News & Stories
Hirschegg/Kleinwalsertal. Planning took longer and in the end costs were higher. Discussions were just as passionate with respect to the beer tap at the designer bar as they were about the delicate natural wood floor… Scenes from the day-to-day workings of a hotel new build project. The newly opened Ifen Hotel in Kleinwalsertal, an Austrian enclave only accessible from Germany, experienced the following: Three months after its unofficial opening, it closed again for a further two weeks - in order to fix hooks, optimise fireplace joints and remove the first stains. It's details such as these which make Travel Charme Hotels an exceptionally successful resort hotel group. The group has felt nothing of the financial and economic crisis. Its resorts are like exquisitely designed yet cosy living rooms and its guests like friends. It's hoped that this clientele will now help to reawaken the sleepy Kleinwalsertal. Expectations of the destination are high, the location is not quite so easy though. But this too is typical Travel Charme.
Dubai. The words budget travel and Dubai are not often mentioned in the same sentence, but the concept is catching on in the luxury-conscious emirate, where more and more developers are looking at building affordable hotels to cater to a not-so-tapped segment of travelers. The second largest city in the United Arab Emirates needs to woo more travellers in the budget segment if it is to reach its goal of attracting 15 million tourists by 2015, a target that is already jeopardized by the wobbly recovery of the global economy. Dubai has moved from being an exclusive to a more reasonable destination. The city has entered into a situation of general hotel over supply, even if the branded budget offer does represent no more than 5 or 6% of the hotel supply, it will be a catch and mouse game between supply and demand, experts say.
Beirut. Lebanon's capital city, Beirut, is a desirable location for luxury hotels. Yet the lack of infrastructure, inflated prices for tourist services and the unstable political nature of the region all combine to make Beirut a risky investment. In this part of the world, even the best laid plans could collapse. Yet in January, the Four Seasons opened its hotel in Beirut, albeit eight years after schedule. Kempinski also plans two hotels in Lebanon. Hilton planned to open a hotel there in 2008. At the moment, Beirut is a "playground for the rich" with the majority of guests currently from Gulf countries. Yet despite such plans for the region, mass tourism is a long way away from Lebanon. A visit to an unstable city with an optimistic hotel industry.
Bodrum. Bodrum has very little in common with the cliché of Turkish holiday resorts. Instead of large hotels, jumble stores and pushy carpet vendors, there are trendy shops, nice restaurants and a growing number of hip designer hotels. The coastal town at the Turkish Aegean is especially popular among Turkish holiday makers. Now, more hotels are following the example of the design hotel pioneer Marmara. Bodrum has potential - and could become the St. Tropez of Turkey.
Munich/Doha. The city of Doha in Qatar is developing further – and looking, among others, for hotel operators for its new key project "Musheireb". The hotel operators should already be experienced in sustainable concepts. At the Expo Real, a large model bore witness to big plans.
Duisburg. The German tour operator Alltours continues to expand its hotel chain Allsun. The hotels give the company a unique selling point for which CEO Willi Verhuven sees a big future.
Munich. Last week's Expo Real presented four German alpine regions in order to advertise for hotels. They think: there are not enough specialised 4-star hotels and brand hotels in this region.
Munich. The dampened spirit of last year had completely vanished. This year, the prevailing mood at the Expo Real in Munich was one of optimism with a real desire for new projects. And the same is true of the hotel industry. Although the big news stories were lacking this year, there were still many smaller indications of where the future was heading. Nobody wants to use the word 'euphoria', but there's certainly a very welcome 'new realism' in the air. Most discussions were quick frank and to the point and exhibitors as well as visitors claimed – in their mutual interest – to only want to build quality hotels in future. And as was to be heard at the hotel conference, feasible hotel concepts will also have a stronger impact on hotel finance. 'Franchising', it seems, has also found some unexpected friends. One thing that was clear from this year's trade fair was that without a real concept, capital will remain strictly limited. Yet the upswing is certainly in the offing. Indeed, the Expo Real itself illustrates this trends with its visitor numbers: In 2010, the fair counted approx. 1,000 visitors more than in 2009 and four percent growth in exhibitors. A mood report.
Hanover. The TUI resort brands Iberotel and Dorfhotel now plan to improve their profile beyond TUI flight destinations and north of the Mediterranean. With two Iberotels and four Dorfhotels in Germany, the physical basis for this has already been created. Strong synergies to the source market are needed. Iberotel turns 40 this year and is set to get a marketing and quality makeover. Dorfhotel is developing somewhat slower, but with very exact ideas on new locations and target groups. Strategic explanations by Michael Franke, Managing Director of Iberotel and Dorfhotel.
Goehren-Lebbin. Palms, sea and permanently warm temperatures aren't on offer in the north-easterly German state of Mecklenburg Western Pomerania. Nevertheless, a Robinson Club, a Radisson Blu and a Dorfhotel joined forces there to become the destination resort Land Fleesensee as far back as ten years ago. Last year, the trio, which is comprised of one Rezidor brand and two TUI brands, was joined by a third TUI brand – Iberotel. A total of 220 million EUR has been invested in Land Fleesensee, the biggest resort complex in Germany and the jobs created by the complex are a godsend for the small state. Nevertheless, investors aren't so happy.