Dear Insider,

A year ago, hoteliers were still fiddling around with ChatGPT on the sofa, but now the AI assistants proliferate, each one better than the one before. It's about power over travel bookings. SEO, the internet search engine that everyone had to feed with buzzwords for years to generate clicks, is now just the fodder for GEO: for that AI colleague that can immediately provide answers and offers to the web surfer. The term for this is Generative Engine Optimisation. Today, our AI-expert Catherine Bouchon explains the advantages and disadvantages of GEO. Only the best stories will win. 

The story of the aparthotel provider Staycity is simple: It is based on one company, two brands, three apartment sizes and a kitchenette in every apartment. The two growth drivers are Staycity and Wilde. With a more flexible ground floor, more service, more food and more quality, the twin sisters are becoming more visible in Europe, always in key cities, please. The profit margin is fantastic.  

Adrian Lindner is a long way from dreaming. He does not want to expand at present but wants to further stabilise the restructured Lindner Group in Germany. The hotel operator is out of insolvency under the debtor-in-possession rules. He wants to rebuild trust in the market. The designated new CEO (35), the third generation in the large Lindner family, was involved from the outset as "insolvency project manager". And as a manager, he admits self-critically and with unexpected frankness to "many mistakes" in our very first conversation. And that the family has lost its closeness to the company. 

Our news today accompany stories, both good and bad. Facts and figures help. A real estate service provider has analysed sharply the brand performance of the major chains in 2025. And a joint survey by a university and European hotel associations examined whether hotels use digital tools for pricing, distribution channels and performance figures. Oh dear, there's still so much to do. 

It is usually the high-end hotels of chains that can present certified sustainability labels on booking portals. The smaller companies lack know-how and budget in this area. Inequality arises. What to do here? Small and large companies in Germany will suffer even more if the government does not bring in the promised VAT reduction. The reactions from the industry, recorded in figures from the current Dehoga survey, are stark. 

In addition, on our Marketplace, you will find confident distribution specialists such as QR, where business and leisure demand is constantly on the rise - in contrast to the mass trend. Other hospitality fans are scouring the hotel brand jungle anew. And completely different people come around the corner with new vocations: In future, a regeneration coach, also in a team with an exhaustion coach, will tell you how you can make your holiday more relaxing. 

For our part, we remain relaxed - also because this year, on the evening of the first Expo Real day, we are organising our networking event BRICKS & BRAINS for the first time at the Scandic Macherei Munich, with the support of old and new sponsors. You can relax in this cozy lobby living room with its Scandinavian look and feel, even without a coach. Read more on our Expo Real page. 

Yours, Maria Pütz-Willems
Editor-in-Chief