News & Stories
Berlin. Sotchi has always been the most popular travel destination for Russians. Whoever can afford it travels to the Russian Riviera. Sun, palm trees and 30 kilometres of white and sandy beaches are all too enticing. Sotchi, at the very tip of the Caucasus, is located on the same line of latitude as Nice or Antalya. Now, a Berlin based planning company, which also masterminded the Adlon Kempinski, is busy planning the conversion of Stalin's datcha into Sotchi's newest hotel. If all goes to plan, this too is to be a Kempinski hotel - and it could turn out to be a real jewel in the Group's crown.
Lucerne. The new architectural axis runs from Dubai via Moscow and Beijing right into the rest of Asia. Skyscrapers give major cities a new appearance - a new "brand profile". The towers push, wind and spiral upwards, they are twisted and leaning structures screaming for global attention in a shrill and square way. Last week`s "Architecture Talks Lucerne" in Switzerland analysed the relation between "architecture & branding". Buildings are increasingly becoming symbols of significance, while their actual function can no longer be recognised through their shape. After the era of superlatives, this world sees the advent of a new way of thinking: authenticity. It follows the modern lifestyle trend. That is why it is no surprise that more and more brand companies instead of municipalities are changing the appearance of a city with their investments in urban architecture. A global trend.
Lucerne. The plans for a 77-metre tall hotel including holiday apartments designed by Ticino’s top-class architect Mario Botta and located at Celerina near St. Moritz in Upper Engadin/Switzerland have been closed. This building would even have towered above the church of the small town. The man celebrated by Switzerland for the spa of the Tschuggen Grand Hotel Arosa worth 35 million Swiss francs now took an "open slap", as the Swiss newspaper "Suedostschweiz" put it. Is the decision against Botta a signal against the wave of architectural superlatives in Switzerland? At the same time in Lucerne, copper continues to drip from the design roof of the culture and congress centre polluting the lake.
Oman. Vacation exchange company RCI has unveiled a new timeshare project in Oman. The company has announced an agreement with Allied Oman, the leisure real estate enterprise, to affiliate the timeshare project at the Barka Resort.
Baar. Hapimag, one of the leading European specialist for holiday right of residence products, continued its successful development through 2007. Sales revenues were boosted by 7 per cent over the previous year's level, to 246.1 million CHF. Consolidated income also increased, by roughly 30 per cent, to 2.9 million CHF. These figures confirm the positive trend of the past two years.
Zell am See. After five years, the Austrian private hotelier Dr. Wilfried Holleis has given up on plans for the hotel complex Katarineninsel in Rovinj, Croatia. The reason for the decision was the uncertain legal situation prevalent in the Balkan state.