News & Stories
Paris. After the departure of Managing Director, André Witschi, obtaining background information on Accor's further development in Germany has been difficult. In Paris, on the other hand, German newspaper correspondents were German market.
Augsburg. Georg Rafael is grinding his teeth. For two hours, the major German entrepreneur has been listening to the panel discussions at a hotel conference in Italy, "and the word hosting hasn't been mentioned once," criticises the hotelier. "It is all about managing, real estate and financing." Rafael was right, and his remark hit and hits the nail on the head with regard to the biggest change within the hospitality industry: the pulsating hotels have mutated and become a calculated product. Maria Puetz-Willem, Editor in Chief of hospitalityInside.com, with some notes about the trends in the industry.
Bern. The Swiss Rosebud group does not escape the headlines - either directly or indirectly. Now a banker from Geneva is in custody in France. He was member of the Advisory Board of Richemond until 2006. Rosebud itself still has not taken any initiative to start the announced hotel renovations.
The new Pullman Hotels will be located in France in Paris, Marseilles and Toulouse; in Germany in Cologne and Dortmund; in Belgium in Brussels; in Thailand in Bangkok; and in China in Dongguan.
Nuremberg/Miami. What is luxury? Research in this market segment is far more mature in the US compared to Europe. Against this backdrop it is all the more pleasing that there is a representative study about "new luxury" in German-speaking countries as of this year. It examines the concept and its potential. Apart from that, an American marketing group specialised in travel and hospitality prepared the top 10 of luxury and lifestyle trends for 2008.
Frankfurt/M. Luxury holidays are booming like never before - that's the result of the first industry report presented at and commissioned by the International Luxury Travel Market in Cannes. With growth recorded at between ten and 20 percent per annum, the global luxury travel industry is among those branches of industry showing the greatest growth figures of all.
Paris/Bejing. Sofitel Luxury Hotels will elevate the brand into the premium-end of the international luxury hotel market and to the top brand of the French Accor SA. The group announced this ambitious strategic plan last week in Bejing. Sofitel Luxury Hotels will broaden its luxury offer with the creation of two sister brands.
London. It was announced in June, now, design veteran Ian Schrager and chain hotelier Bill Marriott sealed the two billion Pounds Sterling deal in the London Marriott Park Lane. 100 new boutique hotels are to come. And by Schrager's own admission, the designer has never stayed in a Marriott hotel.