News & Stories

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.

Vienna. Sometimes one can think that there are two "EUs": While – as reported in the last issue – great uncertainty still rules in Germany over the imminent implementation of the EU-wide obligation to label allergens and one considers whether general written information in restaurants is in compliance with the law, their Austrian neighbours are managing this quickly and crisply: As the first EU member country, they have created their own implementation of the law. This views the verbal information to the guest as sufficient. The requirement is the written notice in all menus that the trained staff members are able to provide information regarding allergenic ingredients during all opening hours.

Amsterdam. Allegedly, Airbnb is planning an initial public offering in order to achieve market capitalization, which is higher than the capitalization of most hotel groups. At the same time, the number of administrative and legal measures against Airbnb is increasing as the pioneer of the "sharing economy" is not willing to share – only to cash in. The voices of the critics are getting louder, individual cities are revealing "illegal" landlords of apartments more and more frequently. Airbnb remains uncommunicative – as usual. The key subject is taxes and the payment of taxes. An Airbnb manager admitted to not stating the correct figures on a French broadcasting program. Apparently, Airbnb is deliberately provoking and playing cat and mouse with the public. Sarah Douag did some international research.

Brussels. Last month, HOTREC held its General Assembly in Riga. On the agenda, a major topic which seriously concerns the hospitality industry: „the shadow hospitality economy” – the new name for the Peer-to-Peer platforms of the Sharing Economy. We asked Christian de Barrin, CEO of HOTREC to share his concerns about the new but fast growing phenomenon.

Munich. B&B Hotels is still able to hand out its guest a printed list of room rates – and to limit trade fair rates to a 100 percent premium. Even then, the room in B&B Munich costs "only" EUR 120. Rival prizeotel, on the other hand, uses revenue management and online rates. Here, a room during the Hamburg Trade Fair can cost up to EUR 240. "We show the guest the 'value' he gets, we don't ask him," prizeotel CEO Marco Nussbaum stated in the 20-minute "flash" which was intended to explain the issue at the recent Expo Real hotel conference.

Atlanta. During times of industry prosperity, hotel budgets are extremely accurate. Now a research company shows: For the third consecutive year in the U.S., management’s projections of revenues, expenses and profits contained in their budgets have been extremely accurate.

Milan. It may be the classic and refined atmosphere of the Principe di Savoia Milan, but talking to Ezio Indiani, the General Manager of this hospitality icon which is a member of the Dorchester Collection, is like taking a trip to the simple elegance of a timeless hotel business: a place where ostentation is replaced by savoir faire and gracious kindness. In fact, the golden atmosphere of the luxury hospitality industry were to crown Indiani's dreams from his youngest childhood. In his parents' coffee bar in a small town in northern Italy, the boy would spend hours listening to special customers talk about their experiences as Maître d'Hôtel in two other icons of the Italian hotel industry: the Excelsior and Des Bains on the Lido di Venezia. "I was literally captivated by that fantastic universe made up of famous personalities and tycoons, where I eventually hoped to live and work". Today, 62-year old Ezio Indiani is the one strongly involved in securing the quality these famous people pay for. The Dorchester Collection offers a lot of quality tools and synergies.

Leipzig. The German Federal Administrative Court decided a few days ago that the method of charging the bed tax in Dortmund is unlawful and with this, likewise in Cologne. This has once again brought the discussion over the sense and nonsense of these payments into swing, but so far with little hope of insight by the cities.