News & Stories
Berlin. The budget sector does indeed seem to be red hot, according to a panel at the International Hotel Investment Forum Berlin in March. And it seems that no such discussion can take place without the orange tinge of easyhotel and the panel at IHIF was no exception. Sir Stelios Haji-Ioannou, Founder and Chairman of the easygroup was accompanied by champions to the cause - Helen Lalitte, Vice President Ibis Global Marketing, Reas Kondraschow, Development Director Whitbread Group's Premier Inn brand and Christian Michel, Regional Vice President Development, Wyndham Hotel Group International. Whilst easyhotel, Ibis and Premier Inn should need no introduction Wyndham's budget brands outside of North America include Super 8 and Days Inn.
Ithaca, NY/Wiesbaden. Pricing is one of the most difficult tasks facing the hotel industry. Hoteliers constantly search for the ultimate solution. According to a current German language study carried out by Cornell University/Centre for Hospitality Research, almost all hotels adjust their rates to take into account changes in occupancy. Depending on market segment, however, very different approaches - and results - were uncovered.
Palma de Mallorca. Not always do brand allocations appear to be logical, but in the case of the Mardavall on the island of Mallorca, the new added name The St. Regis does not appear artificial. With its 133 rooms and suites, the most successful hotel of the ArabellaStarwood Group becomes the 14th St. Regis Hotel worldwide and the first resort in Europe after the two city hotels of The Lanesborough in London and the Grand Hotel in Rome. Re-branding has thus reached a new peak within the scope of the joint venture between Arabella and Starwood. But in the background, clear tension can be felt in the relationship between the two partners.
Munich. With three hotels in Germany, the group Juwel Hotels does not really belong to the large ones of the industry. In the meantime, concrete expansion plans are out in the open.
Berlin. Fundus announced its change of name with a representative card. Four weeks ago, Fundus Hotelentwicklungs- und Verwaltungsgesellschaft mbH officially became the Adlon Holding GmbH. Logically, its headquarters are located in the Hotel Adlon Kempinski Berlin. This step allows for speculation.
Silver Spring. On 31 January 2008, the British franchise hotels Comfort, Quality, Sleep and Clarion will be conveyed to Choice Hotels International Inc. At the same time, the blanket franchise contract for Great Britain between Choice and the Real Hotel Group will come to an end; existing franchise contract will be assumed by a subsidiary of Choice.
Cologne. The Event hotel group, joint-venture partner of Blackstone in Germany, is currently engaged in a quarrel with a British consultancy for real estate financing over commission payments. A major international hotel chain won a lawsuit in September 2006, as Event Hotel GmbH failed to pay franchise fees worth millions of euros. Payment is still due, while the affected Event GmbH filed for bankruptcy three months ago. The Managing Director of Event Holding, Anders Braks, is also locked in a dispute with Wolfgang Trilsbach, the former partner and co-founder of Event. Event stated its view about the proceedings and accusations vis-à-vis hospitalityInside.com.