News & Stories

Munich. The "hotel forum" is searching for the "Hotel Real Estate of 2012". The competition is being held for the tenth time.

Berlin. The Berlin project developer, GBI AG, has founded its own development company. With this, the early acquisition of properties and real estate is given a new significance.

Bethesda. Marriott is about to sell one of its four extended stay brands - "ExecuStay" offering furnished apartments in more than 700 locations across the U.S.. The brand did not suit to Marriott's strategy any more; the sales does not touch Marriott Executive Apartments.

New York. Aloft, Starwood Hotels' midscale brand, this week unveiled a global pipeline expected to bring the brand to 70 hotels around the world in 2013. A game-changer since its 2008 debut, aloft will also make conversions and "adaptive-reuse projects" a stronger part of its global growth.

Lausanne. Branded residences have been a growing phenomenon for well more than a decade, as hotel chains have sought to leverage their brands in the residential property market. The leading luxury hotel operator, Four Seasons, was one of the first lodging groups to seize the opportunity offered by residential real estate development. Already in 1985, the chain introduced branded private residences at its Four Seasons hotel property in Boston and, by the middle of the last decade, two-thirds of the chain’s projects under development had a residential component. However, there is a major question as to how seriously the major hotel brands that have lent their trademark to diverse projects around the world take the business.

Laax. The construction of the Laax Alpen Resort will likely begin in 2012. This expensive property will also incorporate apartments.

Basel. There are plans for a luxury hotel on Muensterplatz in the Swiss-German border city of Basel. Moreover, the Mercure Hotel Europe is undergoing a facelift.

Istanbul. Turkey as a gateway to central Asia, Istanbul as a gateway to new hotel dreams: the run on the economically sound but politically disputed country located at the Bosphorus has long started. A good many renowned faces from international hotel chains in Central Europe were seen at the 2nd Central Asia & Turkey Hotel Investment Conference held at the InterContinental Hotel Istanbul two weeks ago. Turkish investors or financiers were hard to find. The pressure exerted by international hotel operators at the moment should make conservative Turkish investors finally think profitably, rather than just in terms of image and egoism. Even Turkish insiders are hoping this will happen. Global players are pretty fast and many of them are already turning away from Istanbul with their sights set on secondary cities.

London. One year since the beginning of the Arab Spring, demand has yet to return to Egypt, Bahrain and the Levant region. Demand remains under pressure.

Augsburg. The keyword "News Mix" will bring to you tiny bits of news about considerable events of the past week(s): Bavaria, Design Hotels/Amsterdam, Kempinski/India, Kerzner/China, Meliá/Rome, Resort World Sentosa/Singapore, Sheraton/Frankfurt, Starwood/Australia, Tryp/New York.