News & Stories

Wiesbaden. Frankfurt, Duesseldorf, Zurich and mountain chalets? Absolutely! And right in front of renowned city hotels. Because the guests' preference for alpine cosiness in winter has turned into an F&B seller for the operators of "city mountain chalets". If you have the space you need, you don't want to do without your annual chalet anymore. But even on a smaller scale, there are some distinctive solutions for creating a cosy alpine experience in the big city: the cable car cabins of Kempinski Hotel Vier Jahreszeiten Munich.

Berlin. In the apartment brand world, too, target groups are now becoming lifestyle groups. This means that additional brands and sub-brands will also be created in this young hospitality segment in the future. This makes clear definitions all the more important. There is a new Charter with new definitions for the German market.

Frankfurt/M. With the Scandinavian budget brand Zleep, Deutsche Hospitality didn't only acquire a new brand yesterday, but 11 existing locations in Denmark and Sweden with it, along with additional projects and new expertise. As reported in Breaking News yesterday morning, the German hotel group acquired a 51% stake as well as all trademark rights. With the move, Deutsche Hospitality expands its portfolio from luxury to budget. CEO Thomas Willms sees lots of potential for expansion in the budget segment as well as strong synergies between Zleep and IntercityHotel – even if 2019 will be the year of the Steigenberger brand.

Frankfurt/Copenhagen. Deutsche Hospitality has acquired 51% of the Danish budget hotel group Zleep Hotels yesterday. The family-run entity will be the fifth hotel brand under the umbrella of the German-based global player extending its brand portfolio now at the popular budget end.

London. Last year was yet another good one for Preferred Hotels. The group is increasingly signing new openings, also in continental Europe. With over 700 hotels, resorts and small hotel groups in 85 countries, the global cooperation is about to double the size of The Leading Hotels of the World.

Brussels. HOTREC is launching an online platform for start-up companies which offer services specifically developed for hotels and restaurants. The platform is sort of an incubator, based on supply and demand, free and easy to use for all parties.

Spokane/Washington. Known as the low-cost alternative to franchising, American company Magnuson Worldwide is exporting its membership model to Europe. Founded in 2003 by Thomas and Melissa Magnuson, the eponym firm has opened an office in London and is already busy recruiting. If the brand Magnuson doesn't resonate yet across Europe, its marketing alliance with Louvre Hotels Group will certainly help create more awareness. 2019 will be the year to enter Europe, to spread the message and to introduce its own brand soon. Alysha Smith, Magnuson VP Operations & Development explains the group's strategy to grow fast in Europe – starting with the UK – and how it benefits from its partners Louvre and Jin Jiang.

Paris/London. Selling high-end goods to the wealthiest of this world, the French LVMH group is well aware that the future of consumerism lies in one word: experience. As reported last Friday, the owner of luxury hotel brands Cheval Blanc Maisons and Bulgari, is now strengthening its presence in the ultimate hospitality world by securing the acquisition of Belmond Group. It looks like a perfect fit. But what about the assets?

Paris/London. The luxury group LVMH Moët Hennessy Louis Vuitton and Belmond Ltd., owners, part-owners or managers of 46 luxury hotel, restaurant, train and river cruise properties, today jointly announced that they have entered into a definitive agreement for LVMH to acquire Belmond. LVMH is to acquire Belmond for $25.00 per Class A share in cash. This represents an equity value of $2.6 billion in a transaction with an enterprise value of $3.2 billion.

Vienna. Almost all companies bet on innovation. But a lot of thus is just show. The right processes are absent. Alexander Osterwalder, one of the world's most popular innovation consultants, explained on the fringes of the "Global Drucker Forum” in Vienna why so many companies fail. Osterwalder, a 44-year-old Swiss national, believes it's a mistake to send young people to an incubator. Instead, he advises top managers to reserve a third of their time for innovation – and to see the positive in the lessons learned when experiments fail. But investors and human resources have to understand this. There's a long way to go...