News & Stories

Berlin. The euphoria of 2015 increases again in Germany towards the end of the year. The Scandinavian company Pandox has paid EUR 400 million for 18 Leonardo hotels. At the same time, Louvre Hotels Group has acquired the operating company and lease contracts in respect of 25 German Nordic Hotels.

Berlin. At the moment, the same high spirits are ruling within the segment of the Serviced Apartments/Apartment Hotels as are in the rest of the hotel world: According to an assessment that could be heard from So!Apart in Berlin last week, this market should increase by 20 percent during the next two years. In its third edition, this gathering of small and large suppliers of apartments drew 170 participants and also included investors and project developers for the first time. Nevertheless: This segment is still a tender seedling in comparison to the traditional hotel industry and due to the small base, the published figures are more of a trend announcement than meaningful proof. However: The organiser, Boardinghouse Consulting Berlin, strictly supports the professionalization of the niche segment with this conference. This is why it deserves attention.

London. For the second year in succession, London has been voted the most attractive hotel investment destination in Europe. But: Barcelona and Madrid are on the overtaking lane, investor's appetite for Southern Europe grows.

Munich. If you were to distil the discussions on profitability and life-cycle at the Expo Real down to just one sentence, it would be this: There's no bigger mistake than to treat the word 'lifestyle' as it own category. In fact, different brands for very different lifestyles are developing at an extraordinary pace. And there's a lot of space for even more brands.

Wiesbaden. The German hotel real estate market is booming, but this is mainly the city hotel industry. A current study aims to interest investors in resorts as an asset class. It shows that these are certainly able to compete with rivals in the business league in some segments.

Munich. Investors love hotels, project developers too. Yet the blue prints for success meanwhile appear always to be the same: Hotels with strong brands, broad geographical presence and best inner-city locations, managed by renowned operators in well-known categories. This restricts the offer and pushes up prices. Yet there are some interesting approaches outside the mainstream. Within the framework of the meanwhile almost traditional "after work talks" of PKF and GSK Stockmann + Kollegen two weeks ago in Munich, this was the talking point.

Vienna. The interest in hotel real estate increased in Austria in 2015 as well. Real estate with a value of around EUR 120 million switched hands in the first six months of the year - almost twice as much as in the same period in the previous year.

Frankfurt. With the Lapithus Hotel Management GmbH, a new owner-operator for the German and European markets and fashioned in an American style has recently settled in Frankfurt am Main. Managing Director, Willem van der Zee is seeking out hotels.

Augsburg. Moxy is set to remodel - both hotels and its concept. As recently reported, the Vastint-Nordic Hospitality-Marriott brand has agreed that budget hotels bearing this name can in future also be constructed using conventional construction methods. The original concept, which came on to the market in 2013, foresaw only a pre-fab construction style with semi-modular elements. This has meanwhile proved quite a restriction with various projects, above all in city locations, coming close to failure. The project developer who has now powered through the concept wall was GBI AG. Board Member Reiner Nittka and Markus Lehnert, Vice President Central Europe International at Marriott speak about the changes behind the scenes.

London. Last January, after Marriott International pompously announced its intention to reach the one-million-room target before the end of 2015, Hilton Worldwide was quick to answer with an official note underlying its own records: "We are the market number one" ostensibly declared the Virginia-based company. MKG showed it's not. Nevertheless, the company is working hard on its expansion. Patrick Fitzgibbon, Senior Vice President, Development, Europe & Africa, talked about the Hilton portfolio and plans in his region.