News & Stories

Augsburg. AccorHotels puts its own leader in place at South African Mantis Group: Philippe Baretaud. Axel Bethke has been appointed General Manager of the Kempinski Hotel Bahia, Estepona-Marbella, Spain. Chair-moving on the executive floor of the Dormero Hotels: Carsten Kritz becomes the new COO, the previous COO is promoted to CEO. In Bad Honnef, the former Avendi Hotel will soon be given a new brand name and Thomas Steger will lead the hotel into the next few years.

Wiesbaden. GBI AG restructures the company, Reiner Nittka and Markus Beugel take on additional functions. Developer Ulrich Demetz has moved from Motel One to Kronberg International. Developer Connor Ryterski is now managing director of prizeotel. Liam Doyle supports A&O as COO, Oliver Ramm as new Director of Marketing for Scandic Hotels Europe. Thomas Peruzzo builds up the group Artprojekt Hospitality as Managing Director, just as Harbr Hotels is setting up structures for its first hotel openings. Marc Guenther is now GM at Kempinski Hotel Ishtar Dead Sea Jordan. Onyx Hospitality appointed Michael Gaehler GM for the Oriental Residence Bangkok. And with Chris Crowley, HRS has gained an expert in the field of corporate travel.

Augsburg. Kurt Straub has been appointed VP Operations for the MEA and Southwest Asia with Hyatt. Arab Central Hotels have found an internationally experienced man for their new property on Palm Dubai. And at Bayern Tourismus in Munich, an influential association in Germany, a hotel expert is now at the top.

Wiesbaden. The new CEO of Small Luxury Hotels, Jean-Francois Ferrett, comes from Relais & Châteaux. Kempinski has appointed Amanda Elder as Chief Commercial Officer, a new position in the company. In Arosa, Michael and Stephanie Lehnort take over management of the Tschuggen Hotel Group's Valsana Hotel & Apartment, and Christian Klein becomes the new group CFO. André Otto is the new Regional Director of Leisure Sales for Louvre Germany, Marko and Daniela Achilles will head the Romantik Hotel Der Adelshof in Schwaebisch Hall.

Wiesbaden. At The Lanesborough London, Marco Novella succeeds Geoffrey Gelardi as Managing Director. Thomas Brugnatelli has taken over the management of Raffles Europejski Warsaw. Until the end of the year, Yasmin Cachemaille Grimm and Urs Grimm will lead the operational activities at Schloss Elmau. Rolf E. Broennimann hands over the management of the Budersand Hotel on Sylt to Marco Winter, Janet Stache and Friedrich Infeld took over as general managers of the Living Hotels and Lindner Hotels hired a new Head of Sales.

Paris/Munich. With the impulsive slogan "Make Europe Even Greater" AccorHotels is once again changing its personnel structures, this time only in relation to Europe. An internal document hospitalityInside.com received gives the details. That Laurent Picheral will once again play a special role is just one of them.

Wiesbaden. Michael Gaehler becomes GM at Oriental Residence Bangkok and the Hilton Lake Como now has Alessio Colavecchio as GM. After 43 years at the German Maritim Hotels CEO Gerd Prochaska retires. Courtyard by Marriott Berlin Mitte welcomed a new GM, Julia Haupt is Resident Manager of the a-ja Travemuende and Sebastian Grenzer Pre-Opening Director of arcona Living Bremen.

Augsburg. Hard Rock International plans to conquer EMEA by Graham Kiy, German H-Hotels hired several new managers, in the Swiss Arosa Kulm Hotel and in the Alpina Gstaad there is a change of directors, A-rosa has hired new leaders for its two northern German resorts. News from Italy: Marco Boni now manages the Palenca Luxury Hotels. And the new Italian tourism minister himself comes from the hotel business. Seetelhotel Kaiserstrand Beachhotel Bansin on Usedom has a new director, as does Scandic Hamburg Emporio. Premier Inn has found a manager for the group's second hotel in Germany, and in Portugal a Swede is taking over Anantara Resort in the Algarve. The German procurement company Progros is adapting its management structures to growth.

Augsburg. Beat Sigg of the Victoria-Jungfrau Collection in Switzerland hands over the operation to a representative of the main shareholder. Best Western Central Europe has appointed Carmen Duecker as Co-Managing Director. The Austria Trend Hotel Schloss Lebenberg has a new director. Online Birds opens an office in Lisbon and Carlson Wagonlit Travel has appointed a new head of its Traveler Experience division.

Wiesbaden. Scandic strengthens its Executive Commitee in the digitalization and customer care division. Moevenpick COO Ola Ivarsson retires and Sabine Dorn-Aglagul becomes President Europe in the company. Meininger Hotels appointed Thomas Hagemann as COO and at Jumeirah, Michael Ellis becomes Chief Culinary Officer of the group. GM Franz Zimmermann leaves Schlosshotel Kronberg, Anika Wagner is appointed HR Manager at A&O Hostels, Cornelia Meyer now manages The Liberty Bremerhaven and Cem Yoldas Hofgut Georgenthal.

Vienna. In the Hotel Division of the Austrian Verkehrsbuero, three men now take over the management of the 28 Austria Trend Hotels in Austria, Slovenia and Slovakia. The reason for this is apparently a planned massive expansion spurt.

Wiesbaden. Booking.com and Ctrip are moving closer because of Gillian Tans' seat on the board of directors at Ctrip. Martin Rinck is responsible for Hilton's luxury brands now. Yvonne Urban Scherer and Martin Scherer are leaving the Schweizerhof in St. Moritz and moving on to Pontresina, Burkhard Wolter is going to be General Manager at Waldhaus Flims, and Madeleine Marx is becoming General Manager at The Westin Hamburg. Claudia Wieland is managing the arcona Living Munich now, and Jost Deitmar is taking over the traditional Hotel Lindner in Bad Aibling. Radisson appoints a new Senior Business Director for DACH, and at Aldiana a team of two takes over from Max-Peter Droll.

Wiesbaden. Jumeirah appointed Alexander Lee Chief Commercial Officer, Jan Hein Simons became partner at MRP Hotels for Germany and Benelux and Andreas Behrmann now heads the Welcome Hotel Meschede.

Augsburg. Dorint Hotels announced new general managers for their hotels in Berlin, Moenchenglabdach and Binz. Welcome hired a woman to manage the newly added hotel in Euskirchen. And Novum Hotels secures the next new expert for events.

Augsburg. Hong Kong follows Dubai: Stefan Leser is CEO of Langham Hospitality. Dusit Hotels appoints Marc Hediger for the international expansion. Wolfgang Gallas starts at UBM Hotels, Kayan Kilit leaves Adina, and the Soravia Group has brought in a Chief Information Officer.

Augsburg. At GCH, CEO Yaron Ashkenazi hands over to COO Sascha Hampe. A GM change takes place at The Ritz-Carlton Wolfsburg, and Lindner also welcomes a new Resident Manager at the Lindner Hotel & Residence Main Plaza Frankfurt.

Augsburg. Steigenberger appoints a Managing Director for its young brand Maxx, Frank Hoerl follows Gabriele Maessen at Azur Hotel Property in Berlin, the Westin and Sheraton Munich have a new Complex Manager for their 1,073 rooms. A Turkish business man comes on board as strategic partner to the operator RIMC Hotels.

Augsburg. Claus Sendlinger, founder of Design Hotels, will leave both the managing board and company; Marriott appointed a Ritz-Carlton manager as successor. Four Seasons has assigned regional responsibility to the GM of its Dubai resort. Gerhard Bosse is the new GM at the Kempinski Hotel Das Tirol near Salzburg. Dominik Ritz will become the new GM of Delta Hotel by Marriott Frankfurt Offenbach, formerly New Century.

Augsburg. The new European flagship of Moevenpick in Basel will be managed by Reto Kocher. Roland Paar becomes COO at Soravia, and at Deutsche Hospitality, Gernot Porcher is the successor of Sigurd Kern as Senior Director Construction, Interior Design and Engineering. Paul Garai, Founder and Managing Director at Star Inn Hotels, died unexpectedly.

Wiesbaden. Laurent Picheral took over management of AccorHotels Central Europe in addition to his function as Deputy CEO AccorHotels Europe. Inge van Ooteghem will become COO of Premier Inn Deutschland, and Ringhotels have a new President and Vice-President with Bernd Kanzow and Volker Duerr, respectively.