News & Stories
Paris. Pierre & Vacances-Center Parcs has revised its current operating profit target for 2023 downwards, citing postponements of real estate programmes, greater selectivity in its development projects, and rising costs and salaries. Together with its investors, the European leader in leisure residences has given itself 12 to 24 months to reach the objectives of its "Reinvention 2025" strategic plan.
Berlin. The conclusion of IHIF 2022 in Berlin is: optimism meets worries. The Easter boom showed: travellers just want to get away. Investors and operators would like to take off, but at the same time they are completely thwarted: there are no products, few transactions, but massively exploding costs and fierce inflation, far too expensive properties and rising interest rates... Anyone who signs now is betting on pure risk.
Berlin. Scientists from Germany have compiled in a study what could inspire the new start of tourism from Easter onwards: "Low Touch Tourism", minimised risks, a larger offer and open communication, even on price increases.
Berlin. The Serviced Apartment segment was able to recover further in 2021 and continues to grow with a pipeline of 15,000 units until the end of 2024, albeit at a somewhat subdued pace. This is one of the findings of the recently published "Market Report Serviced Apartments 2022" for Germany. In particular, service-reduced apartment buildings have grown and are also turning into short-stay providers. This is driven by digitalized providers such as Numa and Limehome, which have become strong competitors of the classic hotels. In contrast, the pandemic for aparthotels is far from over.
Augsburg. WiFi, peace and quiet and a view of the beach... That's how many people imagine their workation or bleisure to be. It’s not only large hotel groups looking to help realise such dreams, but also more and more holiday clubs. But it can all go very wrong. Although the potential of New Travel with New Work is great.
Munich. The second Corona year 2021 also shows the deep cuts in the German city hotel industry in the Motel One balance sheet. The management is stringently continuing the expansion, if possible with XXL properties in absolute premium locations. There are enough investor enquiries. The group was able to compensate for the first loss of staff. Energy costs are not much of a problem. The two co-CEOs are also flirting with segment expansions.
Vienna. Pure summer season businesses are currently doing very well in Austria, hotels with two strong seasons well, pure winter hotels satisfactory at best, city hotels extremely modest. Equity capital has been destroyed, and 60,000 beds should disappear from the market. Where are solutions?
London. Leisure, Leisure, Bleisure. Marriott International is betting heavily on this in 2022. The world's largest chain wants to quickly adapt to the new traveller, who will permanently change his behaviour in the future. Business is becoming an appendage of leisure.
Berlin. As a former overnight capital and top trade fair and event location, Berlin has stumbled badly since 2020. Against this background, the President of the German Hotel and Restaurant Association Berlin, Christian Andresen, thinks that the renewed cancellation of the ITB was a mistake and that Berlin needs a restart for the trade show. He is counting on the new state government and its New Start programme. Even the dream of the most modern hotel management school in Germany might even come true.
Amsterdam. A new 50-strong pan-European team and an EMEA CEO who comes from Asia-Pacific are to better position Choice Hotels in and after the crisis. First, the franchisor is refreshing its three strongest brands in the region. Then he talks about a performance push but does not reveal much. The CEO is still testing the European ground in terms of brand roll-out as well as the adoption of technology solutions. Jonathan Mills about his plans and learnings.