News & Stories

Hamburg. Disruption piece by piece: The German Supreme Court has allowed MyTaxi, as of immediately, to offer vouchers and to launch comprehensive bonus campaigns. This is a severe blow for the traditional taxi industry in Germany. Hoteliers should be aware of this for when guests ask about the cheapest taxi service.

Madrid. The Spanish Court of Justice invalidated a salary package in a hotel in Tenerife because of gender discrimination. The chambermaids of Hotel Best Tenerife were payed 500 euros less compared to their male colleagues at the hotel restaurant.

Bonn. Germany's Federal Cartel Office has accused Facebook of abusing data because the company collects and evaluates data from third-party sources. A final decision will not be taken until summer 2018.

Bonn. The German Federal Cartel Office has launched an investigation into the comparison website sector. The authorities will also look into travel websites. By the end of the year, providers will be sent corresponding questionnaires.

Vienna. Booking and Expedia have failed with their appeal on rate parity before the Austrian Constitutional Court, the country's highest appeal court.

Munich. Foreign capital is flowing into Germany – in these turbulent times still one of the most stable economies in the world. But several investors planning to enter the German market withdraw again when facing the legal structures. Indeed, some important legal aspects should be taken into consideration by first-time foreign investors. A small selection of such important aspects and relevant German laws shall be described hereinafter. The German lawyer Dr. Anton M. Ostler, a Partner of Arnecke Sibeth, Munich and adviser in all fields of commercial law, describes company structures, business regulations and the acquisition of real estate.

Brussels. On June 15, 2017, the European Parliament agreed on a resolution to deal with the so-called Sharing Economy. The Parliament reacted to its misuse by setting out concrete criteria, but these are not binding.

Berlin. Relief for the holiday home segment? Deutscher Ferienhausverband e.V. acknowledges last week's announcement of the planned change of the Federal Land Utilisation Ordinance, which will bring many landlords legal certainty. Arnecke & Sibeth, a law firm in Munich and hospitalityInside's editorial experts, are not giving the green light yet.

Brussels. The European Commission has opened an investigation to discover if the commercial agreements between Meliá Hotels and the tour operators Kuoni, REWE, TUI, and Thomas Cook infringe the European competition rules.

Munich. One segment is currently booming: Serviced Apartments. The term covers a range of usage types making the distinction between the hotel and a short-term let increasingly blurred. Both are geared to longer stays, though the person using the accommodation does not necessarily have to make use of hotel services. Serviced apartments sit somewhere in the middle between residential apartment and hotel. And it's exactly here that this young and attractive segment gets into trouble with the terms used in planning law and type of use in Germany. Thomas Hartl, Senior Associate at the law firm Arnecke Sibeth in Munich, is an expert in planning law and in this guest contribution today explains the legal intricacies which project developers such as construction principal and operator face.