News & Stories

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.

Augsburg. Jennifer Fox left Fairmont Hotels, Mandarin Oriental appoints a new person in charge for Northern Europe and Russia, Sebastian Kessel now runs the Courtyard Marriott Basel, his colleague Klaas Fongers takes over the Courtyard and Residence Inn Muenchen. Andreas Johannes Kartschoke is new General Manager of the Hotel Elephant in Weimar, and Nicole Adam is to enforce standards at Castlewood Hotels. Germany also has a new commissioner for tourism.

Wiesbaden. Emaar Hospitality appointed Mehdi Morad and Riad Abi Haidar as General Managers for the hotels Adress Boulevard and Adress Dubai Marina in Dubai. At Lindner Hotels, the experienced Robinson manager Tom Pick takes on the management of the resort in Portals Nous, Mallorca. Hard Rock International appointed a new Head of Global Hotel Development. A-ja hired the director for its first city resort in Zurich, and hotelier Mario Pick switched to a head hunter.

Wiesbaden. Gebhard Rainer is now CEO at Sandals, Ralph Tiergart is now appointed Vice President and GM of the extended stay brands ofr Choice, and Roland Elter steps up to management of Maritim Hotels. Constantin and Julia von Deines will leave Nassauer Hof Wiesbaden in May. Novum expands their HR department with Olaf Back and Kirsten Stein. Johannes Mayr now officially supports the leadership team at Sofitel Munich Bayerpost. Leonardo Hotels fill their management positions in southern Germany with Stephan Loewel, Yannick Goossens, Tim Ziegler, and Jacolien Benes.

Wiesbaden. Currently, many experienced managers are changing jobs: At Falkensteiner Michaeler Tourism Group, Agron Berisa has become the new COO and succeeds Jan Hein Simons in this position; at Deutsche Hospitality, three executives have assumed new responsibilities. Dagmar Zechmann left the Westin Hamburg unexpectedly, Anthony Ross is now the new CEO at JA Resorts, and Birgit Conix has been appointed TUI's Chief Financial Officer. Preferred is expanding their female managerial levels. Brent Bouldin joined Choice as VP Marketing, and Roman Barthelmann is the new Regional Director Sales & Marketing at Rocco Forte Germany. The new GM at Burj Rafal Hotel Kempinski Riyadh is Christian Ruge, the GM at me and all Mainz is Holger Hanselmann, at Dorint Meissen it's Mark Anton. And Rafal Rosiejak has been named General Manager at Colliers Int. in Poland.

Augsburg. Airbnb is able to win over a top manager of Amazon Prime; Fabrice Collet is the new CEO at B&B Hotels. Karl Schattmaier has a new position – at Welcome Hotels. Hilton has a new Chief Information and Digital Officer. Matthias Niemeyer takes over Development Europa at Adina, and Dorint has hired an eCommerce specialist.

Augsburg. Former Starwood manager Michael P. Wale succeeded Gabriel Pérès becoming CEO of One&Only. Wolfgang Greiner left Mandarin Oriental Munich and the hotel group. Welcome Hotels CEO Christian Kettlitz also left the company. Roland Paar exited from Amedia Hotels as a Partner and Managing Director. Italian Valtur Group clarifies rumours about leadership. Ardi Goldmann, former 25hours partner, has to serve his sentence in prison due to a bribery scandal.

Augsburg. Four Seasons CEO J. Allen Smith will not renew his contract. Choice Hotels pushes its technology by appointing a new Chief Technology Officer, Wyndham has a new president for EMEA, Albeck & Zehden hires a new GM for the Crowne Plaza Berlin City Centre, Travel Charme gets a new lead for the Ifen Hotel in Kleinwalsertal, and arcona follows suit for the new Living-Hotel in Wetzlar. HRS strengthens its power for small and medium-sized business customers.