News & Stories

Eschborn. Best Western Central Europe GmbH, a German-based company launched in January, has big plans. in Austria, Switzerland and in other central European countries, the number of hotels is to be doubled. In Germany, the pace of expansion is currently moderate.

Paris/Shanghai. Acting through a subsidiary, the Chinese conglomerate Jin Jiang International has acquired a stake of 5.50 percent in the French hotel group AccorHotels.

Nuremberg. Paris has pushed London off the top spot to win back the number one place as the highest rated city in 2015, out of a total of 50 cities. Berlin and Amsterdam managed to move under the most popular top ten metropolitan cities. Sydney, which had been in the top three since 2011, falls back to fourth place, overtaken by New York as well as Paris.

Berlin. A publishing company has bought itself Special Content and entered the metasearch world: The Escapio price comparison platform has been 100 percent taken over by MairDumont in Ostfildern near Stuttgart, Germany.

Paris. This week, Paris city hall authorities successfully raided two districts in the French capital searching for illegal touristic rentals. Now the municipal teams are advising the government to increase the fines per property from 10,000 euros minimum to 100,000 euros.

Tokyo. Fit and healthy through the new year: During rush hour this vehicle is definitely faster as the historical Rolls-Royce. The "PenCycle", a mix of a step machine and a bicycle, is the new ideal mobility device through the busy Japanese million metropole and it keeps its users fit at the same time. The three-wheeled stepper now competes with the popular Tuk Tuk, Mini Cooper or the even the more luxurious alternatives helicopter or yacht of the huge Peninsula vehicle fleet.

Munich. 2015 will remain to be engraved in our memory as a year of crises and terrorism. And experiences have likewise piled up within the hospitality industry, as with the headlines that have befallen it. The traditional media, offline and online, as well as the Social Media, is attempting to newly dominate the formation of public opinion every day, every hour, every minute. Everything is commented on, assessed, linked and multiplied … 2015 has clearly demonstrated the change in the world – thanks to the crises. This is why Maria Puetz-Willems has spoken with Eike A. Kraft, Vice President Communications Europe for AccorHotels, regarding how hotel companies are recognising crises today and reacting to them. Above all, Social Media has changed this work behind the scenes: "Everything is being discussed within the online channels: From a hair in the soup up to terrorism." This requires a change in thinking within the company. And within all companies.

Paris. In the aftermath of the announced takeover of FRHI Hotels, some interesting figures emerged from the investors' world, which show which specific synergies AccorHotels is wishing for. In addition, the Kingdom Holding explains its reasons for the merger in a US interview.

Paris. The Carlyle Group and Montefiore Investment, owners of B&B Hotels announced on Tuesday that they have entered into exclusive negotiations with the European private equity firm PAI Partners, for the acquisition by PAI of B&B Hotels alongside B&B's management team.

Hamburg. Smartphone-intensive users even read and click while walking. By now, this is an everyday reality. Still: The vast majority of the Internet users as well as Smartphone owners would find it absolutely pleasant if more people simply left the device in the pocket every once in a while.