News & Stories

Paris. BNP Paribas Real Estate has acquired iii-investments which manages real estate funds for institutional investors. The company will now be renamed.

Wiesbaden. Not only has the interest in hotel real estate risen, but also construction costs. This is causing concern for project developers and hotel operators as disproportionate leaps in costs aren't so easy to work into existing budgets and can in some cases ultimately mean the end for some plans. hospitalityInside.com set out to look for the causes and solutions.

Vienna. A hotel project in the urban development surrounding the new Viennese train station is taking a special role. Alongside several chain hotels, a private hotelier is planning a learning "Hotel of the Future" in collaboration with the Fraunhofer ILO and HRS.

Munich. The "hotelforum" will choose the "Hotel Real Estate of the Year" 2013 on the 9th of October in Munich. Hotel developers, hotel owners and hotel operators can still apply until the 31st of July.

Geneva. Kempinski Hotels is restructuring its development and tightening its criteria for future hotels. CEO Reto Wittwer has passed on the new structure to the responsibility of Markus Semer, his management-board colleague, whose area of responsibility has grown enormously as a result. For the first time, Kempinski is also ready to provide equity at important locations.

Doha/Paris. Starwood Capital via its Groupe Du Louvre affiliate has completed the sale of four hotels in France to a Qatari company. In nearly the same time, another hotel in Berlin was sold to a Qatari company.

Lucerne/Tel Aviv. In Lucerne, the city is placing a rebuilding ultimatum on the owners of the Château Guetsch. In Israel, a medium reports that the Fattal Group wants to plan the purchase of 22 Holiday Inn properties in Germany.

Bangkok/Paris. In spring 2012, the destiny of Six Senses was decided anew: the eco luxury chain, a pioneer for the sustainable development of resorts, was sold to an American financier. This also led to the separation of the two founders of Six Senses, Sonu Shivdasani and Bernhard Bohnenberger. Since then, Bohnenberger has been managing the new Six Senses Group, and shortly after, Shivdasani announced that he planned to enter the luxury residence business with his brand. For a long time, it was quiet around the Thai with an English elite education. Now, he has met our correspondent Sarah Douag in Paris and provided an insight into his new concept. With the new company, he wants to go public within two years. He wants to expand with "Soneva Private Residences" in Asia and Europe. However, he has remained true to his passion for sustainability.

Munich. Yes, the year is coming to an end, and end-of-the-year reviews are booming. The real estate and hotel industry are no exception to this. The industry knows and feels: even if many parameters are still good, many things will have to change in future. The desired transaction volume has not been reached for 2012, as the real estate prices are too high. And the banks' bottleneck remains another handicap. Finally, the construction of properties will be linked closely to the fiscal treatment of energy measures in future. The analysis of an industry, which is trying to find its way between the past and the future, at the close of 2012.

Gstaad. The Grand Hotel Bellevue in Gstaad, up to now in the property of the hotel patron Thomas Straumann, has found a new buyer. He takes over the hotel tomorrow, on the 1st of December.