Dear Insiders,

Politically motivated violence has now also reached the German hotel industry: Activists of the "Last Generation" recently destroyed the bar of a 5-star hotel on the German isle of Sylt. Prior to the destruction, they had daubed a private jet with orange paint and later also attempted to plant trees on a golf course. They blame the rich and their lifestyle for climate change. This is not only too short-sighted, but counterproductive too. Such destruction certainly runs counter to the whole idea of sustainability?

How have the Severin*s Hotel & Spa and Hotel Budersand on Sylt, the Fairmont Vier Jahreszeiten Hamburg, the Breidenbacher Hof Düsseldorf and the Kempinski Vier Jahreszeiten Munich reacted? They’ve locked doors, set additional security, activated alarm buttons on their apps and are raising awareness among employees and guests. 

Paul Moxness from Canada, the former, long-time and extremely crisis-experienced head of security for Radisson Hotels, says: "As climate issues become more pressing, activism, unrest, vandalism, and disruption are more likely". The hotel industry is not even the main focus of this vandalism, but the model is easily copied - worldwide. So there is no all-clear, rather a call to assess one's own risk - or even better, to avoid risk. Moxness has a suggestion.

The police took the activists away and then released them. Courts are powerless. I wonder as a citizen: Are we now choking on our own tolerance, are we blindly allowing the dismantling of our democracy? The latter also concerns me as a journalist. Our profession is coming under increasing pressure, partly because more and more people in Germany no longer dare to speak their minds openly. If we all let ourselves be robbed of our freedom of expression, then we will be the last to live here in peace and freedom. Is that what you want?

On the subject of employees - the industry's perennial hot topic: Nobody has a solution for the acute misery, not even Susanne Kraus-Winkler. The Austrian Secretary of State for Tourism - herself an entrepreneur and hotelier - took the time for an interview with Fred Fettner and provided transparent figures. But she too is struggling with conservative political structures and the massive pressure of change. She paints a realistic picture. And this is reflected, with a little delay - not for Austria, but for all of Europe - by an industry that for decades has been unable or unwilling to think outside the box.

This makes it all the more important to look at what politicians and industry representatives are doing. In this respect, I am grateful to the think tank “Denkfabrik Zukunft der Gastwelt” for publicly analyzing the lobby register for Germany. In 30 years, I have never seen Dehoga do anything like this.

Accor is bubbling over with ideas. With its current announcement for a massive push of Branded Residences in Mixed-Use Developments, Accor links Hotel with Lifestyle with Private Residence. Now there are Mama Shelter Residences! Wow, something new again. Chief Business Officer Jeff Tisdall answered our additional questions.

New framework conditions are emerging at the level of EU law for dealing with artificial intelligence and in Germany with the Whistleblower Protection Act.

We are also drumming loudly again today for our HITT:  A week from Monday, the think tank will launch. With exclusive news, only for our participants. With the announcement on our page 1 today, we hope to make you curious once again about the results of a hospitality-wide study on, among other things, changing consumer behaviour in terms of sustainability: Baby Boomers get down to things, whilst Gen Y/Z prefers to talk, BVA BDRC has found. And Prof. Arlt presents his new index for "Meaningful Tourism", here too the hotel results are exclusively for us, or rather, for you.

Ten days before the event, there are only a few seats left, so we could still bring you on board. www.hitt.world

Till next Friday!
Yours, Maria Pütz-Willems

editor-in-chief

Your opinion? editor@hospitalityInside.com

Dear Insiders,

Today, we are starting with ourselves: It's only 17 days until the 6th edition of our HITT. Everything is set and we are looking forward to this event. You too? Do you know the most recent research findings from the industry for the industry with respect to changes in consumer behaviour? Do you know the criteria for "social", the meaning of biodiversity, the effects of measurement data on your real estate and operations? HITT is one big package of knowledge. We still have a few places available, you can still join us on board! Register now at www.hitt.world.

After all, our Think Tank is increasingly becoming an international, cross-industry platform for a sustainable community, which in the meantime is continuing to network with each other and is already collaborating in some cases. Today, we can already announce a new success for 2023: 14 out of 16 speakers will be staying on board together with the participants for two days – more than ever before. A huge chance for you!

"Through the Think Tank, hospitalityInside provides a great alternative to the huge conferences", praises us Patrick Mendes, CEO of Accor Europe and North Africa. Europe's largest hotel chain wouldn't have to sponsor HITT, but it has been doing so for six years now – to learn for itself and help the entire industry. Companies like Accor have a pioneering function in the market. And in the same way, the remaining sponsors overcome competition and national borders: Drees & Sommer, Arabella Hospitality and now also Haefele from the suppliers' side. Since HITT's premiere, we have been collaborating with Expo Real and Hotelschool The Hague as well.

Today, these businesses explain why they support the Think Tank. And all companies, which have already supported us during the last few years, have done so because they are likewise convinced. Thank you very much!

Tourism will flourish again. Hoteliers who adapt to new flows will benefit enormously. ForwardKeys from Spain, which analyses airline tickets, stated the following two days ago: In July, business travel flights will overtake leisure flights for the first time again, and until September, the gap to 2019 will even have closed.

So please realign yourself with what is coming. The White Label operators are currently experiencing a momentum, as Macy Marvel shows. The Americans want to grow in Europe just like Cycas from the Netherlands.

Italy is also feeling the upwind but according to the industry association Federalberghi there are still high obstacles – on the state's side – to take the hotel industry up to new heights. The most important factor is staff shortage, which is even increased by – statistically proven – illegal activities in the market. Massimiliano Sarti reports, also about the new and weak tourism minister Daniela Santanché.

Israel is tackling everything, despite all crises and street protests in the country. So far, the new and still old tourism minister and the hotel association still agree on the fact that tourism will return to the prosperity of 2019. And everyone does everything towards this goal. The investment program for investors continues, new concepts want to distribute the tourism flows over the country. Sylvie Konzack, who likes to travel in Israel herself, observed the development for months and presents an interesting summary today.

In our news section, we collected – apart from personnel news – the weekly market news, aptly complemented with news from the world of sustainability and the world of digitalization today. And we imagined  the meagre breakfast at new economy brand Scandic Go. The Swedish have revealed more details from the concept, but still no price for an overnight stay or now even the new food concept.

Have a great week.
Yours, Maria Pütz-Willems

editor-in-chief

Your opinion? editor@hospitalityInside.com

Dear Insiders,

Digitalization is supposed to alleviate cost pressures and increase efficiency in the hotel. Ruby CEO Michael Struck confirms that. He has been thinking digitally for ten years already, since very beginning of the Lean Luxury brand in fact. Meanwhile, digitalization, automation and centralisation have become so closely intertwined that efficiency has increased by a factor of two. Yet he also spends a lot of money on it - and today gives you an insight into the processes and systems. It's certainly not easy, but the journey is the reward. Let it motivate you!

A little more strategy might be expected from the EU. The Commission has undertaken mega projects in order to help destinations and SMEs and to enable them to obtain green certificates. What emerged at the well-intentioned "Green Tourism Conference" organized by the Austrian Hotelier Association in Vienna, though, was chaos, intransparency and inefficiency. EU labels are literally raining down and overlap considerably with national equivalents. Individual examples from the hotel industry are encouraging, but the actual reduction of emissions is still impossible to measure, as ÖHV Secretary General Markus Gratzer admitted dryly at the end. Fred Fettner attended the event.

Looking for the needle in the hospitality haystack is Martin Egner. He has recently launched a new brand, The Porter - a classic hotel, but populated exclusively with serviced apartments and features from both worlds. Egner wants to run everything himself - from coffee shops to co-working, from podcast studios to yoga studios, from meetings to food markets. Ambitious! A new hybrid in line with the trend, Sylvie Konzack concludes.

In Zurich, two young founders are delighted with the spontaneous positive feedback on their Switzerland Hospitality Financing platform. Neither has a banking licence, but both match capital providers and loan seekers. With system and digitality. That sounds promising. Bea Boutonnet interviewed them.

Good networked booking platforms are serving South Tyrolean hoteliers extremely well right now. Vacation bookings are already coming in three months in advance, and brokered sales have skyrocketed by 40%. A good sign!

The EU Parliament sent a special signal yesterday when it passed the European Supply Chain Law with a large majority: It is stricter than many national regimes. Companies would have to ensure that child labour, slavery, labour exploitation, pollution, environmental degradation and biodiversity loss do not occur in their supply chain.

Every week now we see reports of this kind. The implications are absolutely serious and will impact on the hotels as well. I'm all the more surprised then to note week after week who is still not interested in sustainability and climate protection. Of course, this is now the perfect moment to refer you once again to our HITT Think Tank, whose experts bring solutions and provide guidance to you, dear leaders!

The keywords for this have been mentioned today and here in the editorial: It's about measurement, data, digital control, certificates, efficiency and collaboration. Inge Huijbrechts from Radisson, Willem van der Zee from Pandox and Glenn Mandziuk from the Sustainable Hospitality Alliance make a passionate plea for "collaboration", for a borderless, open togetherness. And they will also clearly address the weak points.

I introduce you to the trio on our home page. By the way, most of our 14 experts will be on board for two days - a novelty and proof of their confidence in this high-profile event.

Our HITT event has been showing ways for an implementable transformation since 2018. Are you with us? We still have a few places available on our ship. Register at www.hitt.world. Or send me an email. 

 
Yours, Maria Pütz-Willems
editor-in-chief

Your opinion? editor@hospitalityInside.com

Dear Insiders,

Germany officially slipped into recession yesterday, with consumption slowing. This will mean anxiety for tourism and the hotel industry again: Will the good booking figures for the summer continue?

Operators are coming under increasing pressure. Increasing costs are the key reason, but there's also the fact that many property owners who do not want to help operators for a second time. Owners probably only see the increasing revenue, not full and true picture: Room rates in Germany have increased by about 12%, but costs have outstripped these gains are are up by 15-18%. How can this gap be bridged?

Four insiders from BNP Paribas, Deutsche Hypo, Engel & Völkers and Härle Consulting give tips, but they all stress that EVERYTHING should be reassessed. F&B and various services still offer savings potential, also the revenue managers and digital professionals should step in. This is the only way solutions will be found. Fewer but better employees was also encouraged... Together, the four of them went through it all. Their advice: check everything. Check, control, and check again. "And when I'm done readjusting at the back, then I have to start all over again at the front," sums up Alexander Trobitz of BNP Paribas.

The only thing that counts is focus, as Sébastien Bazin would say. The Accor CEO chose exactly these words for his company and they mean it too. I met him last week during the IHIF. It's almost a ritual: It was my seventh interview with him in nine years, and - unlike other CEOs - he still doesn't dodge any questions. This time we talked less about numbers and more about strategy, change fatigue around the recent restructuring, differentiated responsibility, AccorInvest, leases and the inertia of Germany.

I found phrases like "I'm not driven by margins," "I can have 100 brands," and "Everyone is faster than Germany" interesting. He didn't reveal everything, of course, because he's planning on opening the eyes of his finance community at the big Accor Capital Market Day on 27 June.

And while we're on the subject of a clear view, the sector should wipe the smoke from its eyes caused by U.S. headlines about a - possible - impending acquisition of Wyndham by Choice. How realistic is that? I spoke confidentially with a very experienced transaction specialist who sees bored bankers behind the smoke, inventing new games again in the crisis. If the rumours were serious, then there would have to be an ad hoc announcement to the stock exchange.

Our other contributions this week deal with less spectacular issues: During a visit to the - lesser known - Mooons Hotel in Vienna, my colleague learned that the operator Munich Hotel Partners now wants to grow with this lifestyle brand in Central Europe. Italy's Bluserena Hotels, backed by Azora, is also looking to expand strongly. The new owners of Aareal Bank bring a lot of hotel experience with them. And U.S. giant Meta plans to fight the EU's €1.2 billion fine for data breaches. Just as colourful are our personalia today and our News Mix, the mirror of the market.

A colourful four weeks are also ahead of us - until the HITT! The expert briefings are all done, the wording for the impulses is in the works, as are the handouts for the participants. On 26 June, we will board an anchored ship in Berlin, the day after that the "Floating Forum" will set out over Berlin’s waterways... And to make sure you don't end up swimming in the wrong direction, our top-class experts with practical experience will show you the way through the jungle of trade fairs.

Today I'm going to introduce the second trio of focus measurement so that you can face the flood of data, certificates and measurement tools with confidence. Xenia zu Hohenlohe of the Considerate Group and her customised concepts are already familiar to many of you, as is ecologist and sustainability expert Tony Williams, who now works for the global engineering company BuroHappold. This time, he brings with him a colleague from London, Anthony Tuffour, a man of geospatial science and an expert in data-driven and technology services. Don't be intimidated so much expertise! What did Tony say to me about Anthony? "He explained to me in four slides how to manage it all." All profiles of our speakers and the programme can be found at www.hitt.world - and the short editorial introduction to today's session on Page 1 of our magazine, www.hospitalityInside.com.

 
Yours, Maria Pütz-Willems
editor-in-chief

Your opinion? editor@hospitalityInside.com

Dear Insiders,

Time for the IHIF in Berlin again: 2.400 participants, lots of noise, lots of champagne - and rows of thoughtful, sometimes perplexed faces. But the optimists were also there. Projects and finance have more or less ground to a halt, only the operators are running energetically in the usual circles: Strong demand for travel feeds their good spirits, and prompts investors to look favourably at the asset class hotel.

Despite demand and high room rates though, inflation and cost increases are piling on the pressure. And both will remain high until 2025, with costs rising even further, especially for employees and sophisticated guest services, warned Oxford professor Ian Goldin. Martin Schaffer of MRP Consult rounds off our first and extensive IHIF summary today with a few sums. He’s worked out how quickly hotels will fall into an operating deficit when interest rates rise. The table is clear.

Susanne Stauss and I spent two days on your behalf at the InterContinental and at parties. In the evening hours, of course, the hotel family was united in showing themselves from their "resilient" side. Some consultants have hinted that the keyword resilience will show its serious side at the end of the year.
But both Professor Goldin and the Accor CEO independently described their next vision. Sébastien Bazin: "Design every hotel for the people on your doorstep - make it vibrant, exciting and quirky... A hotel only for the traveller is wrong! If 70% of your revenues come from locals, you're on the safe side!".

The low in project development, with all the consequences for investors and the respective asset classes, is also revealed by a current analysis of the development market. It also shows that nearly one in every 4 hotels opened later than planned.

Great revenues, but little euphoria - that's what my colleague Fred Fettner saw and felt in Kitzbühel last week, at the Prodinger Summit. The smaller medium-sized hotels are struggling with different problems: Today’s increasingly well-educated youth, the next generation, is more and more often refusing to take over the reins of the family business. At the same time, those coming to the industry for the first time from other sectors of the economy make for the most spectacular new hotels.

The global chains are sensing virgin territory for their many brands in regions such as Eastern Europe. But many a national group has already matured, sharpened its profile and occupies the good locations. Is a copy of the hotel development in Central Europe now starting in CEE? When I read Macy Marvel's article following the HOTCO conference recently, the answer is yes.

We keep jumping around the world, stories are a dime a dozen. A bigger story recently comes from Spain and concerns NH Hotels and its main shareholder Minor. CEO Dillip Rajakarier has been trying to buy the last remaining shares of his hotel subsidiary NH, also listed on the stock exchange, on the cheap. That went wrong, the SEC and three brave NH'ers intervened. Sarah Douag researched the details.

In China, things are also going a little differently now. Our expert Prof Wolfgang Arlt is back in the Middle Kingdom for the first time after the pandemic and has made five observations with regards to the "new" hospitality reality in the very first days. One of them is this: There is also a shortage of employees in China. And those who work in the service industry are also bad.

We jump back to Europe once again, where Choice Hotels has signed a ten-year "growth contract" with Dutch owner-operator Borealis. Faster and further is probably the maxim here. The serviced apartment market is also flying past the traditional hotel industry once again, driven by a resilience tailwind, as described by market analyst Anett Gregorius of Apartmentservice.

Tailwind will also be needed by new Future for Tourism in Germany platform, for which Dr. Robert Habeck, Germany’s Minister for the Economy, has given the go-ahead. A number of CEOs are also waiting in the wings once again: Federico Gonzalez joins Louvre Group as CEO while overseeing his old company Radisson. Both belong to Jin Jiang and they probably have to save on personnel. From this, new speculations are developing, as I found out... Yesterday, Langham announced a CEO change, and Iberostar also has a "new man" at the top.

Change and transformation are occurring at break-neck speed. We, on the other hand, will take a more leisurely pace with our Think Tank and will cruise along Berlin’s waterways navigating at 6 knots. Mentally though, we will move at a brisk pace, for instance with the support of Florian Huber from EYCarbon, who will give the keynote speech on the core topic of measurement and, together with lawyer Dr Felix Krieglstein from Jung & Schleicher Rechtsanwälte, will be ready for a lively discussion.

The pathway to net zero must be measurable. Only measuring instruments and data ultimately certify the - positive - changes for companies and people. How do operators and investors get a grip on its implementation, what do they need to know?

Malin Lindfors Speace, founder and CEO of the Scandinavian consultancy Ethos, is one of them in this round. She knows how to measure "social", how to assess diversity, equality, migration, working conditions and human rights - and thus balances the "hard" part of measurement. We introduced the likeable and dynamic Swede to you here on 21 April. More on our page 1. Only 5 weeks to go to the HITT! 

Yours, Maria Pütz-Willems
editor-in-chief

Your opinion? editor@hospitalityInside.com

Dear Insiders,

The German word "Kraft" has an air of sweat and muscle training, while the English word "power" conveys energy boosts and new ideas. We journalists prefer the energetic. That starts today with Ghotel, a brand formed by the old Deutsche Post hotels that Cologne-based investor Art-Invest bought in early 2020 and which has since served as its own operating company. It’s now up to Ghotel CEO Erik Florvaag to turn it into a faster-growing multi-brand operator in German-speaking Europe.

Since then, Erik has thought only of chocolate, of a sweet future with "The Chocolate on The Pillow Group". Somewhat surprisingly, this is the name of the new umbrella brand under which Ghotel and other hotels will in future be positioned. The new website has been live for two days already, and on Monday Art-Invest and Ghotel will present the concept at IHIF in Berlin. So much they were willing to tell us in advance.

The name Ghotel sounds old-fashioned, but the chocolate reference has a more sexy ring, but it melts only slowly on the tongue. Behind it, the powerhouse Ghotel is setting up a completely new image, brand and HR structure. The aim is to radiate personality and solidity as a diversified operator, supported by motivated, satisfied and obliging employees who retain guests with magical little gestures. Very much in the spirit of what "hosting" really means. An especially developed avatar also helps. For me, it will be exciting to see how The Chocolate on The Pillow Group plans to fit this ambitious concept evenly over its own as well as franchise brands.

With the power of the ring, the consortium Ringhotels has just turned 50 years old. Behind the walls of each individual family hotel as well as in the Munich headquarters, a lot of energy has also been invested in distribution and technology. In 2022, revenue came in 11% higher than in 2019. An excellent result, with the help of appreciative regular guests: They booked more than ever before... The management team of Susanne Weiss and Petra Weindl is happy and optimistic. But it would be even nicer if the private hotels had more time for structure and strategy... Then they would overtake many a chain hotel.

The water, nature and the dolce vita make the whole of Italy a unique powerhouse. All the greater is now already the fear of newly blossoming overtourism. That concerns everyone. Alpitour, the Lungarno Collection, Blu Hotels, Planetaria Hotels and Gruppo Uno shared their great 2022 balance sheets on stage, as well as their new 'old concerns'. A snapshot before the start of the summer season.

And unbroken again is the energy in Dubai: Hoteliers are again making a killing, the boom continues. The hyper announcement at the Arabian Travel Market last week came from Aziz, an Arab investor and residential developer. Aziz will enter the hotel industry and build 50 hotels with 20,000 luxury rooms in seven years. Among them a new "7-star" hotel in Dubai. And who gets to take charge of all this as COO? German national, Michael Zager, who has been working in the Middle East for many years. Many know him from Wyndham. We talked to him about the billion-dollar investment of this father-and-son powerhouse.
Rome faces a similar challenge, in micro format. 16 of the planned 19 luxury hotels belong to global brands with distribution power. Will they manage to secure demand for so many new top-level hotels?

The real estate industry is under pressure. At the ZIA Real Estate Day in Berlin, it publicly put pressure on politicians. Will it help? The EU wants to help financially with investments in innovations. An EU expert has explained to Austrian hoteliers how to fight their way through the jungle of applications.

Outstanding balance sheet figures also at TUI and hotel investor/operator Munich Partner Hotels... Still a lot of movement in our news mix and in the personnel section, whereby I personally mourn one person here: Dr. Jakob Edinger, one of the tourism pioneers, top consultants and most distinguished wellness hoteliers.

And we hopefully increase the anticipation for our HITT: Today we introduce Sophie Herrmann, partner at Systemiq. She thinks "cross-border", bringing the most diverse stakeholders to one table. This is why the partner of the transformation consultancy Systemiq is giving the keynote at the HITT Think Tank. She has lived and worked on several continents, thinks and acts only in a connected way.

Where are the links between the many different system worlds in sustainability, which data are already available, which are not, where are the actors, what is good for people? Enjoy discussing with this likeable Munich resident and cosmopolitan, for whom the knots in the sustainability net(work) are the solutions. The perfect encouraging introduction to the 6th HITT and its main topic Measurement on 26/27 June in Berlin. Register at www.hitt.world. 

Yours, Maria Pütz-Willems
editor-in-chief

Your opinion? editor@hospitalityInside.com

Dear Insiders,

Extensive background reports and small and exciting bits of news - that's our first May issue. Have you ever wondered how soap from hotel rooms smells after recycling? An innovative Swiss woman and wife of a hotelier gives the soap left over from hotel rooms a new lease of life and in so doing also provides new and exciting work for people with disabilities and those who are socially disadvantaged.

The disposal of just one kilo of hotel soap generates 2.27 kg of CO2, while each kilo of soap that is recycled generates just 0.2 kg. Her non-profit organisation therefore not only benefits society but the environment too. Her model is simple. Unfortunately though, she can't find enough hotels in Europe to participate.

Life has become easier for MICE hotels and organisers: The German congress market is recovering noticeably - and at the same time is celebrating a renaissance of analogue meetings! Excellent. The current Meeting & Event Barometer proves the turnaround after Corona with detailed figures.

In January, I checked out the first Zleep Hotel in Madrid, the brand's first property outside of Scandinavia. This week, I asked Scandic in Stockholm for details on their new economy brand, Scandic Go, which they only briefly introduced last week. Zleep's pipeline now runs to 12 projects, while Scandic Go is yet to open its first hotel. But Design & Digital as well as Sustainability form a attractive trio for both.

Now for the exciting news: HRG CEO Ruslan Husry is setting the course for expansion from West to East: He has purchased 50% of a Thai operating company with 71 hotels/projects in Asia and is also gaining them as partners for further expansion from East to West.

Kempinski COO Asia Michael Henssler is now also moving to Bangkok - after 30 years with the luxury hotel group and 14 years in China. He leaves impressive achievements behind him in Geneva and Beijing, so it's comforting to know he will remain in the hotel business.

And more exciting news, this time from Hirmer Hospitality and Travel Charme Hotels. In recent weeks we have received various calls which conveyed a restless mood in Germany's largest resort hotel group, and there was even talk of a sale of the operating company. Yesterday, we received comment from the company itself.
In other news, we report on Booking.com. The EU wants to monitor the hospitality heavyweight closely and, if necessary, impose severe penalties for competition violations. Sarah Douag describes the EU's determination and why only Booking is attracting attention.

And Austria's tourism experts conducted an elaborate study with carefully phrased questions to find out from the participants how much money they spend on sustainable hotels! For eco-labels or another climate certificate, the German guest would pay at least €10 more per double room and night.

Hyatt, Marriott and Motel One have reported their Q1 figures and Swiss hotels have seen huge growth in direct bookings. But they are not yet breaking the power of OTAs. Our news mix today also includes news from Dubai, where the Arabian Travel Market took place this week.

Our team also has more good news to report today, namely the next co-exhibitors at our joint booth at Expo Real. For the first time, we will also welcome an Asian co-exhibitor: Thailand's largest luxury hotel group Dusit. All names today on page 1! The "World of Hospitality" is becoming increasingly high-profile.

And our think tank continues to develop in exactly the same direction. Have you already registered for the HITT Think Tank on 26/27 June? An opportunity to spend time together with such high calibre people won’t come round again in a hurry: with Eric Hofmeister, Global Head of Procurement at Siemens AG, and with Fabio Fornari of the largest business OTA HRS. Together, they implemented Siemens' Green Stay Initiative - for a company that approved more than one billion business trips in 2019. And Siemens will expand its market power in sustainability worldwide. We present this "Corporate Power Package" to you today - on our page 1. 

The latest news from this morning: IHG CEO Keith Barr will step down from his role as Group CEO and from the IHG Board. Keith intends to return with his family to the US. His final day as CEO will be 30 June, after which he will remain available to support and advise the business until the end of 2023. Keith will be succeeded by Elie Maalouf, a member of IHG’s Board and Executive Committee, who has led IHG’s Americas business as regional CEO for the past eight years. Elie will take up his new position on 1 July and will be based in the UK to lead the business.

I wish you a great week!

Yours, Maria Pütz-Willems
editor-in-chief

Your opinion? editor@hospitalityInside.com

Dear Insiders,

When I look at our headlines today, I sense a mind-blowing tension from the hyperdynamics of the market: from objective to total self-overestimation.

I'm talking about OTA platforms like Szallas, which from Hungary, with its detailed knowledge of the entire CEE market, even trips up Booking.com, and described its own success story at the HOTCO conference in Vienna a few weeks ago. CEO József Szigetvári works with about 80,000 accommodation providers today; thousands of them are otherwise not even listed on the internet. Someone has analysed the market mechanisms very precisely. Macy Marvel got to the bottom of it.

How "easy", on the other hand, is it for a group like IHG, which, due to its own lack of creativity, has so far only bought luxury brands. Well, they have now introduced their own for the first time with the soft brand Vignette Collection. And they have finally jumped on the luxury lifestyle bandwagon, which other global chains have copied from Accor before them. You have to hand it to Sébastien Bazin: He sees many developments far earlier than other CEOs in the industry. And afterwards, the head of Accor admits mistakes self-critically, while others continue to blow smoke.

In the meantime, IHG is facing up to the transformation; the chain has set itself extremely high goals, especially with the new lifestyle brand touch, and this is exactly what is reflected in today’s long interview Sarah Douag conducted with Tom Rowntree, VP Global Luxury Brands. The new luxury lifestyle brand architecture is shifting the profile of previous brands. Please read the whole thing carefully.

The excitement in the market is also hidden in the shorter articles: Hilton announced a new extended stay brand during the presentation of their balance sheet, Scandic a new budget brand. One wants to jump from the USA to Europe, the other from Northern to Southern Europe. Basically, however, the balance sheets, including those of Premier Inn, Accor, Pandox and Warimpex, show the positive momentum that took off in 2022 and continues to make everyone optimistic after the first quarter.

Portugal and Spain are just laughing themselves silly in view of the mega increases in tourism and the hotel industry since 2022. In short: demand is defying inflation. In Germany, on the other hand, feelings are still just as mixed as the official market figures, which are already coming very close to the level of 2019. But the uncertainty - and thus the fear of possible cancellations in view of excellent advance bookings even beyond the summer - remains. However, it is not the hotel entrepreneurs who are responsible for German Angst, but unspeakably irresponsible policies in Berlin.

What is left to do? Help for self-help. From the industry for the industry. F&B Heroes, one of the large gastronomy-oriented consulting companies, now wants to bring start-ups and investors together through an investment club. Short, simple and uncomplicated.

Our 6th HITT Think Tank will also be uncomplicated, but the discussions will be very in-depth. This will also be the case when Chairman Dr Crispian Tarrant from the data research institute BVA BDRC will exclusively present the top results of a brand-new study among the guests of global hotel chains from ten important source markets to our participants.

Consumers don't care about ESG guidelines or investment criteria, they change the world through their own values and purchasing power. Benefit from this knowledge advantage that the HITT offers you. Read more on our page 1 today and register at www.hitt.world.

Yours, Maria Pütz-Willems
editor-in-chief

Your opinion? editor@hospitalityInside.com

Dear Insiders,

In the first 15 minutes of any conversation on the topic of diversity, equality, migration, working conditions, human rights etc., the initial reaction is panic, especially when these social factors have to be measured. "But then you’ll quickly understand. A year from now, everyone will be doing it!"

These are the words of Malin Lindfors Speace from Sweden, who will be the "social" expert at our HITT Think Tank on 26/27 June. Malin is the founder and CEO of Ethos, a sustainability-focused consultancy firm. She has busied herself with certifications, standards and their implementation since 1996. And so she's best placed to address and remove your fears of these topics. After a conversation with her, you too will know what human rights due diligence is and how it can be applied to ensure you score well on the topic of sustainability.

We introduce Malin today for the first time. She will be one of many high-calibre speakers who will add a special touch to HospitalityInside's "floating forum" in Berlin this year. The main focus of our HITT Think Tank is on "Measurement" - the world of measurable data with regards to ESG criteria. Six experts, with Malin among them, will address this topic. These experts know exactly how to square the circle and will show how to put soft social factors into hard figures.

Only two speaker names are yet to be added to the official programme. We are already in the middle of the expert briefings and are proud of the high international level of this - English speaking - think tank. Here, you will learn more face-to-face in small personal atmosphere through open and off-the-record discussion than any mega-event could ever provide. www.hitt.world

The topic of sustainability is here to stay. And even market-shaping companies like GBI Group, Union Investment and Arbireo Capital see ESG as a way out of the current slump in the hotel investment market. The transaction figures for Q1 2023 in Germany are devastating. Still, these three players see the path ahead. Their subtle assessment of the situation restores hope, Susanne Stauss notes.

HR experts need great sensitivity and patience if they are to find new ways to deal with the acute shortages of staff we currently face. One new method is active sourcing in social media and specifically through LinkedIn. Three recruiting experts from Munich Hotel Partners are certainly among the pioneers on this new recruitment path. The method is time-consuming and expensive. Bärbel Schwertfeger interviewed the recruitment experts and gets a comprehensive impression.

Sarah Douag, who studied in Cannes and has long been familiar with the iconic Carlton Hotel, recently visited the rejuvenated grand hotel under the IHG Regent brand. Katara has optimised areas by adding new wings, but also renovated with great taste. Still, Sarah's report gives me the impression that the concept is not quite as substantial as the walls are old.

A large international OTA study proves: Sustainable travel is now in serious demand, but is currently far too expensive. Economic bottlenecks are forcing people to save. By contrast, there are positive signals from the economy as a whole: In 2023, 27% of executives surveyed want to invest 16% more in sustainability.
The ESG train is starting to roll. In the hotel industry, Accor is jumping ahead again: The chain has signed a MoU with Jin Jiang to jointly reduce emissions in China up to 2033.

In other news we report on global performance data for Q1, on Germany's DSR Hotel Holding acquiring a family-run mini group from Italy, and we provide impressions from a short hotel tour of Vienna. And, as always, our personnel news is just as international as our other news mix on real estate deals.

Yours, Maria Pütz-Willems
editor-in-chief

Your opinion? editor@hospitalityInside.com