News & Stories
Huettenberg. The region in which the Dalai Lama's Tibetan Centre is to be developed does indeed have a history of tourism with its forts and castles, however, at present, no overnight tourism exists in the area.
Joint for Tibet and Carinthia: (front, from left) Dr. Peter Ambrozy, Deputy Head of Regional Government of Carinthia, His Holiness Dalai Lama,Head of Regional Government Dr. Joerg Haider. Behind: Developer and Hotel opeartor Robert Rogner jr. and Rudolf Schratter, Mayor of Huettenberg.
Huettenberg. The Dalai Lama as tourism patron: In the green meadows sweeping down from the mountains of Carinthia, a structurally weak Austrian federal state, the first Tibetan Centre in the western world is to be established - in the name and with the help of the Tibetan spiritual leader. The project comprises a medical centre, a university and three hotel projects with a total of 1000 beds.
Vienna. Austria`s leading tourist company, the "Verkehrsbuero Group", now intends to extend expansion plans beyond top category hotels, a market sector it already occupies with Austria Trend Hotels, to encompass city and holiday hotels the middle class segment. Record turnover supports project development.
New York/Dallas. Private-equity firm Blackstone Group agreed to buy upscale hotel-and-resort chain Wyndham International Inc. for 1.44 US$ billion in cash and the assumption of 1.8 billion US$ in debt. Wyndham owns, franchises or leases 142 hotels and resorts in 10 countries. It owns 32 of the hotels and resorts. Since last year, Wyndham has been engaged in a “Global Hotel Alliance” with respect to marketing with European Kempinski Hotels, as well as with Pan Pacific, Asia, and Rydges Hotels, Australia.
Strasbourg. The consortia with the name "Exclusive Island Hotels & Resorts", founded as recently as December 2004, can already count 52 members. The finer details of their service spectrum are still being polished to perfection. Further sales offices in Dubai, Germany and Great Britain, as well as a central reservation system, are pending.
Bad Salzuflen/Frankfurt. By 2007, German Maritim Hotel Group plans to realise three imposing new large-scale projects with the new hotels in Berlin, Dresden and at Duesseldorf airport. The expansion, which was initiated by their partner HMS International Hotel GmbH, Cologne, with Maritim franchise hotels in the field of international resort, is also scheduled to be further developed. Apart from that, the rather diffuse expansion policy of the company is looking at solid operating results.
White Plains. The W Hotels of Starwood are getting a budget sister: "Project XYZ". This is its preliminary alias. Meanwhile, the looks of the new franchise baby and the costs for the second design birth are already known in detail. The creative minds of W are assigning the new Starwood brand to the hotels providing "selected service", whereas style and the lifestyle touch of the expensive W Hotels is still to be visible. W's heritage is to be seen, smelled, heard and tasted in every new XYZ room, due to design and material....
Rust. "SAM" didn`t come out too well this time. For the first time in the history of the awards, the Hospitality Sales & Marketing Association Germany presented nobody with the coveted big prize. The Association is soon to open to Austria and Switzerland.
Macau. Macau, located in South China, a former Portuguese territory and today a special administrative region, is changing its outward appearance dramatically. The local industrial tycoon, Stanley Ho, is building "Oceanus" - a luxury cruiser with 600 rooms.
Palma de Mallorca. For 22 years, the Spanish hotel chain Iberostar, daughter of the Spanish touristic holding Iberostar, focussed on typical beach hotels for tourists. This year the group will change its focus and open the first Suites Hotel, followed by city and boutique hotels. For each location Iberostar also announced two spa resorts.