News & Stories

Berne. The hotel industry in Switzerland is going through hard times; now, hoteliers are able to convert half of their property into second homes. However, this is more beneficial to city hotels than hotels in the countryside. At the same time, the first politicians are demanding tourism taxes from Airbnb & Co.

Paris. Is the idea of having a unique hotel classification throughout Europe one step closer to reality? Well, the Hotelstars Union would love to think we are almost there.

Vienna. It is bubbling up in the pots of the hotel industry. From luxury to budget, every segment is experimenting with new F&B concepts and already taking unusual paths. Even the service staff members are being manoeuvred. Ultimately, the "plate carrier" is being disused. Romana Kanzian has examined a number of hotel concepts and filtered out their ingredients. What is loose, fun and good, authentic and on the regional level is successful and allows for the gastronomic spaces to flow and makes the staff happy. And from now on, the hotel gastronomy is also looking for the best – the best Sommelier, Pâtissier, Bar Man or Barista.

Rome. Rome will not increase its bed taxes. The city council has just withdrawn its projected increase in levies from 7 to 10 euros per night on 5-star hotels.

Kitzbuehel. The situation has not become easier: Austria's tourism is currently registering a rising rate of unemployment, yet at the same time, the operations are imploringly searching for staff members. Apparently, none are still to be inspired by the industry – the decline with the young people is most drastic: There are currently 30 percent less trainee. At the annual convention of the Austrian Hotelier Consortium that took place at the beginning of the week in Kitzbuehel, the politicians smirked at the industry. Their presidents have now announced a quality and qualification offensive.

Kitzbuehel/Vienna. Six years after the unsuccessful and often implemented "compromise", a general prohibition of smoking in the catering trade could come to Austria until this summer. Triggers were, among other things, a persistent discomfort of the international guests in particular.

Livigno. A family business changes a townscape and successfully boosts its tourism development: in Livigno, in the Lombardy region in Northern Italy, the Lungolivigno group operates three hotels and seven fashion shops, thus making it an entrepreneurial engine in the winter sports resort near the Swiss border. The town itself has 14,000 guest rooms, 7,000 of which are in hotels. An unusual story in our series "small chains".

Augsburg. As the year comes to an end, the subject of taxes surfaces again and for the most part, causes new frustration in the hotel industry. Soon, Greek and Austrian hotels will have to pay a significantly higher VAT and tourists in Lisbon will have to pay a "visitor's tax" starting in January.

London. A portfolio of four properties mainly located in second tier locations, or "alternative but very interesting destinations", as the group's CEO and founder Manvinder Puri loves to call them: Nira Hotels and Resorts is a young London-based hospitality company, with very ambitious development plans, specialized in boutique properties of the "barefoot luxury segment". Currently present in very different places like the Indian Ocean, as well as Switzerland, in Edinburgh/Scotland, and, from today, December 5, 2014 in Italy, the group was created against the odds in 2009: right in the middle of one of the worst global financial and economic crises.

Geneva. Obviously programmed to conquer the world, Airbnb does not limit itself to urban areas. The platform goes higher…up to the mountains. In the Alps, Airbnb aims to accommodate up to 10,000 snow fans during the next ski season. And to let people know they are coming, the company is even sponsoring major events such as the ski world cup in Méribel.