Dear Insider,

The mood at the IHIF in Berlin this week was subdued, with hotel investors and operators expressing serious concerns. The unpredictable US-Iran conflict is once again taking a heavy toll on the industry. What do the global and regional CEOs of major chains have to say? There are no longer any safe markets; new travel trends are winding their way through new landscapes; holidays in the Middle East are shifting to the Far East… The industry is re-adjusting but is responding with a level head. It has learnt from the Covid pandemic.

During the day, the IHIF venue felt rather empty; those who hadn’t bought tickets gathered outside the InterContinental to have a chat, and in the evening, the "family" ended up meeting up at a number of events around town. Unfortunately, Revo Hospitality’s long-running and popular party did not take place… Incidentally, interested investors are today submitting their bids for the insolvent Revo hotels.

Radisson CEO Federico González, for his part, does not wish to demonise any operator. With 75 contracts, Germany is the largest lease market, he has nothing against that. It's all a question of details and honest dealing.  And a good mix! Radisson manages 50% of its properties itself, refines its 10 brands without needing to create new ones, and only operates in locations where the owner has paid a realistic price for the property. In an interview with me, he also explains why Jin Jiang’s two subsidiaries, Radisson and Louvre, will not be merging.

Radisson also unveiled its new VNZ hotels in its Radisson Collection Hotel Berlin – those that are now authorised to use the "verified net zero" label. A giant leap into the future – and a topic we’ll be discussing at our HITT think tank in May, among other things!

Looking back on 2025, Europe has every reason to celebrate; the hotel investment market has reached an all-time high! With its new mid-scale brand, Hyatt Select, Hyatt is setting foot on European soil for the first time and targeting a new demographic: business travellers from the Far East. There is just as much scope in Europe for branded residences, although luxury still dominates this sector.

The famous travel guide Lonely Planet continues to expand its digital presence and is transforming into a connected travel platform. For more digital content, we've got another Digi Mix today, alongside our jam-packed News Mix. And it’s going to be colourful again: The Black Forest wants to "copy" the Italian Alberghi Diffusi; the first airline is converting three seats in a row in Economy Class into a sleeper bench, whilst others are travelling to witness the total solar eclipse or watching the diggers at the beach.

For HOT, Berlin Week also had something special in store: The young (unconference) Hotels Tomorrow (which I co-founded) hosted a late breakfast at Motel One Upper West on the first day of IHIF: 60 guests were expected, but 100 turned up! Thank you to everyone who came along! It was a lovely surprise for us, the 3Ms (Marc, Marius, Maria). Even though we announced on Monday that we were postponing the second edition of the "Paris Conference" until 2027. Due to the Iran conflict, many companies are no longer making decisions, so it is not possible to make a reasonable estimate for the event in June 2026. The risk is too high. The three organisers are on hand to help. We will engage with HOT fans through digital or hybrid channels. You'll be hearing from us again! To the Image Gallery.

And of course, you’ll be hearing from HospitalityInside again – next Friday!

Yours,
Maria Puetz-Willems
Editor-in-chief