Dear Insiders,
The Expo Real Munich is moving closer, and HospitalityInside is already looking forward to many conversations with you - at the stand, at the networking event or at the conference. Today, I present the final programme for the hotel conference. There players discuss issues that are also part of today's edition.
The Chinese Jin Jiang Group last Friday completed the merger with budget chain Plateno and has this week acquired the budget chain 7Days. It will be allocated to Plateno. No clarification has been provided to the rumours surrounding IHG and FRHI though.....
Baerbel Schwertfeger's report proves today that many Chinese hotels are doing well, at least that's the impression given by General Managers of the Ritz-Carlton and the Four Seasons Shanghai/Pudong. She met Rainer Buerkle and Rainer Stampfer in Shanghai. They too are watching Jin Jiang.
In the more mature European market, hotel groups often find their profile in the niche. And it's exactly this that Roeland Vos is looking for for Belmond. Starwood's former Europe President and new Belmond CEO is back in operations, full of energy: "Belmond will not be a brand for everyone," he says. And he doesn't want to sell any more properties, but rather buy them. We talked to him on the phone.
Tour operator FTI also wants to reposition its hotels and has created the brand "Labranda" for that purpose. FTI boss Dietmar Gunz with the details. The change in tourist flows this summer shows that the situation for Mediterranean resorts isn't getting any easier. Following the terrorist attacks, RUI has obviously decided to leave Tunisia completely. And Doha is checking, planning and analysing its own hotel development until 2022: the time is rather limited.
In the US, Sarah Douag discovered a gold mine, so-called "ancillary fees", extra revenues which are not generated from renting a room. A current study reveals: US hotels this year earned USD 2.47 billion through these fees. And where are the Europeans here? Are additional fees for internet, luggage, mini-bar, gym or preferred check-in not an issue? It's certainly an exciting read.
The hotels have also drawn attention from funds. More and more special funds are being set up or are working their way into this difficult asset class. Overall, a very welcome development. Beatrix Boutonnet lets fund managers from Union Investment, Deutsche AWM, Deka, Real I.S., Invesco and Patrizia have their say. Enjoy reading! – The full editorial …
