News & Stories

Paris. Accor is restructuring: starting January 1, the hotel group's organisation will be dedicated to brands – in Europe only. This means personnel changes at management level as well. Yesterday, Yann Caillère, President and Chief Operating Officer Accor, presented the details in Paris.

Augsburg. The German media industry is experiencing the biggest wave of dismissals since 1949, the German Federal Labour Agency said just a few days ago. In other words: In the mega German media market, media is in decline. This Friday, "Financial Times Deutschland" will appear for the very last time. It will cease to exist, both in print and online. And the daily "Frankfurter Rundschau" filed for insolvency just a few weeks ago. These two cases alone affect 800 employees. Yet they are only the first prominent victims, behind the scenes, much more has happened over recent years. Publishers have repeatedly explained their losses with reference to the collapse in advertising revenues and headwind from the internet. Most of them are not in a position to counter the trend with sustainable online concepts with paid content. How are these trends playing out? hospitalityInside.com interviewed eleven PR managers from renowned hotel chains and PR agencies - all specialised on the hotel industry and tourism and with considerable experience under their belts - about the changing behaviour of media and the mix of editorial content and advertisements. And it looks grim.

Neustadt. The MS Deutschland cruise liner, Germany's only swimming 5-star hotel, is to level out as a "grand hotel" at sea in future. In addition, it is trying to attract new luxury customers in Austria and Switzerland as well as new capital for investments.

Munich. When students are in the minority in their hostels and when city trips lead to long-stay apartments, then this kind of mixture is the basis for the currently most successful investment in the accommodation business. In a panel discussion, experts of GBI, Derag Living, Youniq and Adina commented on serviced apartments and student housing, a marginal area in the hotel industry, which is very interesting for investors and developers at the moment. In this segment, business models are definitely possible following the motto of the "5-star RevPar at economy rates". However, the German market still has a lot of catching up to do.

Berlin. The hotel stands on a triangular traffic island, surrounded on all sides by multi-lane traffic, a sex shop, dilapidated buildings and a social hotspot named Bahnhof Zoo. This is the site of Berlin's new Waldorf Astoria. After postponing three times, the luxury hotel by Hilton Worldwide will finally open its doors in "mid December" 2012 . Guests on the upper nine of 31 storeys will then soon forget the delays and the external environment of the hotel: As the highest building in the City West, at 117 metres high, the new Waldorf Astoria offers a magnificent view of Berlin's skyline. Inside, the luxury hotel tells its own story. The hotel repeatedly makes reference to its legendary mother, the famed Waldorf=Astoria New York, and to the history of its location in Berlin. A visit to the imminently finished Waldorf Astoria Berlin.

Paris. Two weeks ago in Turin, during the annual meeting, the 36 new members of Relais & Châteaux for 2013 were introduced to the rest of the "family”. Among them, several owners of amazing properties in Kenya, Botswana, Zambia, South Africa, as well as in Guatemala, Chili and Peru. This year, business was challenging all over "but we made it", says President Jaume Tàpies. Europe is proving business to weaken. In an interview in Paris, he revealed the latest business figures and talked about future market perspectives and challenges like distribution and occupancy. In the on-going law suit against former President Regis Bulot he says: "We learned our lesson." The members of R&C are waiting for judgement.

Hamburg. A German insolvency administrator has been brought into the insolvency proceedings regarding the property of the InterContinental Hotel in Hamburg. The hotel's business operations have been secured until the end of January 2013 for the present.

Paris. Two weeks ago, Ascott Limited revealed its plans to launch and develop a new upscale brand called Citadines Suites. Our Paris correspondent Sarah Douag met Alain Ferracani, Vice President Sales & Marketing Europe to share more details about this new label and explain what are the group strategy and ambitions in the near future. Ascott's approach seems to touch traditional hotels in terms of interior design and pricing; the first Citadines Suites will open in Paris to be followed by others properties in UK, Germany and Eastern Europe.

Berlin. The rebranding of Accor's brand ibis has now taken visible shape in the chain's second most important market of Germany. Last week in Berlin at Accor's hotel park at Potsdamer Platz, the German Accor management presented the new design for ibis, ibis budget and ibis styles as well as the new bed concept "Sweet Bed by ibis" to international journalists. At least the French media made sure that the new design concept will be put into practice as consistently as in Paris. Accor is working on its credibility and its modernisation speed.

Hamburg/Zug. The future of the InterContinental Hotel Hamburg will be decided today after the owner filed for insolvency on Wednesday. Obviously the bank pulled the plug.