News & Stories

Frankfurt. As of July 22, 2013, everything will change for the funds industry - for open-ended, closed-ended and special funds. On this date, the new AIFM Directive enters into force, providing a uniform framework throughout the European Union. Germany has taken an especially thorough approach and has also regulated the products. This was allowed by Brussels. Now, fund initiators and distributors must find their way around in this new world. At the "VGF Summit", the fund industry‘s annual jour fixe in Frankfurt, it was clear: Not all fund managers will survive the change. Since many funds are used to finance hotels, the development is also a serious matter for the hotel sector.

Bad Doberan. The Grandhotel Heiligendamm and initiator Anno August Jagdfeld just don't seem to escape the headlines. Whilst the next, already the third, public prosecutor is investigating Jagdfeld, the administrator of Heiligendamm, Joerg Zumbaum, is searching desperately for investors for the insolvent Grandhotel Heiligendamm.

Vienna. This year, more hotels should make use of the Austrian "tourism bond". However, the next credits are already subject to restrictions.

Bremen/Hamburg. The industry has pulled through the recent financial and economic crisis well. Yet now, the signs are increasing that the luxury hotel industry may be one of the biggest losers - and more: It may even be threatened in entirety. The insolvency of the 5-star Parkhotel in Bremen this week and the knock-down sale of Hamburg's world famous Vier Jahreszeiten all point in this direction. Today, Germany's luxury hoteliers are increasingly having to perform a balancing act in dependency of incalculable banks at one end and a volatile economy at the other.

Munich. Is the entire debate about crises really necessary? Regarding the figures in the real estate market superficially, this seems to be true. The results of the properties were top in 2012, and experts are expecting a similarly high demand in 2013. Because of the low interest, material assets are still very popular. However, when analysing the matter in depth, it quickly becomes obvious that the framework conditions are not developing very well. In Europe, the north-south divide is becoming more apparent, amongst others. Due to Basel III the banks are even more restrictive. Private equity is replacing vanishing funds... Experts are giving only special segments a chance – such as the hotel industry.

Berlin. Negative headlines abound again with regard to the Hotel Adlon Kempinski and the man who had the Berlin luxury hotel built with investor funds: Anno August Jagdfeld. As was announced two days ago, Jagdfeld's son Benedikt is to spearhead the newly structured group. No easy job, as many criticisms of Fundus and Jagdfeld are justified. In the case of the Hotel Adlon Kempinski though, a more subtle assessment is required, in particular after the ratings agency Moody's warned this week of the possibility of default by Adlon. The complex inter-relationship is explained by Beatrix Boutonnet.

Berlin. Last week, millions of TV viewers and certainly also many Adlon investors enjoyed the final part of the three-part "Adlon Saga". Yet no sooner had it finished, and the next storm begins to brew over Fundus Fund No. 31. Perhaps unrightly this time though.

Hamburg. After 41 years, the InterContinental name will have to bow out of the Hamburg market: The insolvency administrator has ordered the closing of the hotel on the 31st of January because no new buyer has yet been found for the property.

Bad Doberan. An end to the saga in Heiligendamm is becoming ever more improbable for this year. Even the hot potential candidate, Median, is reported to have meanwhile surprisingly changed its offer.

Berlin. The German legislator has taken on board arguments from the funds industry. As was reported in summary last week, the German Ministry of Finance conceded many points on the first draft of implementing legislation of the EU's Alternative Investment Fund Managers Directive - and the financial sector breathes a sigh of relief in many points. Open-ended real estate funds and specialist funds are to stay and closed-ended funds will be less strictly regulated than initially proposed. Some adjustments are still to be made, overall though, the funds industry appears satisfied; it remains operative.