News & Stories

Augsburg. The industry mourns the death of former Kempinski board member Rudy Münster. Anna Spjuth is appointed Chief Commercial Officer at Scandic, Daniella Boeken joins the management team at Ruby, Boris Simm is promoted to Group Vice President Operations at Ruby and Benjamin Dietsche has been promoted to Director of the German-speaking countries at Relais & Chateaux. Walter Pint takes over Arborea Marina in Neustadt, Eduard Singer left Novum Hospitality.

Augsburg. Franck Arnold is Managing Director of The Savoy London and responsible for two Sofitel and the planned Fairmont Windsor. Soner Berke is Managing Director of Ospedia, Ksenia Muzykantova was appointed Group Manager Sales/Marketing at the Hospitality Collection in Italy. Gunther Hingsammer joined Soravia to strengthen investor relations.

Augsburg. The newly founded UI Real Estate Digital appoints two managing directors, Dr. Ulrich Johannwille moves from Condor to Steigenberger as CFO, Ascan Kókai changes from the hotel operator NH to a retail specialist. Anees Shinnara is Director of the newly opened IntercityHotel in Oman, Claire Martin and Sven Flory support the Bürgenstock Resorts management, Kamil Madej becomes GM at the Lindner Prague Hotel and Aneta Antonucci again manages the spa of the Seehotel Niedernberg.

Marcus Bernhardt.Photo: Claire Lise Havet

Frankfurt/M. With effect from November 1, 2020, the Supervisory Board of Steigenberger Hotels AG has appointed Marcus Bernhardt as CEO of Steigenberger Hotels AG/Deutsche Hospitality. He succeeds Thomas Willms, who resigned his mandate a week ago and left the company immediately. Bernhardt was CCO at the time when the current Chairman of the Supervisory Board, André Witschi, was CEO of Steigenberger Hotels AG.

Marcus Bernhardt comes from the Europcar Mobility Group, where as Group Chief Commercial Officer from 2013 to 2016 he is responsible for the areas of Global Sales, E-Commerce, Revenue Capacity Management, B2B and B2C Sales, Partnerships and Global Franchise, as well as Customer Care and Quality Management.

After the IPO of the company in 2015, he was appointed Managing Director for International Business in 2017, where he significantly influenced the expansion via franchise and alliances.

Born in Switzerland, he has been involved in the hotel industry for many years through various management positions. Marcus Bernhardt already worked for Steigenberger Hotels AG from 2004 to 2010 as Executive Vice President Steigenberger Hotels & Resorts and Group Chief Commercial Officer.

Augsburg. The month of August brought a wealth of personal data. The management of the Italian star hotels was strengthened. And Langham Hospitality is building its presence in Europe with a hospitality weight from Dubai: Doris Greif, previously Senior VP Operations MEASA. Club Med has a new managing director for Germany. In addition, there have been many changes among the hotel directors. And Hotour Hotel Consulting is gradually handing over the reins to the next generation.

Frankfurt/M. Ten months after the takeover of Steigenberger Hotels AG by the Chinese hotel group Huazhu, CEO Thomas Willms is surprisingly resigning from the Management Board - and thus ending his contractual relationship two and a half years earlier than planned. A successor seems to be in sight.

Augsburg. Langham Hospitality appoints the Managing Director of the London hotel as COO of the group, NH Hotels has a new CFO, Victor Betro moves from Dubai to the Red Sea at Kempinski, Achat Hotels gives Marco Stumptner even more responsibility, and Commerz Real has a new head for global transactions.

Augsburg. Orascom Development appoints Omar El Hamamsy as CEO, and ex Travel Charme Managing Director Thomas Haas now manages the hotel business of the Jagdfeld Group. Union Investment appoints Michael Bütter to the management team, Marcus Zorn is promoted to CEO at BNP Paribas Real Estate and Andrea Ludy takes over as GM of Hotel am Steinplatz, Berlin.

Augsburg. Daniela Schade leaves Accor after 15 years, Starhotels appoints Francesco Brunetti as Managing Director, Michael Kain and Raoul Hölzle become GMs at Steigenberger, Cüneyt Sovuksu forms the new management team at Victor's Teistungenburg together with Steffen Radespiel, Maike Helmke moves to The Fontenay Hamburg and Ralph Katthöfer is responsible for two hotels in Rügen. Sabre appointed Tom Fecke as Country Manager DACH of Sabre, Travel Solutions a few weeks after extensive personnel changes in the USA.

Augsburg. Antonello De Medici becomes hotel director at Hilton, Bernd Gieske moves to Travel Charme, André Vedovelli joins the board of directors at Elysée Hamburg and Chris Mumford will advise the Berlin recruiting company at LHC.

Wiesbaden. Britta Beringer climbs the corporate ladder in Steigenberger Camp de Mar, Barbara Weisshaar becomes manager at Roomers Baden-Baden, Christian Veit climbs the Board of Directors of Deutsche Hypo and ZIA Managing Director Klaus-Peter Hesse moves to ECE.

Augsburg. In Spain the founder of Tryp Hoteles, Rufino Calero, died. Hilton developer Ulrich Widmer leaves the company at short notice. Jan-Oliver Meding resigns from the board of Revitalis. And Gabriele Volz becomes the new CEO of Commerz Real.

Augsburg. Ramsay Rankoussi and Daniel Trappler will be responsible for the development of the Africa and sub-Saharan business at Radisson Hotel Group. Reiner Sachau of Marriott International announced his retiring at the end of the year. Marc Hoffmann is new GM of A-Rosa Sylt, his predecessor Eckart Pfannkuchen will change to Deutsche Hospitality. HRS has appointed Iris Steinmetz as Senior Director Operations EMEA, Carole Ackermann was elected new President of Board of Directors of EHL in Lausanne and the Carlton Hotel St. Moritz has created an entire new position.

Augsburg. James Sherwood, the founder of the Orient Express Hotels, passed away in mid-May. The former CEO of Commerz Real, Andreas Muschter, will become CFO of The Student Hotel. Kempinski manager Eike Clausen moves from Aqaba to Malta. Denis Hüttig is now in charge of the operations of all hotels of the Steigenberger brand. 25hours has internal changes for the hotels in Vienna and Zurich. Erik Florvaag, previously Art-Invest partner, takes over the management of Ghotel Hotels.The family-run Park-Hotel Egerner Höfe at lake Tegernsee in Bavaria has hired a new director after the sale of the hotel. A new man is also at the helm of the Maxx Hotel in Potsdam and a manager with experience in the USA has taken over the Arborea Hotel on the Baltic Sea.

Augsburg. Joanna Gunn supports Rosewood as Chief Brand Officer. Matthias Heck, CFO Deutsche Hospitality, will leave the company. Cycas Hospitality strengthens its regional teams in France and Germany with five new appointments. Tabea Schalkowsky is the new Head of Marketing at Achat Hotels, Hotel BollAnts in Bad Kreuznach has a new director in Jörg Stricker, and Mews' Managing Director Bastian Stosic is now building up the hotel business with an eMobility provider.

Augsburg. Felizitas Denz takes over the operation of the east Hotel Hamburg, Reiner Heilmann hands over the management of Hotel Sacher Vienna to Andreas Keese, and Gabriele Maessen is the new president of the Cornell Hotel Society Germany.

Augsburg. Marriott International‘s Dave Grissen to retire, Penta Hotels Worldwide appointed Rogier Braakman as new Managing Director, Andreas Erben passed on his responsibilities as Managing Director of Gorgeous Smiling Hotels and Frank Rückner took over the management of Hotel Berlin in Berlin.

Augsburg. Ajit Menon is promoted to Interim CEO at Meininger Hotels, the new CFO is Andrew Scott. Oliver Elsässer joins Brera Serviced Apartments in the operational division. Center Parcs appointed Andrea Nestle as General Manager of Park Allgäu in Leutkirch, Germany and Georgios Daskalakis moved to Abaton Island Resort in Crete.

Augsburg. Steigenberger appoints André Witschi, an old acquaintance, as Chairman of the Supervisory Board. Dion Maes becomes General Manager of the 25hours in Paris and Travel Charme Hotels & Resorts fills two new management positions. Patrizia AG welcomes a new Co-CEO in Thomas Wels and says farewell to COO Klaus Schmitt, while Anna Heuer takes over the management of HSMA Germany.

Augsburg. The coronavirus has displaced almost all other topics in the last week. For the change to the 2nd quarter of 2020 there were now news again, including a death notice due to corona. There were changes at B&B Hotels Italy, at QR Quality Reservations, Dorint Hotels, 25hours Bikini Berlin and Intercity Hotels. Furthermore, two well-known developers changed the company.