News & Stories

Doha. With the award for the FIFA World Cup in 2022, the small, oil-rich desert country of Qatar has placed itself on the world map. Just as Dubai had once created the marketing jump with the Burj Al Arab, now the government in Doha is gathering mega events. However, this decision has great consequences for the small country. Since then, the entire infrastructure has been placed on the test bench and above all, must also be suitably developed for the masses. Hotels play a central role along with this. Today, Doha counts 15,000 rooms and it should be 65,000 in ten years. Up to now, the control of the hotel offers lay almost exclusively in the hands of the state hotel company, Qatar National Hotels. It changed its name to "Katara Hospitality" at the beginning of May. At the same time, the government owner, developer and operator is making a "place" for external hotel investors. Therefore, it is more strongly involved beyond the country and has rapidly developed into a hotel company of international repute operating overseas in France, Switzerland, Italy, Egypt, Morocco, Comoros and Singapore. In Doha, Maria Puetz-Willems spoke with Hamad A. Al Mulla, Chief Executive Officer of Katara Hospitality, regarding Katara Hospitality, the hotel industry in Qatar and about the large hotel engagement abroad by the Qatari.

Frankfurt/Hong Kong. pentahotels have now accomplished a separation of real estate and hotel operations in the management level. The responsibilities will shift. At the same time, a portfolio purchase is imminent.

Brussels. Nearly two years after selling the Regent brand to the Taiwanese Formosa Group, Rezidor has decided to develop the brand in the EMEA region again – based on a master franchise agreement.

Paris. Pressure on the European budget market leader is obviously high: Otherwise, Accor wouldn't have invited international media to a large press conference in Paris last Monday, only one year after Ibis was rebranded. CEO Denis Hennequin and Global Chief Marketing Office Grégoire Champetier also spoke in a fairly hectic manner and with unusual emphasis on what had already been achieved and the great speed now dictated to their franchisees. They must invest huge sums within a short period of time in order to implement Accor's rebranding. The change of name will seamlessly be followed by the replacement of all beds in the hotels. After that, franchise partners must invest in public areas. The pilot hotel in Paris, the Ibis Porte D'Italie already shows how cosy a fully refurbished Ibis Hotel can be: The cool functional 'bed castles' are transformed into soft hotels with living room atmosphere. And: Whilst the focus of other budget brands's designs rests squarely on optimising space and on cutting services, Ibis intends to beef up the services it offers.

Vienna. Every Wednesday evening, there is quite a fuss at Vienna's "Dachboden" in the 25hours Hotel. Hugo drinks and Heineken beers pass over the counter, girls in petticoats and boys with hair flips move to the rhythms of DJ Hermes swing-pop music. Amid all this, business travellers, stars and starlets from the music and movie scene amuse themselves. Artists, students, silver surfers and golden agers indulge in the "chill". According to entertainment expert Christian Mikunda, "chill" is the "most important feeling of elation" in our fast-living world, that puts so much pressure on all of us. A whole new league of boutique hotels and designer hotels is successfully pursuing this feeling. The newest trend: vacant business premises are being converted into hotel rooms. A decentralised hotel emerges and the guests are able to get the hotel's services in the neighbourhood. What 25hours and the new Urbanauts have in common.

Hamburg. The 25hours Hotel Company approaches its 10th anniversary with a new corporate design. The design will reflect the group's cosmopolitan spirit.

Vienna. The sail boat threatens to tip down from the roof, wine is growing at the front door and inside, there is a multitude of green sprouting from all sorts of peculiar vessels… Today, the lifestyle traveller does not spend nights in Vienna at the Sacher or Imperial, they reside at the Daniel. Hotelier Florian Weitzer calls his concepts "Smart Luxury". The native of Graz trusts in the hot Viennese hotel patch because these concepts have brought him full beds in the Styrian capitol since 2005. The Daniel in Graz and The Daniel in Vienna connect the will to substitute for cumbersome hospitality with unconventional living and life.

With its relaxed "urban stay" concepts, the family-controlled hotels in Graz as well as in Vienna completely meet the trend of the market. It is another coloured stone in the newly originating, colourful boutique hotel palette such as with the Topazz, the Altstadt Vienna or 25hours; and in the meantime, they are all taking away from the chain hotels' guests.

Augsburg. The recent announcement by Inter Ikea that it intends to move into the market for student housing and budget hotels resulted in a flood of press reports. One week later, the question mark above Inter Ikea is even larger, if anything.

Frankfurt/M. HGM, operator of Fleming's Hotels and Restaurants in Germany, Austria and Switzerland, and Livin' boarding houses as well as franchisee of several Steigenberger Hotels, announces positive figures for the first half of 2012. Additionally, a former Steigenberger hotel was launched under its own brand and affiliated as a pilot project to the brand model of Worldhotels.

Paris. Hilton lost the right to manage the Hilton Arc de Triomphe in Paris City centre. The group has now few weeks to take down its brand.