Opinion Articles

December 12, 2016

HITEC Amsterdam Perspectives - A Talk with Stephen Minall

A while back we spoke with Stephen Minall, member of the HITEC Amsterdam Advisory Council and owner of Moving Food Ltd., to address the issue of whether the industry needs to elevate the role of IT Managers. Minall is a man of few words and a brilliant strategist. His answer back then was simple: "it should be a challenge to all hotels."

By Mihaela Lica Butler, Reporter, Hospitality Net

Amsterdam, The Netherlands

December 9, 2016

Cutting a Bald Man's Hair

Franchise contracts are based on a reciprocal commitment between the investor-operator and the brand. Since investment funds set their sights on the hotel industry, such contracts have run into serious pitfalls. More concerned about seeing share prices climb on the stock exchange, financial shareholders have driven corporate communication to the detriment of brand marketing, thereby weakening awareness, the image and the attributes that make up the essential capital of any consumer brand.

By Georges Panayotis, President & Founder of MKG Group & Hospitality ON, Hospitality ON

France

December 6, 2016

Happy Guest, Happy Hotel

You have a beautiful hotel, filled with luxury touches to make your guests’ stay as comfortable and memorable as possible. But are you truly ‘owning’ the guest experience from the moment of booking and beyond? Communication is the key to the new wave of brand loyalty. If you make communication easy, personal and accessible, you open an opportunity to a new level of guest loyalty… And following loyalty, of course, follows revenue. It’s time to own the guest experience through mobile, personalised, digital technology.

By Ilona dr. Váradi, Co-founder of App4Guests, DIGITISME

Zürich, Switzerland

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Opinion Article

December 2, 2016

A Talk with Kira Zakharova of Villa Elena in Yalta

Search online for the term "iconic hotels" and you will find scores of fabulous properties like Belmond Hotel Splendido in Portofino in Italy, to Laucala Island in Fiji. Through some quirk of fate or careless oversight all the luxury hotel experts somehow missed the gem of Yalta, Villa Elena. What follows is a very abbreviated history of the hotel, followed by an exclusive interview with the hotel's Director, Kira Zakharova.

By Phil Butler, Analyst and Editor in Chief, Pamil Visions PR

Yalta, Russian Federation

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Hospitality Net

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Opinion Article Markets & Performance

November 29, 2016

Putting Politics Aside: Hospitality Industry Remains Positive And Says “Let’s Start Implementing Plans for Dealing with Brexit”

This week's briefing jointly organised by Dentons, Horizons and the Global Restaurant Investment Forum/Bench Events proved to be as insightful as expected. It was a mix of market updates and intelligence, news on up-and- coming restaurant concepts as well as a talk on the do's and dont's when expanding internationally and an earnest discourse on Brexit.

By Thomas Mielke, Managing Director, AETHOS Consulting Group

United Kingdom

November 29, 2016

The Digital Future of the Hotel Industry, Starts at Home

During my many years of travel in the service industry and having stayed in hundreds of hotels worldwide, it's clear that the past five years have brought about enormous change in the hotel industry. Innovation with architecture, interior design and guest comfort is at an all-time high. Widespread revitalisation has been incredibly successful in meeting guest expectations. Yet, in an increasingly demanding world, there still also remains a huge opportunity to truly create a home from home for the traveler.

By Ilona dr. Váradi, Co-founder of App4Guests, DIGITISME

Switzerland

Opinion Article Markets & Performance

November 28, 2016

Hotels Europe: Challenges and Potential 2017

Last week, in Athens, a cast of hospitality and travel tech experts gathered at the Digi.travel EMEA Conference & Expo. The conference was dedicated to online travel trends and developments, and to solutions for the most pressing challenges facing the industry. Here is a synopsis of the meet-up, and the high points from some of the world's most knowledgeable hospitality-tech experts.

By Mihaela Lica Butler, Reporter, Hospitality Net

Athens, Greece

Opinion Article Markets & Performance

November 28, 2016

In Focus: Alexandroupolis, Greece

Evros Prefecture is located in the north-eastern part of Greece in the natural boundary of the country with Bulgaria to the north and Turkey to the east. To the West it borders with the prefecture of Rodopi, access to which is possible via the Egnatia Odos Highway and to the south it lies on the coast of the Thracian Sea (part of the North Aegean Sea). Over the last decade, the tourism sector has recorded significant development while several investments related to the hotel industry have materialized in the area.

By Nana Boussia, Associate at HVS Athens, HVS

Alexandroupolis, Greece

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November 21, 2016

Risk, Mobility And Consumerization Were The Hot Topics Of GBTA Conference 2016 Frankfurt In Partnership With Vdr

The Global Business Travel Association (GBTA) -- the voice of the global business travel industry – and German business travel buyer association VDR – wrapped up their third successful joint conference in Europe this week with record attendance. The event brought together over 950 attendees from 20+ countries for networking, education and top-notch speakers.

GBTA

Frankfurt, Germany

Opinion Article Sustainability

November 18, 2016

100% Eco-friendly and Sustainable, Olive Green Hotel Is a Premiere in Greece

Olive Green Hotel had a silent opening at the beginning of the fall, but it's already a hit with its first guests. "We only stayed one night but had we discovered it sooner, we would have stayed longer and explored Heraklion. The rooms are absolutely lovely. Modern, efficient, well appointed," writes Lee T. from Sydney, Australia, in his TripAdvisor review.

By Mihaela Lica Butler, Reporter, Hospitality Net

Heraklion, Greece

Opinion Article Operations & Strategy

November 11, 2016

Shadow IT - An Interview with Timo E. Kettern

Timo E. Kettern is the IT Director at Lapithus Hotel Management and a respected professional in his field. In anticipation of HITEC Amsterdam which will take place next year in March in Amsterdam, we spoke with him about shadow IT activities, technology, and devices that fall outside the traditional IT funding.

By Mihaela Lica Butler, Reporter, Hospitality Net

Amsterdam, New Hampshire, The Netherlands

November 2, 2016

Is hidden cash in hotel rooms a sign of changing payment demands from customers?

The way that British holidaymakers like to pay has been changing for many years, but it's become clear that Brits simply don't like having to bring large quantities of foreign currency on their travels. They worry about taking it out with them for fear of being a victim of a crime in a potentially unfamiliar city, but they also worry about leaving any in their hotel rooms. Research that we carried out in association with CensusWide this summer found that 1 in 8 Brits opted to keep all of their foreign currency with them at all times so that they didn't have to leave any in their room, while 1 in 3 said that they made a conscious effort to keep the amount of cash taken on holiday to an absolute minimum.

By Jennifer Conneely, Board Member of the DCC Forum, DCC Forum

United Kingdom

Opinion Article

October 24, 2016

The Best of Crete: Aldemar Resorts Treats Cosmonauts Well

Back in July I covered a story of International Space Station (ISS) crewmembers re-acclimating on Crete, for Sputnik International. This month ISS cosmonauts Alexey Ovchinin and Oleg Skripochka spent mission critical time on the island, ending their reentry mission at the magnificent the Aldemar Thalasso Resort in Hersonissou. I had the opportunity to speak with the Director of Aldemar Resorts, Alexandros Angelopoulos about how these Roscosmos monitored programs for cosmonauts came about, and how the initiatives can benefit Crete tourism.

By Phil Butler, Analyst and Editor in Chief, Pamil Visions PR

Thalasso, Greece

October 20, 2016

Converging Perspectives on Elevating the Role of IT Managers in Hospitality | By Mihaela Lica Butler

HITEC Amsterdam will bring together the best of hospitality financial and technology professionals next March, in an event that will show advances in the trade with access to innovative resources, industry experts, and vendors. The European version of HITEC (Hospitality Industry Technology Exposition & Conference) which takes place in North America every year, HITEC Amsterdam is a premiere on the continent and promises to be the hospitality event of the year, with some 60 booths exhibiting advanced solutions and innovative industry-specific technology. In anticipation of the conference taking place next year, Hospitality Net conducts a series of interviews with HITEC Advisory Council members discussing relevant industry issues and offering expert insight on key technology topics.

By Mihaela Lica Butler, Reporter, Hospitality Net

Amsterdam, The Netherlands

October 19, 2016

On a Digital Convergence at Digi.travel Cyprus

At the Filoxenia Conference Centre in Nicosia key hospitality and tech decision makers are gathered today for the Digi.travel Cyprus Conference & Expo 2016. Organized for the first time with the collaboration of the Association of Cyprus Travel Agents ACTA, the summit puts leading technology providers alongside travel and hospitality professionals in the region.

By Jim Butler, Partner & Co-Chair Hospitality Practice, Blank Rome LLP, Blank Rome

Cyprus