London/Paris/Vienna/Berlin/Rome. Massive increases in energy costs and inflation could wipe out a fifth of hotels in the UK; now the government has at least frozen energy bills. France's hoteliers are heating their hotel lobbies only to 19 degrees and turning off TVs everywhere. A new climate and energy law comes into force, the state supports the hotels. In Austria and Germany, the first hoteliers have charged their guests an energy surcharge, but the majority of their colleagues still seem to hesitate. Italian hoteliers do not rule out surcharges, at least behind closed doors.

Vancouver/Brussels. Europe is scrambling to cut its reliance on Russian fossil fuels. As European gas prices soar eight times their 10-year average, countries are introducing policies to curb the impact of rising prices on households and businesses. These include everything from the cost of living subsidies to wholesale price regulation. Overall, funding for such initiatives has reached $276 billion as of August.

Berlin. Inflation and supply bottlenecks are developing into an explosive pair: the second price wave in autumn will be much more severe than the first, warned the experts of the purchasing company Progros during their "Top Supply" congress at the Estrel Berlin on Tuesday. Control can only be maintained through tight purchasing management and digital tools. But many hoteliers are still far away from this, as sober figures show.

London. A week apart, both American Airlines and IHG were the victims of cyberattacks. A weak password has put the hotel group in a delicate situation as the hackers deleted precious data …"for fun". Safety experts explain mistakes and precautions.

Munich. What hospitalityInside already researched last week on a small scale, is now confirmed more extensively by a comparison portal with regard to the Munich Oktoberfest, which starts tomorrow: Individual hotels increase their prices by up to 463% for the Wiesn. And a litre of beer in the tent costs up to 13.80 euros.

Wiesbaden. Swiss politicians are already considering the closure of hotel pools and saunas. Will German politicians follow suit? The looming evil of the gas emergency is becoming more concrete. The German hospitality industry is also threatened with compulsory masks again in autumn. Germany continues to regulate itself to death. The only positive thing in recent days: VAT on food and beverages remains at 7%.

Atlanta. With the slump in profitability, franchisors in the USA have approached franchisees differently. No wonder: In 2020, the average hotel saw a 108% decline in EBITDA, resulting in a 5.5% drop in EBITDA margin.

London. Consumers want to travel despite the current economic uncertainty. Travel is even considered the most important category for consumer spending in the coming twelve months. Demand for FinTech and pay-by-payment is on the rise as travellers look to split the cost of their holiday.

Augsburg. Room rate mark-ups are now a must, everyone thinks. Some are also considering cold rates for rooms or are already focusing on new buying groups. And everyone is now calling on policymakers to act all the more in the wake of the corona disaster. UBM Development, Romantik Hotels, B&B Hotels, Seetel Hotels, Smartments Business and private hotels report on their position and criticise the political response.

Augsburg. It's a bizarre summer: good business on the one hand – and presumably none left in winter? Bookings are already petering out in view of the gas crisis. Behind the scenes, the frustration is palpable: Energy costs have doubled from about 5% of sales to about 10%. That alone calls into question the business model for the vast majority.