News & Stories
Dublin/San Mateo. Web Reservations International based in Dublin/Ireland aquired the business and assets of Californian WorldRes, the online hotel reservation network last week. WorldRes will operate as a new division of WRI and continue to use its brand.
London/Frankfurt . One and a half years ago the future of the former french hotel group Le Meridien Hotels & Resorts was insecure. Main-creditor Lehman Brothers took over the debts of the company, joined by Starwood Hotels & Resorts which also took over 200 Million Dollar debts of Le Méridien. Meanwhile Le Méridien continues its aggressive worldwide expansion. The difficulties in defining the value of the chain grow. Behind the curtains new problems arise.
In January 2005 Rob Hornmann took up his post as Managing Director of Accor Dorint SMARD, in charge of more than 50 000 Accor and Dorint hotel rooms. The company was founded in 2003 to merge the distribution and marketing structures of Accor Hotellerie Germany GmbH and Dorint AG.
Rob Hornmann
Rob Hornman had been running the sales department as Senior Vice President since July 2004. After seven years in charge of distribution and marketing for Accor Asia he moved to the Accor headquarters in Paris. There he was responsible for International Sales. Joost Serrarens and Toni Leiner will support him now in distribution.
Steffen Weidemann, former Dorint executive board member, resigned as Managing Director of SMARD at the end of 2004. Following that he has been a consultant to Accor. Weidemann had successfully implemented the branding strategy of Accor and Dorint. Marketing and distribution for the brands Dorint Sofitel, Dorint Novotel, Novotel, Dorint Resorts & Spa, Mercure, Suitehotel, Ibis, Etap and Formule 1 have merged.
In the wake of the turbulences at Dorint, Dr Michael Theim has learned to keep his head above water. His executive board membership has recently been extended for a further three years. However, Theim’s partner in the board, Jochen Dobel from Accor, will be replaced by Daniel Vrancx. He comes from Accor as well and has been a supervisory board member of Dorint AG.
Bangkok. A surge in expansion regarding Six Senses resorts and spas: the luxury hotel group is aiming at managing at least six further resorts and 40 spas worldwide - even in cooperation with other hotel chains.
Munich. New brains from the House of Accor occupy former Dorint positions, the tight cost management remains, it all boils down to selective brand alignment. Two years after the merging of the french bed provider with Germany's biggest hotel chain, there is a new wind blowing in the relationship between Accor and Dorint. Accor is also continuing to develop its own profile in the German market.
Frankfurt/M. While restructuring their sales team, Steigenberger worked together with the company Flow in Celle, Germany. It used a training system "Jobfidence" which was developed in 1964. The data of 10.000 specialists and executive staff are stored in the "Jobfidence" system to provide a standard by which others can be measured. Steigenberger staff was compared with the best 1000. Interviews were subsequently held with each individual sales member to determine their relative strengths and weaknesses. They were given a list of suggestions about professional training measures especially targeted to themselves.
Sales Check
Frankfurt/M. Since the proposed sale to the Arabella-Sheraton hotel group failed around two years ago, the Steigenberger hotel group is now concentrating on a strategic reorientation of itself. Its latest move: the setting up of a "Global Sales Force", including an additional 30 sales staff.
Rome. ".... and it pays off." One year after launching "SPG.TV," the new television channel for Starwood Europe’s hotel guests, its innovators are proud of its economic success. Colourful pictures and emotive dialogue create improved customer relationship and attract new promotion partners.