin, a reservation platform has established itself, quietly and shrouded in secrecy. For the first time today, we will report on Escapio, a platform which will not be known to every hotel. But then again, it doesn’t intend to accept every hotel. And different to others are also the two Chedi hotels, one in Milan - the first in Europe - and the other in Muscat. As fate might have it, we were able to visit both at the same time.
We also bring you a further article from Dubai this week, where just on time for the Arabian Travel Market in April, a further spectacular hotel group has been founded: Tamani. Tamani comes into existence alongside the creation of a billion heavy investment fund. The new group is to concentrate on women as target group and will adhere to Islamic values, in particular an alcohol ban. "The 'dry' concept is the fastest growing in the Middle East", the CEO says. And it’s not only targeting Muslims.
More on people, competence and quality in our new column hospitalityWhisperings, in the News Mix and remaining articles. Enjoy reading!
Yours, Maria Puetz-Willems
Editor in Chief
Ideas? Comments? maria@hospitalityInside.com
Dear Insiders,
The hotel world is as colourful as the new "Park Inn" airplane - another smart marketing gimmick of the Rezidor Group.
I've compiled colourful impressions from everyday life in Dubai for you - a small summary after three weeks in this boomtown. On the one hand, the events in Dubai are quite impressive. On the other hand, we Europeans stand speechless in front of the towering challenges for the environment, logistics and infrastructure. Now I'm able to understand the Dubai model a bit better after lots of talks with developers, investment experts, head hunters and hoteliers. Dubai will work as a business location - but the question is whether you will be as powerful as marketing makes you believe. In addition, the most important question concerning Dubai's future will be how to create quality of life. Finally, they want to persuade millions of people to move there. Go on reading a bit more between the lines... and also our "hospitalityWhisperings"! Yet, our supply of Dubai stories is far from being exhausted. But first, I will have to carry out more profound research for the next articles on hotels, investments, residences, environment and human resources.
Baerbel Schwertfeger concentrates on the issues of medical wellness in today's issue. The first German hotel now bears the seal of Deutscher Medical Wellness Verband and hotelier Andreas Eggensberger considers it to be good to the core.
A 39-year old career changer is also treading new paths: as Director of Tourism, the former car expert wants to revolutionise Austria's skiing destination of Oetztal Valley to take on summer tourism. In doing so, he has clear visions about how the hotels should act.
Harald Muecke, a hotel consultant from Moenchengladbach, wants his contribution to be regarded as a guide to proper behaviour in difficult situations arising with hotel operators. He has raised questions that an owner should ask as soon as his hotel operator stops paying...
From an abundance of news one item in particular should not be left unmentioned: InterConti wants to go to Oberstdorf - but it still doesn't know the brand. When Susanne Stauss asked all parties she noticed one thing: the InterConti office in Berlin had already filed away the project, while the developer thinks very highly of it. Has the right hand ever known what the left hand was doing at InterConti?
Have a colourful week.
Yours, Maria Puetz-Willems
Editor in Chief
Questions? maria@hospitalityInside.com