News & Stories

Berlin. Since the start in 2000, the German hostel chain a&o has grown to 35 properties with 26,000 beds. Founder and CEO Oliver Winter is still the driving force at the top. However, in 2017, he took in an investment company from the US as financial partner. TPG Real Estate seems to like this group and is opening doors for the expansion in Europe. This year, a&o is realising the largest investment programme in its history with 35 million euros. In the background, modified concepts as well as digitalisation are on their way. At IHIF and ITB Berlin, the most current details were revealed this week.

Paris. The new credo is "Accor Live Limitless". The hotel group, which has been converting into a travel and lifestyle company for three years, are adding an emotional component to the functional one now – the experience factor, which should tie the customers more closely to Accor. During the presentation of the flash numbers yesterday in Paris, CEO Sébastien Bazin announced the next steps. These include a new Accor logo, where the umbrella name "AccorHotels" has been reduced to "Accor", and the modified loyalty programme, which will change its functional name "Le Club Accor" to "ALL": "Accor Live Limitless". In addition, marketing will power seven global brands with a mega million budget. Bazin wants Accor to catch up visibly to the mega chains.

Brussels. In January, the Dane Jens Zimmer Christensen took over the chair of the European umbrella organization HOTREC in Brussels. In a first interview with hospitalityInside.com, he is very pleased about what has been achieved in the industry. He regards the industry as well positioned and absolutely fit for the future. The new president wants to continue to address jobs, environment and low VAT. So, is there nothing new in Brussels?

Phoenix/Eschborn. Best Western Hotels & Resorts took over the global soft brand Worldhotels and thus acquired an upscale/luxury brand. Worldhotels will profit from the chain-like structures. Both sides see a great benefit in the deal. So far, nothing has changed much, but synergies are apparent. Best Western and Worldhotels' CEO Geoff Andrew talked to hospitalityInside.com.

Eschborn/Frankfurt. One more brand joined Best Western Hotels this week: Worldhotels – a surprising step. Now, the group has a total of 14 brands. 17 years ago, there was only one brand – Best Western. Most of the brands joined in the last five years, and many of them are not present in continental Europe yet. But the region is in flux and there is a very strong demand for so-called soft brands. Certain brands only appeared because investors/developers wanted to have them. In an interview conducted by Susanne Stauss, Marcus Smola, CEO Best Western Hotels Central Europe, explained the change in his region and the development of the group.

London/Bangkok. After the purchase of the pale Regent Hotels luxury brand, IHG just managed a surprising coup in buying the Six Senses resort and spa specialist. For the pioneer of the "Barefoot Luxury" concept and sustainable luxury, the chain paid 300 million US dollars to the previous owner, Pegasus Capital Advisors. But what does IHG want with a brand the company itself has no idea of?

Munich/Augsburg. First, Rilano CEO Holger Behrens bought from his shareholder Bernd Zevens 100% of the shares in the Munich hotel group, then he sold 60% of them to Augsburg-based Gorgeous Smiling Hotels group. With almost 80 hotels, the new company has a solid portfolio with great potential for expansion.

Paris. Owners and operators of classic ibis Hotels stand before exciting times. AccorHotels will in future concede its up-to-now strongly standardised brand more space and freedom to innovate than ever before, so bringing it suspiciously close to ibis Styles, which allows investors and franchise partners much more scope for their own preferences. The "old” brand ibis is to become hip, not only with its new design and F&B, but also through its marketing strategy, which is focused on music, a new check-in experience and by integration into the neighbourhood. This is the equivalent of a complete turnaround for the brand. Just eight years ago, ibis subjected itself to a complete rebranding. So why is this happening again? Is it no longer the cash cow of AccorHotels?

Munich. With 20 hotels, Moxy 2019 is the fastest growing Marriott brand in Europe, but the Soft Brands are catching up. Marriott's European sales and marketing leaders presented the latest expansion figures for the individual brands in the region in Munich. And reminded the guests that Marriott's legendary loyalty program "Marriott Rewards" is now called "Marriott Bonvoy". It starts next week.

Salò. How do you transform a company from a small family operator to a player of national scope with the ambition of becoming big enough to compete with the European medium-sized groups? For years, Italian Blu Hotels have been carrying out a convincing development programme that has let it become one of the most relevant leisure operators in the Italian market today. The family-run business from Saló insists on controlling its assets and human resources. The performance development attracted the attention of institutional investors. Nevertheless the two cousins Nicola Risatti and Fabrizio Pantoni remain modest and cautious.