News & Stories
Duesseldorf. Insiders talking shop about the trends in the apartment market: for the first time, the interactive "Apartment Camp" will take place in the new Derag Livinghotel Duesseldorf on November 8/9, 2012. Invited are providers, agents and consumers.
Munich. TThey are a tiny group in Germany that has placed its ambition in setting up its own brand - and within the shortest period of time has discovered that they've done much better with their "limited service design hotel" than with their classic full service hotels. The group we're talking about is Rilano Hotels & Resorts based in Munich: With their limited service brand Rilano 24/7 - launched in January 2011 - they are represented in three German cities like with their original first class product. Highest demand from investors is for the lifestyle product, Rilano Managing Partner Holger Behrens reports on the fringes of the Expo Real. "24/7 hasn't produced any hype, but has resonated well," he reports.
Munich. The die is cast: In the gala evening of the "hotelforum" on the outskirts of the Expo Real in Munich, the Hotel Topazz was distinguished on Wednesday evening in Vienna as the "Hotel Real Estate of the Year 2012". In addition, the jury conferred three further awards.
London/Prague. The Rocco Forte Collection is in danger of being expulsed from the Augustine Hotel Prague: the owner is accusing the operator of significant underperformance. Richard Power is defending the company.
Augsburg. Brands in twin pack at one location? Does this make sense? Accor, one of the pioneers of this idea, has three "hotel parks" in operation with Ibis and Novotel in the German market; in Berlin, Hospitality Alliance with the twin pack Ramada/H2 has been happy about the good results right from the start; and at Frankfurt airport, Hilton is already registering strong investor interest for the Hilton and Hilton Garden Inn combination. In any case, the combination of high-rate and low-rate hotel, synergies in the back office, and complementary marketing is really touching a nerve in times of strict cost-effectiveness considerations. And it is also leading to imitations: on the trade fair premises in Munich, the second German twin pack, Ramada and H2, will open at the next Expo Real in 2013.
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.