News & Stories
Paris. In Europe the revenue per available room increased by 4.7% during the first half of 2006, against +1.6% for the whole year of 2005. The recovery accelerates in Germany, France, Spain and the UK. All segments are boasting performance improvements - the 4 star category benefits in particular from an increase in demand. Results shown by the French consulting firm MKG.
Bad Salzuflen. Maritim company HMS International Ltd based in Cologne, has recently signed contracts for two hotels, one in Marmaris and the other in Alanya, on Turkey's south coast.
Atlanta. This summer, in the US hotel rooms will be harder to find, compared to last year, and, second, travelers will pay more for these rooms. In fact, summer travelers are forecast to spend an average of 6.0 percent more to rent a hotel room this summer compared to the summer of 2005. Hotel occupancy rates are forecast to average 74.1 percent, the highest level since 1997.
Berlin. Germany's most successful resort hotel group, Travel Charme Hotels & Resorts, has just acquired 15,000 sq m of land directly next to Bavaria's picturesque Lake Tegern. Plans at present are to build a new hotel with focus on wellness and medical care.
Frankfurt/M. First Accor was to be the operator, then it was Le Méridien and now it's Hilton. And Hilton has now jumped on construction plans for Frankfurt airport to secure the introduction of the first US brand to Germany: Hilton Garden Inn, a mid-sector product.
Chicago. Preferred Hotel Group has added 52 properties to its worldwide membership roster in the past two quarters. The group features more than 300 hotels in 52 countries covering 60, 000 hotel rooms under the brands Preferred Hotels & Resorts; Preferred Boutique; Summit Hotels & Resorts; and Sterling Hotels.
Hamilton/Bermuda. British Orient-Express Hotels sells its 49% shareholding in Harry's Bar Ltd. to its partner Mark Birley Holdings Ltd. for 9.5 million pounds Sterling. The shares were independently valued and have been sold at that valuation.
Berlin. The serviced apartments market of Germany has been developing well and is registering positive growth rates. The forecast remains optimistic. Although there have been practically no openings in 2005, occupancy rates of about 70% surpass those of the classic hotel industry.
Cape Town. Eurocape, the developers of the R1-billion Mandela Rhodes Place, has announced a partnership with Indian Hotels Company Ltd to develop Cape Town's newest addition in luxury hotel rooms and luxury residences. The five-star hotel will form part of the Mandela Rhodes Place lifestyle complex in Cape Town.
Paris. The 18th Football World Cup in Germany, prompting six weeks of media frenzy, heightened by the 15,000 journalists in attendance. Three million spectators will fill the twelve stadiums of the competition, a figure that is likely to double when including the total number of tourists arriving in Germany to participate directly or indirectly in this event. The French consultancy MKG compares the current Football World Cup's potential to previous events.