News & Stories

Cameras and AI are now making their way into the bins of professional kitchens: Together, they help to identify food waste in the bin in real time. Anyone aiming to save half of this earns $25,000 a year. The technology behind this comes from Winnow in Chicago. At the HITT Think Tank founder and CEO Marc Zornes set the pulse regarding food waste

Hyatt and Minor are launching a new mid-scale brand in Germany, and Europe, urban leisure is on the rise, whilst an increasing number of soft brands are flooding the market; branded residences are set to follow. A constant focus: franchising. Leonardo, Verkehrsbüro Vienna, Marriott, Accor and others on adapted strategies.

Villa Viva Hotels is a niche brand. It was founded by the non-profit organisation Viva con Agua, and now, the Solutions Group by Stephan Gerhard and a diverse shareholder gang are driving the expansion in Hamburg and Berlin.

Blackout! 45,000 households in Berlin experienced a four-day power outage for the first time. Emergency shelters were set up, but the hotel industry, as a partner for affected citizens, came late to the picture. Concerned hotel operators have only a small chance of compensation. The negative list is long. There is an urgent need for action. The next blackout will come for sure.

Market shakeouts, new international white label operators, up-and-coming regional operating companies - all in all, an increasing confusion of brands: For hotel investors in Germany, the search for operators is obviously becoming increasingly difficult. What do consultancies say to this?

Alessandro Gambino and his sister Sabrina Gambrino-Kreindl shake their heads in unison: no, there is no breakfast at Gambino Hotels, just classic accommodation. In 2017, a multi-million-pound facility management company came knocking on their door. They are now expanding with an urban lifestyle economy brand, city hotels and smart hotels in the countryside.

A new report for Europe warns governments against further increases in tourist and value added tax. Job losses could be massive.

For hotel groups, a balanced contract mix has so far been a guarantee of success. Then the shift to asset light and franchise began. In the current ongoing crisis, many critical issues are popping up: misused key money, contracts that are far too long, brand inefficiency... A passionate discussion at Expo Real. 

Savings are currently sought at all levels. Sales price and purchase price are too far apart. Very few operators are currently able to appeal to investors or to banks. Austrian Alpine hotels are no longer marketable. How do you share the risks? What else is possible? A "zero profit" discussion at Expo Real Munich. 

In 2024, the fees a hotel owner paid to support their brand's guest loyalty program continued to grow at a relatively strong rate. During the year, the annual growth fees exceeded the increases in brand royalty payments, as well as the brand marketing and reservation assessments.