News & Stories
London. The Hilton Hotels Corporation in USA has made an offer for the takeover of the British Hilton Group. Proof of the growing pressure for the international firm to become stronger than ever before.
Munich. The former three members of the Savoy group London that remained after selling the Savoy Hotel to Fairmont, now trade under the newly created name "Maybourne Hotel Group". And: there is more to come.
Munich. The budget hotel chain Motel One has changed its strategy and will now concentrate on expansion in downtown areas. The pilot project in Berlin-Mitte will soon be followed by further hotels. The design aspect is getting more and more into focus.
Hockenheim. While international chains are grazing the German market for small hotel groups in order to impose their brand on them via franchising, the German hotel group Achat is elaborating its own franchise concept. Although, it doesn't want to enter the international market necessarily, it still plans to further penetrate the German-speaking one.
Heidelberg. "Hotels are not my dream investment," says Dietmar Hopp, founder of the software giant SAP and today, a sought-after billionaire and investor in various fields of business. That sounds somewhat dispassionate, but it is not at all. Dietmar Hopp, a calm person as a rule, is very explicit when talking about the current quarrel with the Spanish NH Hoteles concerning the Buehlerhoehe. The grand hotel near Baden-Baden is the most exclusive hotel property owned by the Hopp family. Once again, Dietmar Hopp is demanding the operator NH "to leave the Buehlerhoehe and make an indemnity payment". An interview about Hopp's hotel trouble and hotel plans.
Munich/Brussels. Starwood Hotels & Resorts will also operate Le Méridien Hotels following the completion of the takeover deal by Starwood Capital. Here in Germany, this could lead to conflicts of interests with ArabellaSheraton. The Munich hotel group is Starwood's majority holding joint venture partner. Nevertheless, it looks like Starwood is to make its own way.
Pichl-Mandling. One of the biggest holiday hotels in Austria, the "Pichlmayrgut" in Pichl-Mandling, has for years successfully managed to bridge the gulf between seminar, wellness and family holiday. The hotel runs counter to any theory for the necessity of specialization. The all-rounder continues to invest.
New York. Cendant Corporation announced that it would enter the upscale lodging sector by acquiring the Wyndham hotel brand and franchise system, relating to more than 100 full-service lodging properties in major U.S., Mexican and Caribbean markets. As a part of the deal Cendant acquired management contracts for the first time. Just weeks ago Blackstone had acquired Wyndham.
Bad Griesbach. A new investor entered the indebted former imperium of Alois Hartl in Bad Griesbach. With help of famous people like Boris Becker, he wants to win over new types of guests for the thermal and golf resorts.