News & Stories
Berlin. While Europe's economy is battling dark clouds, many hotel markets are experiencing a boom. The pipelines are full. But that is not all. Given the good results, international investors are gradually enjoying this asset class more and more again. And moreover, the market does not lack money, as a good many million Euro are looking for safe asset havens in the meantime. These criteria seem to be fulfilled by special real estate classes like hotels thanks to their performance figures. An overview of the status quo at mid 2012.
Paris. Committed to remain the first destination in the world in terms of visitors and trying to catch up in terms of revenues, France has decided to strike strong by renewing its hotels classification. Last ranking is 25 years old and French hotels never been audited since. Voted unanimously in 2009 by the French parliament, the program will be completed next Monday, July 23rd. From then, hotels which are not certified will no be able to use the old star ranking any more. And Atout France, the French Tourism Development Agency will only promote classified hotels abroad. The first scandal under the new French government is rising. Sarah Douag, our correspondent in Paris, about the deadline's impact and how the General Manager of Atout France defines the agency's role.
Hamburg. The Novum Group from Hamburg founded in 1988 has strongly increased its expansion rate in recent times. Today, its already 29 hotels belong in eight German cities. Other takeovers are planned. "The group would like to grow with lasting effect and establish themselves in the national city hotel industry with its three different brands, Novum Hotels, Centrum Hotels as well as the Design and Style Hotels", state the Managing Partner, David Etmenan and Chief Financial Officer, Torsten Scholl, who has supported the management of the family company since 2011.
Berlin Since two days ago, a new "2 Star Superior" sign has gleamed in the entrance of the ibis Munich City West. It is the first hotel in Germany to receive the new sign from the Hotelstars Union in the course of the European standardisation.
Munich. Compliance possesses a very high value within the construction and real estate industries, particularly in real estate purchasing and contract awards. The application of Compliance Management Systems is on the rise. A study demonstrates this.
Salzburg. Tyrol raises its drink prices more quickly than the food dishes. The recently ascertained "Schnitzel Index" demonstrates this. Moreover, the income and revenues visibly gape within the catering trade.
Paris. Louvre Hotels Group announced that its European operations will take on a new structure centred on two distinctive management areas: Subsidiaries & Managed hotels, and Franchises.
London. What's not to like? A buzzing, high quality restaurant in a hotel, bringing new customers through the door and providing an extra facility to attract overnight guests. Then of course there's the valuable potential additional revenue stream that a third party can generate for the hotel at a time when owners are increasingly looking to maximize the potential of their assets. In this guest article, Jeremy Liebster, Associate in the Real Estate group at DLA Piper, London considers issues for an owner when engaging a third party to operate a hotel restaurant.
Eschborn. Progros, a purchasing company, has successfully concluded the 2011 financial year. The company, which is specialised in the hotel industry, increased its purchasing revenues by seven percent to 150 million EUR.
Augsburg. The new trend movement of "Collaborative Consumption" - collective sharing - has provided an immense impetus to private room portals worldwide. As a result, a market segment has blossomed; the professional host classifies it as a "grey market". If private individuals rent one or several rooms online for a small amount of money, they are subjected neither to the same operational nor legal or taxation requirements as hotels and pensions. Airbnb, Wimdu and 9flat belong among the leading bed communities. The German Hotel Association has taken them up in criticism. Private accommodations with less than nine beds generate 87 million overnight stays per year – although not all throughout the country have yet been recorded. Of course, the private room portals do not share the IHA criticism: This is a purely German discussion and is directed toward the wrong.