Editorial

Dear Insiders,

A dynamic yet strange year is now drawing to a close. The hotel industry still had many positive moments, yet all too often was able to achieve its goals only with extraordinary energy. The high costs and the shortage of employees remain, as does the uncertainty. Entrepreneurs are now putting together their own feasible perspectives as politicians appear even more headless than before. 

What I've understood from conversations over the past few weeks will apparently become the bitter reality of the next (two, three?) years: More and more investors and operators, even German ones, are turning away from Germany as a hotel location. They prefer Austria, which is only half as bureaucratic, Switzerland with its generous international guests or the more cosmopolitan Benelux, which still has room for many brands. Germany is currently suffocating from its own prosperity...

Dear Insiders,

The luxury hotel industry has lost a grand seigneur, gentleman and an exceptional hotelier: Georg Rafael. He was 86 years old and died on 21 November in Monaco. He was the first German luxury hotelier to expand internationally, an entrepreneur with vision, a cosmopolitan with his feet on the ground, a mentor to his employees and a kind and congenial person. Susanne Stauss and I are dedicating a detailed obituary to him today; he was also a companion to us. 

It feels crass when, after such an obituary, you have to switch straight back to day-to-day business in hospitality, to the unemotional topics that are almost exclusively about money, costs and technology. Existing buildings are becoming ESG-fit thanks to urban mining and AI, serviced apartments are moving ever closer to hotels in general and, despite digital advances, hotel chains are neglecting the individualisation of their offers, according to a recent study. 

Dear Insiders,

Today we are moving between highs and lows: the mega-bankruptcy of Signa Holding, to which tourist magnets such as hotels or shopping malls are falling victim, frowning at the new non-Adina brand, rejoicing for Portugal, swallowing at the global decline in property values...

In 2019, on the fringes of the MIPIM, I had the opportunity to photograph René Benko's 62-meter-long super-yacht in the port of Cannes. It had all the charm of a warship. Now, the insolvency of his Signa Holding could become the biggest bankruptcy in Austria's history. The administrator is forcing the billionaire out of hiding by, among other things, rigorously selling off his lifestyle assets and cutting private luxury spending. 

Dear Insiders,

The crisis has many facets, exposing greed, humility and cleverness, characters with fine antennae and bullish stock market fists. Today we talk about boosting reservations, Dorint Hotels and ungrateful hoteliers, a snapshot of the market with JLL, the small arcona insolvency, large Travelodge sales and the Choice/Wyndham stock market battle. 
Corona and the crises have given a strong boost to direct bookings. And AI will accelerate this trend. Caro Brauer, Managing Director of distribution specialist QR Reservations, is very sure of this. She is also certain that the OTAs are spending a lot of money to intercept customers as they surf the net as they search and book and that they do it professionally than the hoteliers can imagine. Susanne Stauss spoke to her about the subtle changes in reservation systems, data and AI. 

Dear Insiders, 

Today, we begin with the pleasant, inspiring topics. First of all: After six years of HITT in Berlin, we are moving the Think Tank to Amsterdam! Save the date for 17/18 June 2024! The Dutch metropolis stands for rethinking, lateral thinking and openness. The perfect setting for the HITT community to develop visions and make new friends away from the day-to-day routine. This time, we won't be on the water, but right by the water. And in an unusual location in the very centre of the city. 

 Dear Insiders,

The ping pong game between Choice Hotels and Wyndham continues - and could probably drag on until May. CEO Pat Pacious is resolute, his Wyndham colleague Geoff Ballotti is also sticking stubbornly to his NO and appears relaxed. Sarah Douag has analysed the situation exactly four weeks after the hostile takeover bid by Choice.

Dear Insiders, 

Right next to the World Trade Center Memorial in New York there is a hotel that is neither a Motel One nor The Cloud One. All the same, the latter is written large above the door. The Munich-based budget design group, which celebrated its US-market entry eleven months ago, is behind it all. Most of us love Motel One's fresh design, the egg chairs, the Italian long sofas, and The Cloud One is supposed to be even better than all that…

Dear Insider,

We continue this week with our CEO interviews: After Schörghuber Holding and Premier Inn, Oliver Bonke explains to us today the changed strategy of Deutsche Hospitality and its Chinese parent company H World (formerly Huazhu).

Dear Insiders,

Two big companies are the focus of our attention today: Premier Inn UK and Germany, and the Munich-based Schörghuber Group with its hotel operator Arabella Hospitality and the first Rosewood Hotel in Germany, which opened on Wednesday.

Dear Insiders,

What a week! A battle of David against Goliath: The world's second largest franchisor (Choice) wants to acquire the largest (Wyndham). Now the poker between lawyers begins. The question is whether Wyndham is currently worth only $7.8 billion or significantly more. We already provided detailed coverage on Tuesday/Wednesday via Breakings News and a further update.

It's all very reminiscent of Marriott and the 2016 bid from state-controlled Chinese insurance company Anbang, which tried to prevent Marriott from buying Starwood hotels. At stake in this battle was $12.3 billion. Eventually, the Chinese government put an end to such ambitions.

Now, two publicly traded American giants are facing off, and no government is going to call the companies off this time. After all, profit first is the American economic credo. It's getting exciting.

As luck would have it, we recently had an interview with Wyndham CEO Geoff Ballotti and were set to publish it today anyway. We do that now with especial pleasure, given that Geoff reveals many details about the franchise model and how more can easily be made out of the 9,150 hotels worldwide. He talks about the fees used to motivate owners and new brands like Vienna House that bring in new guests. The interview now takes on a special flavour with the takeover game in the background, perhaps showing that Choice Hotels will not have an easy time of it after all.

Another drama is unfolding in the midst of the Dutch hotelier family, the Van der Valks. Refugees are more profitable that tourist, one nephew discovered and cashed in. Professional companies earn millions because they see refugees as cash cows and are able to charge governments additional 100 euros per night. Hotels, holiday parks, cruise ships and others are all in on the game. Sarah Douag describes the family squabble that became public in court, shining a spotlight on a mega-moral issue.

Sarah also takes up ethical and moral issues with her short story for homeless people, to whom Dutch hoteliers open their doors - in stark contrast to America, where in Los Angeles there is a public debate about whether the homeless can be accommodated in the hotel alongside "normal" guests.

There is one thing that Dutch hoteliers are not happy about at the moment: they are complaining loudly about the tax increase for every guest from 2024: from 7 to 12.5%! The city wants to control overtourism this way, but the MICE sector will be hit the hardest. The waves are running high.

Owners and developers would also like to make money, but here through serious business, more specifically though emission-free existing real estate and its increase in value. The panel at the Expo Real hotel conference with Rubus Development, Art-Invest Real Estate, B&B Hotels and PKF hospitality showed that it works. All the same, a multitude of little things and the ever-present bureaucracy frustrate such ventures in practice. It was a very honest discussion about costs, wood modules, heat pumps, lousy communication, and an appeal to owners as well as to operators: Sit down together at last!

Premier Inn has published its H1 and MHP Hotels its Q3 figures. On the new website (Home), we now publish the balance sheets of the chains as soon as they become available. And before we start: On the universally accessible pages you will also find current and diverse news, this week on a planned underwater train as well as the next Hospitality Symposium in Heilbronn, and more.

Otherwise, Accor has been chasing MICE trends, and Hilton has again been researching the needs of different generations of travellers. Not everything is new, but there are a few numbers accompanying the publications. Every Friday we also publish personalia and our News Mix; there, among the little articles, there’s perhaps big news for you.

One personalia you’ll miss today: Kempinski CEO Bernold Schroeder, otherwise rather publicity-shy, announced the day before yesterday in the Süddeutsche Zeitung that he will not extend his contract, "surprisingly", according to the newspaper. Following a little deeper research yesterday, I can only say: A surprise is different. We'll stay tuned and will filter out the important news. We are no copy cats.

With us, you'll certainly not get bored! Today is your last chance to participate once again in our Investment Barometer. Just click here! 

And again, the direct link to our new website! Behind the scenes, things are still a bit bumpy, as usual. But that’s no reason to shy away from contacting us if you have any problem logging in.

Yours, Maria Pütz-Willems
editor-in-chief