News & Stories

Rostock. It was only last year that they trusted in expansion, and now, Horst Rahe stands for consolidation. The Managing Partner of Deutsche Seereederei also applies this to Arkona AG which forms the tourism core of the Rostock holding with its Arkona Hotels, the A-rosa Resorts and A-rosa river boats. Now, the business report 2004 has been published.

Windsor. About one year ago, InterContinental Hotels Group announced Hotel Indigo, a new hotel brand that caters for the traveller seeking a hotel experience, not just a hotel room. An industry first, Hotel Indigo is a lifestyle brand that is said to deliver a refreshing, inclusive hotel experience in response to current consumer trends.

Windsor/Frankfurt. The InterContinental Group is to market its luxury brand on a strictly separate basis to Holiday Inn, Crown Plaza and Express by Holiday Inn. The franchise model is to be renewed, the classic Holiday Inn freshened up, and two US brands are about to be launched in Europe. An interview with Robin Wicks, since July Director of Operations, Franchise and Development in Continental Europe.

Munich. In future, Choice Hotels Europe will strengthen its individual brands. The umbrella brand name of Choice Hotels will move into the background. First task forces have already been founded. Before the strategy change was realised there were extensive guest surveys.

Atlanta/Abu Dhabi. With a press release distributed over a pay-PR channel in the US, an Arabian and Swiss company are stirring up opinion against the former Ritz-Carlton President Horst Schulze. According to the channel, he is said to have defrauded them of millions of British pounds. In New York, a speaker of Schulze dismisses the accusations.

Augsburg. The Asian Peninsula hotel group has invested 1.3 million euros in the redesign of the 660 sq m luxury suite in Peninsula Palace in Beijing. That sounds expensive, but it is not the maximum, as our short survey shows.

Pertisau, Lake Achen. Germany's only pure holiday hotel company Travel Charme Hotels will this weekend open their first hotel outside Germany. Two days before the opening the last paintings have to be done. Austria's Pertisau on Lake Achen, a two hour drive from Munich, is to be the location. As the only hotel situated directly on the lake edge, the move once again shows the prudence and selectivity in the group's expansion policy. More houses in Austria and Italy are to follow.

New York. Karmenu Vella, Chairman Corinthia Hotels International and Frank Orenstein, Chairman of the Hospitality Investors Group LLC, made a joint announcement yesterday about forming a world-wide strategic alliance to aggressively assist CHI in expanding its brand.

Berlin. Before German reunification, the Travel Charme Hotels were among the pearls of the "Reisebuero der DDR". Back then, they had the name "Travel Hotels" and were regarded as being special, among other things, thanks to their excellent locations. Today, the group is Germany's only pure resort hotel company and is still something special. With a new high-quality concept, the group generates top results unnoticed.

Singapore/Zurich. "The mood is very good on both sides." Meinhard Huck, managing director of Swissôtel Hotels and Resorts, is back from Singapore. The reason for his trip was the first talks at the parent company after Raffles announced the sale of its hotel business to U.S. investment fund Colony Capital last week.