News & Stories

Augsburg. The news that ArabellaStarwood Hotels will be dissolved hit the industry like a bomb on Wednesday. Nobody would ever have expected the renowned Schoerghuber Group, one of the financially strongest companies of Germany, to give up its hotel business. Concentrating on investing in hotel real estate, however, reflects a current trend: Schoerghuber is comparable to Blackstone, and Starwood to Hilton. Controllers decide on the “people’s business” today. But is this good or bad? Three hospitalityInside experts say what they think about this.

Munich. ArabellaStarwood Hotels & Resort will cease to exist. The management company for hotel group of the Munich-based Schoerghuber Company Group will be dissolved. CEO Wolfgang Neumann and Managing Director Dr. Christoph Scherk will leave the company. This has just been announced by the Schoerghuber Company Group.

Paris The period for exclusive sales negotiations for the B&B Hotels between the two investment businesses Eurazeo, France, and the Carlyle Group, USA, have been prolonged to October 12 at the latest. B&B remains confident.

Paris Even before the end of this week, a new investor is supposed to be found for B&B. The current main investor Eurazeo has started decisive and exclusive negotiations with a partner.

Wiesbaden. Germany's hoteliers do not care much about the Swiss weatherman Joerg Kachelmann just being released from detention. Many of them would rather do without the regular weather forecasts in the media. Too often they forecast "the wrong weather" – and that makes guests stay away. An annoying fact. For a few years now, more and more hotel guests have been booking at short notice. Consequently, "correct" weather forecasts have become increasingly important. But the weathermen on duty do not care much about that.

Berlin. Relais & Châteaux reports an upwards trend in all areas of business: Revenues increased in fiscal year 2009/10 by 29 percent to 70 million EUR. This year, the consortium will grow by around 40 hotels.

Munich. The finely calculated budget concepts emerging from the USA show the way. Construction should be cheap and efficient and operations should be exactly that on completion. It was under this philosophy that Letomotel came into being. Letomotel applies a design which follows the American model, without F&B, with a minimum number of staff and with rooms of 15 sq.m. in size complete with luxury bed – all that for 39 EUR. The location: always suburban centres, preferably at train stations and close to shopping centres or retail streets. In mid-October, the first Letomotel will open in Munich-Moosach; three more will follow shortly, also in Munich.

Zurich. Renovation and restructuring works at the Baur au Lac in Zurich have finally been completed at a total investment volume of some 160 million CHF. The Swiss grand hotel legend has made itself fit for the future in three stages. The 166-year-old Baur au Lac in Zurich has been owned by the same family for six generations; a continuity which can be claimed by only very few hotels worldwide. Johannes Baur opened the hotel in 1844, eight years later, he passed the business on to his son, Theodor. In 1889, the name changed, though the family stayed the same. Emmy, the daughter of Theodor Baur, married Karl Kracht, a Cologne-based hotel owner. Under his leadership, the Baur au Lac was extended to its current size of 17,000 sq.m. plus 1,400 sq m. of outdoor space. There's also been continuity in the running of the grand hotel: The Rey family has managed the hotel for two generations – since 1954 – as if it were their own hotel. Silvia Pfenniger spoke with the passionate hotelier, Michel Rey, about the hotel, the restructuring works and the current challenges.

Munich. Last week, Motel One signed for the next hotel abroad. The development department will be expanded; further concrete projects have already been signed or are looming on the horizon. In London alone, a theoretical potential of 15,000 rooms is anticipated – this would be more than twice the number of rooms the low budget chain possesses today. Nevertheless, Motel One Manager Dieter Mueller says: "We are just at the beginning of the development." Last week in Munich, in an interview with Maria Puetz-Willems, Editor-in-Chief of hospitalityInside.com, he further revealed: "After the crisis years 2008 and 2009, we now know how our hotels cope in 'stress situations'." The large advantage of the 2-star low-budget-design group remain price and location. The next Motel One hotels will only be located in city centres - even as part of a new shopping mall for the first time. Dieter Mueller about brand, strategy, locations and return.

Bern. The weak Euro has enticed the Swiss abroad and is keeping Europeans away from Switzerland. The Euro crisis is a reality which the Swiss cannot escape. At the current exchange rate of 1.32 CHF, a critical point for Swiss tourism has been reached. European guests taking their holidays in Switzerland pay up to 15 percent more than last year. As a result, Swiss Tourism is as of this week posting top-offers in Euros. The move is a first and up to now quite unique. Up to 250 hotels are to take part this summer.