News & Stories
Munich. Since 2007, there have been more people living in cities than in the country. In 2010, the UN estimated 57.2 percent, and by 2030, 60.2 percent will be living in cities. This development calls for a completely revised city and infrastructure planning that will also include the hotel industry. The “Green City Index” is an initial guide to emission-free or emission-reduced cities. However, hotel management agreements running for 15 to 25 years and longer do not have any space for “green” issues yet. The entire real estate development industry will have to rethink their strategy. Conversely, hoteliers who have understood this and are already willing to construct emission-free buildings face massive bureaucratic obstacles in cities.
Lille. After obtaining the French trademark "Quality Tourism", the label "Green Key" and a third star in 2010, the Comfort Hotel Lille Tourcoing in northern France introduces its first eco-sustainable room in Europe.
Munich. The sustainability seal of the German Sustainable Building Council is a figurehead of properties – as reported in the last issue. In economic terms, hotels benefit only to a limited degree from this certificate. But what is it that makes hotel operator Accor Deutschland get so involved with the property-related label as one of the first hotel groups, even striving for a master certification for its Etap brand? Would it not be possible to simply leave it up to the owners/investors? Klaus Rohrbeck, Technical Director Accor Deutschland and the company’s sustainability expert explains the reasons.
Augsburg. No other subject worries the real estate industry more than the pros and cons of sustainability certificates. The question is: what advantages do properties have for owners if they are certified with LEED, BREEAM or DGNB? They do not need the certification for their ecological conscience but the yield calculation. Finally, the certification is not for free. Do resale values of properties rise because of the sustainability certificate? Or is it possible to obtain higher rents without heating or lease rates from their tenants or hotel lessees because of the lower operating costs? As the newest provider, DGNB has already certified four hotels; however, aspects of hotel management are not included in the evaluation – only the property itself. This is hard to understand as the hotel industry in the end primarily defines “sustainability” as conservation of resources in the operating business.
Paris. Last week, Accor Group launched the "Earth Guest Research" in Paris, a platform for sharing knowledge on social and environmental issues relating to the hotel industry.
Munich. Yesterday, Deutsche Gesellschaft fuer Nachhaltiges Bauen announced its first certified hotels at the BAU trade fair in Munich.
Rimbach. Not only since the Ulrichshof in Rimbach – a resort for babies and children in the Bavarian Forest – joined the consortium of the "Bio Hotels" has it set an example of how to sustainably run a hotel. According to owner Ulrich N. Brandl, ecological approaches have been the best option for many years. His medium-sized company shows how to systematically approach the topic by consistently reducing the costs.
Abu Dhabi. For the first time, the "World Green Tourism Abu Dhabi Conference" will take place in the UAE from 22-24 November this year. The summit is being held under the patronage of Sheikh Sultan bin Tahnoon Al Nahyan, Chairman of Abu Dhabi Tourism Authority and will discuss the eco-tourism implementation in the region.
Bern. The Swiss hotel industry has also been affected by climate change and increasing energy prices. Now, in collaboration with the Swiss Federal Office for Energy, the Energy Agency for the Economy, the power plant company BKW FMB Energie AG and the energy supply company Romande Energie, the hotel association hotelleriesuisse has created an energy platform. Hotel associations in Germany and Austria also offer information for members and non-members through the internet.
Munich. Sustainability of building design and social responsible business concepts were in the focal point of many events at this year's real estate trade fair Expo Real in Munich, and at the hotel conference "Hospitality Industry Dialogue". For 80 minutes, two hotel groups, one project representative, one architect and one representative of DGNB discussed the question, whether investors were willing to invest in sustainable hotels or not. For a long time, hotel chains have been doing research about their standards and are even advising their investors now; the certifiers are contributing to the awareness and the architects have to make greater efforts to understand. One new aspect is that the guests have to be included in sustainability concepts.