Dear Insiders,
Where are the refugees supposed to live? While the EU has no solution to this question, German and Austrian cities and communities have to react. And they are cooperating with hotels. Maritim leased its hotel in Halle for three years, H Hotels are already accommodating refugees at three locations, and the Austrian Hotelier Association helps wherever it can... However, we think that more could be done. Which other industry is able to cope as easily with the multicultural mix and offer workforces easy access under the most varied conditions?
The contribution of Susanne Stauss shows the dramatic side of our society that prevails at present; therefore, it seems a little cynical to talk about the nice sides of the hotel industry at the same time: about lifestyle hotels where the spoilt Gen Y cannot get enough entertainment and enough of the good life. But this success is the result of the brand creators' hard work in the end. Therefore, some weeks ago, also in view of the premiere of aloft in Germany, we talked to brand managers of Starwood Hotels und IHG about what should be considered for these lifestyle concepts.
Lifestyle hotels are nice meeting spots, as long as the hotel "booms". As soon as the hotel is empty, as the W Verbier at the end of June, lifestyle is no longer fun. Then, dark corridors and large rhinoceros artworks easily fail to have the desired effect. During her visit in the Swiss Alps, Baerbel Schwertfeger did not experience any of Starwood's spirit.
Maybe, the W Verbier would have been better off as a "pop-up" hotel. This funny term refers to temporary hotels, which can be set up as individual boxes or classical hotels at the beach or in the city within a few hours or days. They are able to adapt to any purpose, ambience and desired size. Sarah Douag introduces clever providers.
The merger of Expedia and Orbitz has been officially approved yesterday: another concentration in hotel distribution is impending. An internet talk provided positive comments about Airbnb, for once. The Alpine regions continue to work on common marketing goals under the name of "The Alps", and a study analysed the wave of bike riders in the Alps. In Thailand, Dusit CEO Chanin Donavanik will leave his position in January; additional current particulars involve development. The full editorial ...
