News & Stories

Munich. Will company websites become superfluous? Is it true that advertising loses its influence compared to communication in social networks? And how can hotels be presented on mobile platforms? Early April, about 300 experts from the hospitality industry and IT service providers talked about social media at the “e-Marketing Day” of Hospitality Sales & Marketing Association Germany.

Velden. Capella Schloss Velden finds no peace. Following on from a double director switch in June 2009, experienced hotel manager Elmar Greif has hardly had any time at all at the helm of the Capella Hotel before it begins making negative headlines again. Reason: owner problems. Now, all hopes rest on 2010.

Dubai. "Regent was never a success." Speaking at the "Arabian Hotel Investment Conference" in Dubai this week, Kurt Ritter, CEO of the Rezidor Hotel Group, commented publicly on the sale of Carlson and Rezidor's luxury hotel brand to the Taiwanese Formosa International Hotels Corporation three weeks ago.

Hong Kong/Zurich. Peninsula Hotels are still among the finest luxury hotels in the world. Without much ado, the group is continuing its expansion: the Peninsula Shanghai just opened, 2012 will see the first European hotel in Paris, and there are highly ambitious plans concerning India. Clement K.M. Kwok, CEO of Hong Kong & Shanghai Hotels Ltd, the parent company, sits in the group’s headquarters - next to Peter C. Borer, Chief Operating Officer, from Switzerland. Last week, Borer was on the road with Rainy Chan, General Manager of the Peninsula Hong Kong, and Paul Tchen, General Manager of the Peninsula Shanghai. Silvia Pfenninger, our correspondent in Switzerland, met the three and asked them about the new hotels, the economic situation and cost-saving measures as well as the challenges concerning employee quality.

London. Key Asian cities showed exceptional growth in wealth in 2009, but globally even the majority of healthy investors believes that 2010 will be a good year to invest in property again. Taking decisions, they rely on their own expertise.

Paris/London. The sale of individual hotels from Starwood Capital/Société du Louvre’s portfolio, among them Concorde Hotels, to JJW Hotels is finally off. JJW suffered a severe defeat in court – and has to pay a massive fine.

Augsburg. The recent US press release on the sale of Aman Resorts has been denied by the owners. The sale of Regent, however, has obviously been concluded. Prince Al-Waleed also again has plans.

St. Moritz. From May on, "Mister St. Moritz" no longer exists. Kurverein St. Moritz informed its long-standing Director Hanspeter Danuser, 63, who retired early, that it no longer needed him as “brand ambassador”. And now his critics are beginning to emerge.

Munich. Every trend has a counter-trend: In the era of the iPod and eBooks, two literature-enthused German journalists have founded a new consortium: Reading Hotels & Resorts.

Nuremberg. Last year, a total of 34.1 million Germans aged between 14 and 69 bought goods and services on-line. These are the findings of a current online shopping survey. Buying hotel nights online is very popular.