News & Stories
Zadar. For the first time in the company history, the Falkensteiner Hotels & Resorts in Southern Tyrol have hired an external managing director: On May 1, Edgar van Ommen, the former managing director of ArabellaSheraton Hotels in Munich, took over this position. He was brought in to drive forward the expansion in the direction of Central and Eastern Europe in order to strengthen the group's structure. During the presentation of the new Falkensteiner project in Zadar, Croatia, the manager talked to Maria Puetz-Willems about the first details.
London. Rumours abound this week that a sale is near completion for De Vere Hotels. The group runs four and five-star hotels and leisure-clubs, principally around the UK.
Augsburg. Chanel needs to sound, Lego needs to taste and the i-pod needs to smell. The industry is working on multi-sensory brands and now, the first hotel chains are following suit. Westin Hotels, for example, will smell like white tea with geraniums and freesias, and "signature music" will accompany its guests around the globe. Brands are developing a personality by addressing all senses of their customers. This process can be explained.
Kaarst. "Unusual" is the necessary qualifying criterion for the group "TravelinTrend Hotels". In Kaarst near Duesseldorf, a new international consortia for city hotels with business, wellness and design character is currently taking shape.
Bad Ragaz. An art-loving physician is bringing Bad Ragaz and the Grand Hotels Bad Ragaz even more visitors this summer: Until October, the whole village of Ragaz will be an open-air sculpture park. The tourism director is awaiting 400,000 visitors. The international only mega resort located right at the entrance of the village even more upswing. The Grand Hotels Bad Ragaz is expecting an even higher occupancy rate than last year.
New York. Starwood's management view the new brand concept as revolutionary, having made the switch to lifestyle from classical values. The hotel group presented the newly devised profiles for Four Points, aloft, Sheraton, Le Méridien, Westin, The Luxury Collection, W Hotels and St. Regis in New York recently. Scheme and scent, internet and interaction play a decisive role.
The Starwood-Executives: Eva Ziegler, Senior Vice President Le Méridien; Kerry Hatch, President St. Regis and The Luxury Collection; Ross Klein, President W and aloft; Steve Heyer, CEO; Javier Benito, Chief Marketing Officer; Sue Brush, Senior Vice President Westin; Chaed Waetzig, Senior Vice President Sheraton Marketing; Hoyt Harper, Senior Vice President Four Points.
Frankfurt/M. As far as advertising and travel industry are concerned, much could be improved. Experts from renowned agencies and consultancy firms gathered for the first symposium of the "Travel Industry Club" in the Hotel InterContinental in Frankfurt recently to draw attention to weaknesses.
