News & Stories

Brussels. Millions of travellers who put together their holidays themselves online or in travel agencies are to be given better financial protection in case something goes wrong. This was the plan put forward by the European Commission last Tuesday. HOTREC, the European association for hotels, restaurants and cafes and the German International Hotel Association demand substantial improvements.

Berlin. In Germany, the new federal registration act will become effective on May 1, 2015. It will make things easier for both guests and hotels and the German Hotel Association is relieved.

Leipzig (March 8, 2013). Today's edition of hospitalityInside.com gives the starting shot for regular contributions on Internet Law. In the high-speed age of the internet, it will become increasingly important for hotel companies to have an awareness of certain online terms and developments. German case law does not always take the line of other countries here. For this reason, solicitor Peter Hense from Leipzig, partner at the British firm Spirit Legal London, will assume this column. Hense also on the Board of Directors of Hotelprotect, a body under the auspices of the German International Hotel Association (IHA). The first instalment of this column will look at the issue of domain grabbing.

Leipzig. At a raid by the Saxon Land Office of Criminal Investigation on the morning of the 12th of December, two managers of the German Internet company Unister were arrested. This preceded a raid wave.

Bern. Swiss hotels do not have to pay copyright fees for radio and television sets provided for their guests in hotel rooms. This decision was reached by the Federal Supreme Court of Switzerland.

Vienna. Austria's young real estate tycoon René Benko, whose Signa Holding owns, among others, the Viennese "Golden Quarter" with the future Park Hyatt, has got himself the first stains on his golden suite: He was - not yet legally binding - sentenced to one year imprisonment. For corruption.

Paris. On the eve of its 38th annual congress which will be held in Turin from 4-7 November, Jaume Tàpies, President of Relais & Châteaux, publicly commented the ongoing investigation against Régis Bulot.

Berlin. A new law to support mediation regulating procedures of extrajudicial conflict management will likely still come into force this year after several months of negotiations in the German Bundesrat's arbitration committee. The new mediation law passed on June 27, 2012, is even being celebrated by the daily press as a paradigm change of Germany's legal culture. It has a special meaning for hotel owners and operators, as they mostly depend on collaboration with their contractual partners. Facing terms of more than 20 years, conflicts arising from complex hotel agreements that sometimes involve reconciling German law and the law of a foreign contractual partner cannot always be avoided. In many cases, they can be settled by cool-headed lawyers in the course of negotiations. But what if this does not work out? A mediation procedure will often then take effect. Auditor Matthias Schroeder explains the whole issue. In December, he will take his exam as a mediator.

Leipzig/Berlin. The Federal Administrative Court in Leipzig this week held that certain elements of the tax on overnight stays levied on hotel guests to be unconstitutional. Although the tax wasn't struck down outright, it is nonetheless a win for the hotel industry as the judgement is likely to make the practical implementation of the tax impossible.

Strasbourg. Former president of Relais & Châteaux, Regis Bulot, was released from prison last Tuesday after seven months in custody in Strasbourg.