News & Stories

Vienna. In what was a huge undertaking, the Austrian Hotel Association assessed and compared a range of hotel related web-portals. Particular attention was paid to internet guest-ratings sites. They fall far short of European provisions in the wake of Web 2.0.

Hong Kong. Shangri-La Hotels and Resorts is the first hotel group providing unlimited Internet access to its guests in all 60 Shangri-La hotels and resorts and Traders Hotels. The hotel chain is definitely opening a new way.

Rolling Meadows, IL, USA. Information technology is accepted as an important part of an organization but does not contribute much to innovation. An American non profit organisation interviewed executives worldwide about the value and risks of IT.

Hamburg. How influential is Google? For years, the undertaking has announced one success after the next. Growth seems unstoppable. For a long time already, Google has been way more than a simple internet search engine. With its services for online searches, entertainment, e-mail, news, product research, purchases, office applications, street maps and much more, there's no avoiding Google. An institute in Hamburg took a good look at the internet giant.

Frankfurt/M. Europe's hoteliers and catering managers trust in the Internet in terms of gaining customers. They optimise their websites and create networks via online portals. Nine out of ten consider content generated by users in Web 2.0 as a chance. And they go to a lot of effort to satisfy guests: with modern interiors, home electronics and special offers for loyal guests.

Glasgow/Eschborn. Last Monday, the British newspaper "The Sunday Herald" reported that a hacker based in India had recently managed to steal electronic data on over eight million hotel guests of Best Western Hotels. The hotel group denied the claim, though did admit that there had been an incident on one German hotel. The British technology journalist who reported on the incident gave hospitalityInside.com the details.

Hamburg. In the Web 2.0 the "user-generated content" is booming - and not only at the innumerable and mostly insignificant private web logs but also in the field of e-commerce. More and more online platforms for user opinions and evaluations are being created where users can evaluate everything they purchase: from toasters to holiday trips. And the online customers make good use of the opportunity to pass on their experiences with products, services and suppliers to other users and potential buyers. But do potential customers rely on this unchecked, unedited content? The answer is: yes!

Cologne. In exactly two years' time, Cologne will host the 8th "Gay Games". Between 31st July and 7th August 2010, 12,000 participants from over 70 countries are expected to arrive in the city. As of July, for the start of registration, the Hotel Reservation Service Cologne will introduce a Shop and City Guide System alongside its official reservation system specially developed for Cologne Tourism.

Frankfurt/M Utell Hotels & Resorts - today a marketing service provider for unbranded hotels and small chains and with a portfolio of over 3,600 hotels - continues to add new twists in the marketing of its hotels. In addition to boutique, luxury, business as well as spa and golf resort categories, it's now widened its sights to include the corporate sector and will now launch a meeting collection. The parent company Pegasus is meanwhile investing in performance technology and is busy developing new concepts for all hotel categories.

Hamburg. A new era of traveling has begun in the age of the Internet. More and more tour operators, airlines and resort hotels are present on the Internet and can be booked from home. In the past four years, Internet usage has almost doubled: from 12.2 percent of the German population in 2003 to 24.6 percent last year. With this, the Internet has displaced travel catalogues.