News & Stories

Paris. The principal shareholder of B&B Hotels is currently reviewing its investment in the expansion-friendly budget group right now. The B&B Hotels Group is in a due diligence right now as it has been confirmed to hospitalityInside.com.

Berlin. Prior to the shareholders meeting for the Fundus Fonds 31 on 17 March there was talk of a shareholder revolt. Initiator Anno August Jagdfeld managed to prevent such an act. Jagdfeld owes the fund rent with his Adlon Holding.

Berlin. Similar to the ITB, the positive mood among investors has returned, though little of this is concrete. Since hotel financing has a lot to do with psychology, many attending the 13th International Hotel Investment Conference in the InterContinental Berlin last week were happy about the slight improvements seen on the disaster year 2009. The gaps between the countries, respectively destinations, are still wide though and investors are still an endangered species. Banks still form the bottleneck. The persisting growth euphoria among the CEOs of global hotel groups shouldn't deceive though, after all those speaking on the IHIF CEO panel all have sufficient sponsor budgets left to be invited to speak.

Berlin. The annual general meeting on March 17 might receive a lot of attention and provoke strong emotion. On that day, Anno August Jagdfeld, initiator of the Fundus fund, will demand from his investors that they renounce lease agreements worth several million euros.

London. Sir Rocco Forte in finanziellen Turbulenzen? Gerüchte haben es bereits vorausgesagt; diese Woche bestätigte er, dass er eine neuen Finanzvereinbarung getroffen hat, um den künftigen Betrieb seiner 13 Hotels umfassenden Gruppe abzusichern.

Zell am See. As of immediately, the first Austrian online evaluation platform for banks will go online. Behind the action is the Austrian Hotel Association. The idea comes from its member Dr Wilfried Holleis. The tax consultant and hotelier wanted to turn the tables following the rating of his businesses under Basel II.

Munich. The real estate hype between 2005 and 2007 got hold of the hospitality industry for the first time in dimensions unknown so far. Accordingly, the hospitality sector is still suffering the effects of the financial and economic crisis. Dr. Joerg Frehse*, founder and Managing Partner of Frehse Hotel Corporate Finance GmbH & Co. KG in Munich, thinks that the hospitality industry is being stylized as a victim of a crisis, among other things, caused by the fault of some major hotel companies. Maria Puetz-Willems asked him about this conclusion. An interesting, contemplative retrospective view at the end of 2009.

Munich. The health sector is considered a sunrise industry. Therefore healthcare turns out to be a profitable investment from an investor’s point of view. This is also confirmed by a survey. An open fund takes up the issue trusting in a mixture of office, residential and special properties.

St. Petersburg. Cautious optimism was the sentiment at the 5th annual Russian and CIS Hotel Investment Conference in St Petersburg two weeks ago. “The market is more upbeat,” stated Roeland Vos, President EAME, Starwood Hotels & Resorts. “We have a positive feeling. The crisis is not a bad time but a time of opportunity,” said Petr Chitipakhovyan, President, CH Group, a Russian developer with three hotels and a further three under construction. “The fundamentals are in place for future success,” said Andrey Yakunin, Partner and CFO, Venture Investments & Yield Management, Russian-based asset managers. Similar opinions were the public utterances during the conference’s open sessions; the mood at the numerous networking opportunities was more doubtful.

Venice. It may take six years to get back to rates experienced in 2008, experts said at the International Hotel Conference in Venice in late October. Owners should also expect fees to increase in future and be prepared that asset values will decline further. "Threats and Opportunities Facing Hotel Owners" proved the new challenges on the capital side.