Dear Insiders,

The internet doesn't forget - and those youthful moments of madness may well come back to haunt some job applicants as human resource managers carry out internet background checks. A number of new search engines help the internet in retrieving those latent memories. But not every company checks out its applicants online. Some companies view such policies as conflicting with their own company ethic. Nevertheless, the trend is there.

The trend "back to roots!" is also seen in the new marketing campaign of Design Hotels: the hotel chain presents "originals" by video and in print: people who make and reinvigorate hotels with charm and imagination. "Made by Originals" doesn't just sound novel, it is.

Siemens Hospitality's approach to its Zeitgeist topic is just as analytic. In Siemens case, it's integrative planning. Siemens Manager Michael Hartmann explains today in an article for hospitalityInside.com, how a smooth value added chain between all parties to construction can be achieved. This requires a rethinking. But isn't the re-evaluation of opinions the very essence of the new Zeitgeist?

Students working towards a position in the hospitality industry should also be rethinking their goals today. They need to adjust their ideas of their first job to fit with the market. Flexibility is what's required. The talk and question round on the subject of "talent management" during the "ITB Hospitality Day" 2009 drew clear words from both experts taking the podium.

Marriott has a new European Director, the Gstaad Palace in Switzerland has its own district heating system, Taj has another new hotel brand and Emirates Hotels will soon have a new eco-resort on the fifth continent.

Alumni and friends of the Cornell Hotel Society will hopefully see each other at the Cornell Regional Meeting of the European Chapter in Berlin? Registration for the event is still possible.

Have a good week!
Yours, Maria Puetz-Willems
Editor in Chief

Questions? maria@hospitalityInside.com

Dear Insiders,

Hanns Kennedie is playing hide-and-seek - despite everyone around him is saying that last week's insolvency would be overcome with a merger soon. But why does Golden Tulip's CEO hide away? As we could not talk to him, we simply asked his business partners. They know and name details. Only few hotel managers master the game of crisis PR: persistent silence only increases the damage.

On the occasion of the Golden Tulip disaster, we took a deeper look at franchising asking the largest franchisors, namely Accor, Choice and Best Western, how they cover against weak franchisees. However, their vet of franchisees is more or less thorough.

The crisis causes problems - but there is no reason to panic. The panel discussion on "Reactions in recession" in the course of the "Hospitality Day" at the ITB Berlin was refreshingly constructive and pragmatic. Read about the solutions and logic given by top hotel managers and a consultant.

Of course, Moevenpick needs to increase its sales - especially in times of crisis. Moevenpick's CEO Jean-Gabriel Pérès makes no secret of it. Despite that, he strongly forces the strengths - and these are clearly to be found in the regional know-how of the German-Swiss group, which is in the process of "sailing across the ocean".

The market value of the Austrian Vienna International chain is obviously sounded out by Warimpex. VI head Rudolf Tucek is struggling refuting market "rumours". And the Russian Azimut chain is currently learning that its own ideas cannot always be put through on the German market. Its Managing Director in Berlin handed in his notice.

Happy Easter! And see you next Friday,

Yours, Maria Puetz-Willems
Editor in Chief

Your comments? maria@hospitalityInside.com

Dear Insiders,

Two days ago, Golden Tulip went into voluntary receivership. New investors seem to be in sight. How strongly all 780 hotels are affected could not be clarified that quickly. More next week.

This edition is almost completely Spanish... Sol Meliá is one of those companies that doesn't communicate as intensively as its American counterparts yet still manages to impress with new approaches. Because Meliá's management is seldom seen in Germany, our correspondent Susanne Stauss travels to Seville to interview one of the company's Junior CEOs, Gabriel Escarrer Jaume. I met Meliá managers months ago at their headquarters on Mallorca. Once sitting across from them, they certainly have a number of things to say. And so this week's edition dedicates two articles to the global strategy of Spain's biggest hotel group; a strategy which has had to be amended in the face of the global economic crisis two years after its introduction. The Spanish speak of the German Innside Premium Hotels with the greatest of respect - the takeover in 2007 has itself proved to be a stroke of luck. The more puzzling it is then that the chain remained largely unknown in Germany up to now - despite operating 19 hotels on German soil.

Franklyn Hotels, also headquartered on Mallorca, were once also affiliated with Sol Meliá - as they were called Stein Hotels. Now, fresh and international wind has reached here too. Franklyn currently counts 13 boutique hotels - some of which have less than 10 rooms. Nevertheless, the chain is also very ambitious in making profits like the big chains. With finance from Asia and Arabia, they now intend push forward with expansion.

Whether and when growth poses a danger to sustainability was an aspect of the talk round on "integrated resorts" during the hotel conference "ITB Hospitality Day". Our correspondent Guy Dittrich describes the mood and contents: For some, mega resorts in Las Vegas, Singapore or Macau are the key to profit, for others the gate to a better more sustainable world. Which argument appeals more? Excerpts from this ITB session can also be seen in the video posting on the ITB congress website under this link.

And of course there's a sprinkling of news, as always! Enjoy your read.

Yours, Maria Puetz-Willems
Editor in Chief

Your comment? maria@hospitalityInside.com

Dear Insiders,

The global economic crisis is man-made and for this reason, no one at the IHIF or the ITB was pointing the finger. If the current situation has any positive effect at all, then this was felt in Berlin last week: Tourism and investment experts have made a return to old virtues, to modesty - and once again are focusing their attention on the market as opposed to marketing. Proof of this was that industry leaders didn't claim to know any more about how things would develop that those who discussed the situation at the stands both before and after the conferences.

Today, we've summarised the statements and the mood at the IHIF and the ITB: as of next week, we'll begin with the step by step and comprehensive summaries of the individual discussion rounds held at the once again very successful "Hospitality Day". The event attracted even more visitors than last year with its even better panels: 17 of 28 speakers were company owners, managing directors or board members.

Today, we've taken a more comprehensive look at the new Hilton lifestyle brand "Denizen", which has been introduced with much ado but still leaves many questions open.

To round off the top events in Berlin, this edition also includes a summary of recent market studies carried out by international consultancy companies.

Our shorter news also reflects the new old spirit of the ITB: For years, hotel groups have not only spoken of figures, but have been increasingly pushing contents. Out of necessity, as the details now show: Now though, it's a matter of battling the crisis with new and original ideas. Gerd Ripp, Romantik hotelier at Schloss Rheinfels in Goar, has put together and published on his website some creative ideas for the hotel industry www.wir-trotzen-der-krise.de.

Until next week!
Yours, Maria Puetz-Willems
Editor in Chief

Your opinion? maria@hospitalityInside.com

Dear Insiders,

In the context of the ITB, there are always opportunities for good talks: last Wednesday, we talked to Sir Rocco Forte, who is opening two new hotels in May and terms the hotel in Munich as his most successful in Germany. The talks with Sofitel were highly interesting too - first details about the future concept were revealed. In the meantime, Sofitel has become an independent unit in the Accor group; however, the interview with Marc Hildebrand, CEO Accor Germany, is opportune concerning point of time and subject. Yesterday we met with him and he gave an insight into his management style and Accor's way of coping with these hard times.

The International Tourism Exchange Berlin is about to open its gates - with filled appointment books for many of us. The hotel conference "ITB Hospitality Day" organised by hospitalityInside.com next Thursday is approaching as well. Our final article on this subject today announces the two last highly interesting panel discussions about "Integrated Resorts" and "Reactions in times of the crisis".

Before the ITB, the independent event International Hotel Investment Forum will take place in Berlin - we will be very curious to know whether they drink more prosecco than champagne this year. Large events are overlapping; however, the number of small events has clearly decreased this year. Nevertheless, networking will be of utmost importance - and I am very much looking forward to this trend indicator.

Next week, our main team will be in Berlin and we are looking forward to meeting you at some of the events - the detailed summaries will be available in the issue after the ITB.

In addition, today's issue contains down-to-earth business figures of Motel One, Sol Meliá and NH Hoteles.

On time for ITB, our partner PKF hotelexperts in Munich completed its first "Budget Report Germany". The report includes brand new figures of the budget suppliers and their products; also experts explain the economical backgrounds in this boom branch.
Good news also to find on our related site hospitalitySolutions: Software specialist ISO from Nuremberg introduces its extended software solution to feed different distribution channels with one system. Save time and money with innovative IT!

See you in Berlin!
Yours, Maria Puetz-Willems
Editor in Chief

Your comment? maria@hospitalityInside.com

Dear Insiders,

In 12 days, the ITB Berlin will open its gates. The world's largest tourism fair will be a highly sensitive trend barometer. Today, before new statistics and forecasts from Berlin smother us, we are presenting you with statements made by researchers in many fields - from a touristic point of view, from the operator's point of view and from the investment perspective.

Of course, the ITB will improve global networking again; therefore hospitalityInside.com is pleased to support the first IHIF/ITB reception of the Cornell University, Ithaca, in the Kempinski Bristol Berlin. Alumni as well as Cornell friends are very welcome.

The ITB has a special exhibition about a subject that could lead to a new target group in the times of crisis: children and youth travels! However, young travellers also want their needs addressed in the same way as older travellers. Here, the hotel industry underestimates this segment and is still acting too generally.

Future subjects are the efforts of the marketing cooperation Alpine Pearls, which have a focal point on car-free holidays. However, it is not easy to gain destinations for this idea.

Accor CEO Gilles Pélisson won on power by combining two posts in his person in Paris last Tuesday. As a result, six members of the governing board left. The year-end-results 2008 were published the day after. We are reporting on these figures today, as well as about the business results of ArabellaStarwood, Wyndham and Orient-Express.

At the ITB hotel conference "ITB Hospitality Day", the topics of the panel discussion "Residences" will be about calculating with a sharp pencil and the choice of general business modes. Four international experts from four countries will be giving insight into various residence models at the ITB Thursday. Is it "only" a financing model or a lifestyle model? For whom does it pay off, for the investor/project developer or the hotel operator? The answers will be given on March 12, between 2.15 pm and 3.15 pm.

We wish you a pleasant week,
Yours, Maria Puetz-Willems
Editor in Chief

Fragen? maria@hospitalityInside.com

Dear Insiders,

The managing director of the real estate investor Eurojendomme is tired of hearing the word "crisis", as he told us. This is no surprise as his business is currently motivating investors to sign for a 500-million Euro hotel fund. He believes in hotels in the German-speaking countries of Europe! Good to hear!

As a journalist, it is not easy to avoid the word starting with a "c". Therefore, it is sometimes good to hear that the current situation also affects other industries too. A workshop in Berlin came to the conclusion that business travel chains and car rentals have to approach customers more actively than ever, too. The bitter realisation here today: the hotel industry is seen as a slow and slowly reacting industry from the outside.....

There are also Russians who trust the local market in Continental Europe: Azimut Hotels. And because they know how hard it is to talk to banks; they are safeguarding themselves from the beginning: they trust in own properties and self-operation. And they are creating one brand out of three.

In 2008, Austrian nature and culture attracted far more Germans than predicted. Opaschowski, a trend analyst from Hamburg, misjudged the situation which is why the Austrian tourism experts are disappointed by him now.

Forecasts will also play a role in the first panel discussion on the 4th "ITB Hospitality Day" in Berlin. "Who knows the Eco Guest?" is the question for the opening panel where three hoteliers, an online provider and a service provider will participate. All of them already deal with environmentally aware travellers and are trying to provide a profile on these hotly discussed customers. Please note: the ITB hotel conference, the content of which is organised by hospitalityInside.com, is free of charge for all ITB visitors and takes place on March 12.

Speaking of the ITB: TUI wants to explain at the tourism fair, how it wants to support hoteliers in the future qualitatively. Tour operators are becoming consultants now!

Again, our small pieces of news are absolutely worth reading today! And: The importance of an excellent customer relationship becomes obvious in economic downturns. Our hospitalitySolutions partner Micros-Fidelio explains today which criteria are relevant for a successful CRM. Visit our related website hospitalitySolutions!

We wish you a successful week.
Yours, Maria Puetz-Willems
Editor in Chief

Your opinion? maria@hospitalityInside.com

Dear Insiders,

Last week's subject, the cancellation of the management agreement for the Grand Hotel Heiligendamm by Kempinski, was a reason for us to examine the situation of August Jagdfeld, the funds' initiator: he has many battles to fight, concerning commercial projects as well as hotel projects.

Generally, closed real estate funds are still looking positive in the hotel asset class; this became obvious at the Feri Symposium of the participation models a short while ago. This is also remarkable: the holding back of investors concerning low budget hotels is mostly caused by the transaction volume.

We show you the attractiveness of these budget, economy or midscale products taking aloft and element as examples. I had a closer look at the prototypes of these new Starwood brands near Boston. There is no reason why these midscale brands should not be able to establish themselves in Europe in a long term run. This is also known to the competitors of Starwood; thus, a fascinating competition will ensue concerning these new types of hotels, which are positioning themselves in the middle of all established categories.

Competition is the keyword the Swiss are suffering from. Two studies are out in the open. Austria, in particular, with its splendid price-performance ratio, is giving Switzerland a hard time. A serious discussion about price reduction is now taking place in the industry association hotelleriesuisse.

Employees should not be regarded as costs but as a long-term investment, according to the opinion of two representatives of the Hyatt International and the Lausanne Hotel School. Both representatives will answer the audience's questions on the subject "Talent Management" at the hotel conference "ITB Hospitality Day" in Berlin on Thursday, March 12, 2009. Prepare your own questions and ask them from 11.45am to 12.15pm in Hall 7.1b, Auditorium London.

This week, several hotel chains issued their 2008 balance. Unfortunately, the tendency for most of them is declining and will result in new cost reduction measures.

With our weekly contribution, we hope to give you new impulses for your day-to-day business and your observation of the market...

Yours, Maria Puetz-Willems
Editor in Chief

Questions? maria@hospitalityInside.com