Dear Insiders,
hospitalityInside author Macy Marvel was on his way to Washington – and in contact with Trump Hotels – for an interview. The response: rejection. The reason: only if we write that the Trump Hotel in Washington was the "best hotel in the world", we get the interview. Otherwise: "No deal!" And because we are writing this, we will certainly be branded "fake media" from now on. This almost seems to have become a commendation! We look forward to it.
Meanwhile, hoteliers can no longer get away with false decisions in the distribution jungle. This is why it is all about multitasking on multi-channels. And direct marketing. But such campaigns don't work as well in Europe as in the US. Sarah Douag gathered voices from real-life practice at the Phocuswright conference in Amsterdam.
Castelalfi Resort in Tuscany went a long way towards its final concept – a project of TUI, which managed to burn millions of euros over ten years. The main hotel has now opened finally. Massimiliano Sarti took a look.
I was not in Thailand, but the new CEO of Dusit Hotels was in Germany. Suphajee Suthumpun, a career changer from the world of IT, tells us how the both traditional and financially strong luxury hotel group is repositioning itself on its own: the Dusit Thani Bangkok legend will be torn down this month, joint ventures were signed with Japan and China, and there are new models allowing for massive expansion: 48 hotels are in the pipeline. The Thai flower will soon be blooming all over.
Hotel investments in Germany take the biscuit again in Europe in the first quarter of 2017 – fully anticyclical with respect to the overall development. Trump Hotels make a name for themselves with a planned third brand, too. Qatar has been hitting the headlines since Monday due to its current political isolation – and the effects on the country's tourism industry are inevitable. Austria Trend Hotels from Vienna owe their positive development to better reviews in online portals, while Best 3 Star Hotels from Switzerland are first trying to gain ground at home, but also fancy expansion. Germans also managed to modify the EU Package Travel Directive in a way that both travel agencies and hotels can live with.
Have a nice week without fake news!
Yours, Maria Puetz-Willems, Editor-in-Chief
Your opinion? maria@hospitalityInside.com
