News & Stories
Johannesburg. The hotel chain Southern Sun, as operator of more than 80 hotels in South and East Africa, as well as in the Indian Ocean the market leader in this region, is reorganising its hotels in newly created categories. In addition, it has bought the brand name "Garden Court" from its franchise partner InterContinental.
London. Three managers from the hospitality industry want to muscle in on the international budget market with a futuristic hotel concept. The brand is called "Yotel" and it is intended to open a prototype in London at the beginning of 2006. But the managers of the capsule hotel aren't giving much away.
Las Vegas. MGM Mirage has completed its 7.9 billion US$ acquisition of Mandalay Resort Group. The combination creates the world's leading gaming, entertainment and leisure company.
Lindau. Representatives of the German hotel industry have taken legal action against the bureaucracy of the German federal states: A civil action against the German television and radio licensing authority, GEZ, has been brought on grounds of massive and arbitrary price increases in television and radio licence fees for hotels.
Kitzbuehel. The 150-room five-star hotel which will be operated as A-rosa resort near the golf court "Schloss Kaps" in the famous winter skiing area of Kitzbuehel, Austria, will be built by the closed hotel investment fund Dr. Ebertz + Partner OHG of Cologne. "We will be quite happy, if we finish this project at par," explained Herbert Ebertz.
Kitzbuehel. There has certainly been no lack of spruce palace hotels with red-white shutters in the famous skiing area of Austrian Kitzbuehel so far. But on its honourable way to becoming a A-rosa resort, Kaps castle is going to receive more than just an annexe: 100 rooms plus 50 suites. The German hotel brand raises everybody's expectations.
Munich. Sir Rocco Forte strongly believes in Germany's economic power. His speech to the guests of the foundation stone laying ceremony last Friday encouraged the Germans.
Chicago/Frankfurt. The Independent Corporation will perform business under the name Preferred Hotel Group in future. Further news of the American company that has been led by President and CEO John Ueberroth for about a year now: The three current portfolios Preferred Hotels & Resorts, Summit Hotels & Resorts and Sterling Hotels present themselves with a new logo and will be expanded with the brand "Boutique" on June 1. The sales section has been restructured and expanded.
Hong Kong. The advertisement campaign is so successful that it is due to make a second round: The Asian hotel chain Shangri-La has published the travel tipps of their travellers in a series of newspaper advertisements. A clever image idea.
Male. The first resort on the Maldives had not been completed when General Manager Tom McLoughlin was already talking about expansion. With Per Aquum Resorts & Spas he wants to go to those leisure destinations, that have nature and a cultural heritage. In his hotel concepts, he creates a contrast to this with a highly modern design.