Franchise debate, Barceló expansion and surprises

7.11.2025

Dear Insider,

The image of the carrot in front of the donkey's nose hits a sore spot in franchise deals: Key money is not cash for self-service, but a loan that must be repaid. In addition, hoteliers are considering shorter contract terms and no longer believe unconditionally in the distribution power of franchisors and their brands. "We have to become more flexible, think in new ways," said investor representative Martin Schaller from Union Investment, calling on everyone to do the same. Hyatt, Maritim, Louvre and Borealis threw themselves passionately into the discussion at the Expo Real conference four weeks ago. Susanne Stauss reports.

Raúl Gonzalez, CEO EMEA of the Spanish Barceló Group, is also putting a lot of energy into planning the European expansion. It will be clear and sprinkled with opportunities. It's now finally getting going, with the Central European countries first, with Leisure and a billion-heavy budget for the next three years alone. As regards the various contracts, he has his own view: Before he signs bad contracts, he prefers to buy real estate. I met him last week in Paris.

The Amsterdam architect Sanne van der Burgh, who we have already introduced as a lively lateral thinker, has now presented "CarbonSpace" to Sarah Douag - a new carbon calculator that hoteliers and architects can use right from the start of the planning process. It is an open-source tool, free of charge and easy to use.

© hospitalityInside.com. Dieser Artikel ist urheberrechtlich geschützt. Sie dürfen ihn unverändert für nicht kommerzielle Zwecke weiterverbreiten, wenn Sie "hospitalityInside.com" und ggf. den Autor als Quelle nennen und er mit diesen Bedingungen für eine weitere Verbreitung erlaubt und gekennzeichnet wird. Falls Sie Inhalte für werbliche Zwecke nutzen möchten, fragen Sie bitte bei uns an.

Verwandte Artikel

Dive deep and swim on better

3.11.2025

Dear Insider,

Family offices like hotels because hotels also convey a passion for entrepreneurship, as well as values and lifestyle. That's why the family offices don't abandon them during the crisis. "They are always there and have never left," Philipp Linder from Hotour recently summed it up in a conversation. There are around 13,000 of these investment-minded asset managers in the German-speaking Europe, but they value discretion and avoid the limelight. This makes it all the more interesting what Beatrix Boutonnet found in a Family Office Real Estate Report. These investors are also broadening their perspective.

David Etmenan, founder and CEO of Novum Hospitality, has - as everyone knows - been connected to "the IHG system" for 1.5 years. Measures are slowly beginning to take effect, and slight increases in RevPAR are visible. But he still has to exercise patience himself. "We are still in the onboarding process." 84 hotels have been integrated so far. He feels that he is in good hands at IHG and is putting all the more energy into his new role as developer and creator of an owner-operator platform. He is now building up his own pipeline via Novum Real Estate. It is growing. He has passed his personal stress test.

Unfortunately, the German market is still undergoing its own version. And that's how it is for many managers in the endless wave of suffering. Employees often don't realise the stress their bosses are under, but they feel it. According to a study, 43% of them resign if their boss is of the authoritarian type.