News & Stories

Berlin. The massive "yes" for the minaret ban by the Swiss population even surprised its initiators, the extreme right-wing party SVP. One day after the vote, Islamic websites launched first appeals to boycott Swiss products among others. The hotel industry and tourism fear negative reactions.

Moscow. Reports from Moscow in the last few weeks indicate that Heliopark Group has filed for bankruptcy. The Russian hotel group operates three hotels in Germany. In an interview with hospitalityInside.com, Aleksandr Gusakov, President of Heliopark Group, talks about the details.

Vienna. Arcotel is one of the small Austrian hotel groups - but one with great ambition. Four of its ten hotels are located in Germany. The ailing neighbouring market is even the primary target for expansion. Be it Vienna, Berlin or Zagreb, the "house artist", an Austrian artist and industrial designer makes sure that the hotels become a local personality. The younger the hotels, the more extraordinary their architecture. Concerning Europe, the chain wants to concentrate on the West, while it hardly sees any chances for growth in Austria.

Munich. The American hotel assessment platform TripAdvisor is now pushing forward with its own marketing: As of January, it will include hotels directly through a "Business Listing" so that travellers can now contact hotels directly.

Geneva. What started as two hotel groups has grown to become twelve today, and by 2012, it's to be 20: The Global Hotel Alliance is firmly on a course to growth. With the aim of filling existing geographic gaps, GHA is taking its name seriously. The marketing association, launched in 2006 by Kempinski and Omni Hotels, still has a very strong Asian bias. Expected new members will, however, be from Europe and southern Africa. The difference between GHA and other hotel associations is that the GHA concentrates on privately run hotel groups; individual hotels are not accepted into the group. With 243 upscale and luxury hotels, GHA can already boast a decent size and distribution will now be further extended. An interview with Christopher Hartley, CEO of Global Hotel Alliance.

Berlin. In a 50:50 joint venture with Pierre & Vacances Center Parcs Group, the European market leader in leisure and holiday home tourism in France, Accor will push forward with its long-stay hotel concept: the apartment hotel. The brand Adagio City Aparthotel was created in October 2007 especially for this purpose. After France, Italy and Switzerland, Germany is now the next expansion target. The first hotel just opened in Berlin, in a side-street off the famous West Berlin shopping street, Ku'damm. The most important criterion for Adagio is location.

Munich. The bosses were there in person: On Tuesday of this week, Kempinski CEO Reto Wittwer and his regional managers explained to 96 selected trainees what the luxury hotel group represents and what it demands of its future staff. On the fringes of this first internal "Career Day" in the Kempinski Vier Jahreszeiten Hotel in Munich, Reto Wittwer and European President Gianni van Daalen took the time get an update on Kempinski's activities and on the background to the changed expansion focus from Asia to Europe.

Frankfurt. Members of the Romantik Hotels & Restaurants consortium have up to now felt little of the fallout of the economic crisis. Most hotels are benefitting from a high rate of repeating guests and from discerning individual travellers. Including the 16 new members, Romantik today counts 205 hotels in ten European countries. In the medium-term, the target is 300 members. The consortium's most important new addition is its intensive work with new media.

Madrid. Spain's second largest hotel group NH Hoteles will - as reported via "Breaking News" this week - assume the hotel management company Grupo Hesperia and with this will move closer to Spain's number 1, Sol Meliá. NH's expansion plans for Europe and Latin America remain unaffected by the deal.

Frankfurt. Things are in motion at Hilton. Only in early autumn did the company announce its renaming into Hilton Worldwide and present the new logo. Before that, the company headquarters had moved from Beverly Hills to Mc Lean in Virginia, USA. There is movement on the German market as well. Distribution was centralised in six offices and, by 2011, the hotel group wants to be present with four brands in Germany. Until then, the two new hotels in Frankfurt are supposed to be on the market.