News & Stories

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.

Berlin. The Board of Directors of Kempinski AG as well as Anno August Jagdfeld, Managing Director of Adlon Funds, have agreed on an early extension of the lease for the Berlin Hotel Adlon Kempinski.

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.