News & Stories

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Hans Rudolf Woehrl to invest in hotels

13.2.2009

Reichenschwand/Berlin. Intro Group belonging to the entrepreneur Rudolf Woehrl, who is known from the airline sector, acquires 50 percent of the hotel management company Gold Inn AG located in Berlin in the form of a capital increase. Further hotel projects are planned in collaboration with Woehrl's real estate development company Tetris.

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Hopag sells Juwel majority

13.2.2009

Berlin. Hopag Hotel Property AG, based in Berlin, has sold its 55 percent stake in Juwel Touristik GmbH, Munich, as of 2nd January 2009. Hopag's parent company, Immobilien-Experted AG, names an intention to concentrate on core business, project development of resident and commercial real estate, as the reason for the move.

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Simply squeezed in-between

The Starwood concept behind the midscale brands aloft and element

13.2.2009

Lexington/Augsburg. Two of Starwood's newest brands are found in Lexington, a small town near Boston, USA. A little lonely on the green, yet still alongside many high-tech companies, are the two prototype brands "aloft" and "element". The drive featuring the huge aloft logo reflects its proximity to the stylish W-concept. element, on the other hand, is much more low-key. Starwood's plan for both of these midscale brands is to conquer Europe, with aloft serving as forerunner. The opening of the first such hotel in Europe has meanwhile been delayed though. Facts and figures for the new concept that sees Hilton's new brands Garden Inn and Hampton Inn and Hyatt Place and Holiday Inn as competition.

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Radisson SAS to change to Radisson Blu

6.2.2009

Brussels. Radisson SAS, Rezidor's first class brand, is changing its name to Radisson Blu. This re-branding marks the end of Radisson’s links with the SAS Group following Rezidor’s IPO back in November 2006.

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Balancing act between fire and water

Jumeirah-Chairman Gerald Lawless: despite crisis, the pipeline remains

6.2.2009

Dubai. It's official: even Dubai's Jumeirah Group will offer package deals this quarter, "but in the long term, we need to maintain quality," Executive Chairman Gerald Lawless says in an interview with hospitalityInside.com. That's true of everything, he continued, true for rates, for staff and for new hotels. After eleven years in which the group contented itself with its nine hotels in Dubai, London and New York, the plan is now to add 60 new hotels in the space of only three years. Astoundingly, the current financial crisis has left the ambitious project unscathed. "98% of investors and financially strong," the manager stressed. Jumeirah also profits from its position in Dubai Holding. The details.

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The family emphasises its merits

Relais & Châteaux: More members, more web, new reservation system

30.1.2009

Hamburg. The family is growing. Jaume Tàpies, President Relais & Châteaux, no longer wants to talk about being a hotel group or partnership - members are no longer called hotels. Furthermore, they are not lead by a General Manager, but by a Maître de Maison or Patron - in accordance with the idea that all members form a big family with their guests. And this family is growing in size, and above all, it is becoming ever more international. Last year, 31 new members were adopted all around the globe, among them hotels on the Maldives for the first time. Just as encouraging: despite the crisis, R&CH managed to increase turnover and occupancy, while individual markets suffered severe collapses. 2009 will see some small but decisive changes.

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Everything shall flow

The concept of the new Kameha Hotels & Resorts in detail

23.1.2009

Frankfurt/Zug. The focus is on connecting lifestyle design and events. International interior designers combine it in neo-baroque "with a wink", unconventional architects add a flexible room concept for the hotel and for events, the management promises professional and talented employees, and investors ensure sustainable building material. This is roughly the concept of the newly founded Kameha Hotels & Resorts introduced by its new Chief Executive Officer Carsten Rath in Frankfurt last week. In Europe, even in the big cities, this approach adds new momentum to lifestyle hotel concepts.

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Trapped in the "non-destination"

Capella CEO Schulze preaches passion - Challenges in Velden

23.1.2009

Velden on Lake Woerther. The Capella Hotel on Lake Woerther was host to the annual conference of the Austrian Hoteliers Association last week. Capella founder Horst Schulze took the opportunity to address all 500 of his colleagues attending the conference and to preach passion. The event provided a rare occupancy increase for his hotel. hospitalityInside.com correspondent Fred Fettner spoke with Horst Schulze and Director Roland M. Paar at the event.

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Contradictions

Austria spends millions on tourism advertisements in the German market

23.1.2009

Velden at Lake Woerth. The budget of the national tourist board Oesterreich Werbung increased by four million euros due to a comprehensive economic package. For the Austrian Hotelier Association this is only a "drop in the ocean". "There hasn't been a rise in or evaluation of the common OEW budget since 2000," said Sepp Schellhorn angrily, President of the OEHV, during the OEHV meeting in Velden at Lake Woerther last week.

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Confidence at a stroke

Dubai: New chain The Address Hotels intends to open 100 hotels in 10 years

16.1.2009

Dubai. Modesty is not one of Dubai`s strong points, and the current financial crisis certainly hasn`t changed that. A new chain `The Address Hotels & Resorts` opened its first hotel last October with two more properties set to follow in April and May 2009. In ten years, that is, by 2019, the chain intends to open between 80 and 100 top "Addresses" around the globe. Behind The Address is the large Dubai real estate developer Emaar - the company that built the world`s largest tower, the Burj. Rumours that Emaar may itself become a casualty of the current crisis and fall victim to a hostile takeover bid are unheard of in Dubai. An interview with the German speaking Chief Operating Officer of the Group, Christoph Mares.

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