IHIF roundup — Photo by Questex
IHIF roundup — Photo by Questex
IHIF roundup — Photo by Questex

Over 2,000 delegates from across 80 countries are currently gathered at The International Hotel Investment Forum (IHIF) in Berlin to celebrate the 20th anniversary of the event. Widely recognised as the leading meeting place for the hotel industry, IHIF is known throughout the hotel investment world as the place where deals are done. The globally acclaimed conference is also the forum where companies choose to break their latest news. Having the hotel community in one place makes IHIF the ideal arena to share breaking news on acquisitions, openings, appointments and launches. The latest breaking news from IHIF 2017 includes:

At IHIF today IHG announced that it has signed eight new hotels to the Holiday Inn & Holiday Inn Express brand in Germany. This announcement followed the news that that IHG achieved record signings in 2016. Germany is IHG's second biggest market in Europe with 69 hotels and 38 in the pipeline.

During IHIF 2017, Hilton announced that it has passed the milestone of 100,000 rooms trading across its Europe, Middle East & Africa portfolio. There are also 40,000 rooms currently under construction and expected to open by the end of 2020. Germany is a key market for Hilton with six hotels slated to open in Berlin and regional cities in 2017, totalling an investment of more than €120 million. The six properties scheduled to open this year are; Hampton by Hilton Freiburg, Hampton by Hilton Hamburg City Centre, Hampton by Hilton Berlin City Alexanderplatz, Hilton Garden Inn Frankfurt City Centre, Hampton by Hilton Aachen Tivoli , Hampton by Hilton Dortmund Phoenix See.

AccorHotels and Rixos Hotels announced, at IHIF, a strategic partnership illustrating AccorHotels' strategy to expand its presence in the upper upscale/luxury market, with a primary focus on developing global activities in the resort segment. Under a long-term joint venture, both parties intend to collaborate, develop and manage Rixos branded resorts & hotels worldwide. Upon closing, AccorHotels will own a 50% interest in the joint venture management company.

Meliá Hotels International confirm the new Palau de Congressos de Palma (Convention Centre) and its adjoining hotel, the Meliá Palma Bay will open on Saturday 1st April 2017. The Palau de Congressos de Palma (Convention Centre) enjoys one of the best locations on Palma's Paseo Marítimo seafront, only five minutes from the airport, the cathedral and the historical heart of the city, and offering spectacular views of Palma Bay.

Hamilton Hotel Partners, an independent, world-class hotel advisory company offering unparalleled hotel asset management, hotel management, and development services is set to expand further across Europe. The firm is appointing Tobi Weissinger as a Director, with immediate effect, to lead expansion of their services across the Continent.

PWC released their European cities hotel forecast during the conference showing European city hotels set for continued growth in 2017-18, despite security and geopolitical uncertainty. Salient points from the report include strong economic growth forecast for Portugal, Spain, Greece and Ireland, the weak pound to boost tourism in London during 2017 and Germany overtaking the UK in M&A volumes in 2016.

Cushman & Wakefield has appointed one of the most respected names in the hospitality sector, Jon Hubbard, to head up its EMEA Hotels & Hospitality business. Reporting to EMEA Chief Executive John Forrester, Hubbard will be responsible for leading and growing Cushman & Wakefield's EMEA hospitality practice. He has nearly 30 years of EMEA hotel market experience across multiple service lines, advising on everything from economy hotels to international five star properties, and from single assets to large portfolios.

JLL's Hotels & Hospitality Group has been appointed by joint administrators Thomas Campbell MacLennan and Alexander Iain Fraser of FRP Advisory, to sell the Holiday Inn Express City Centre and Holiday Inn Aberdeen West hotels in Scotland. Both hotels are available separately or as a package and are subject to existing franchise agreements with IHG. JLL have also been appointed to sell the Lea Marston Hotel, North Warwickshire and The Abbey Hotel, Worcestershire as well as the Park Lane Mews Estate, London which includes the Park Lane Mews Hotel with has 72 guest rooms. Further details here.

HVS selected the IHIF platform to release their European Hotel Lending Survey, European Hotel Transactions and 2017 European Hotel Valuation Index (HVI) to the marketplace. The research showed hotel transaction volume across Europe reached €17.8 billion in 2016, down 25% on 2015 and that Europe has seen an upturn in the availability of hotel financing due to low interest rates and strong performance. The full reports are available here.

About Questex

Questex Hospitality Group, a division of Questex LLC, represents a senior audience of $650 billion in hotel assets, reaching one in two hotel owners and operators across the globe. With a portfolio of both media and live events, including Hospitality Investor, Annual Hotel Conference (AHC), International Hospitality Investment Forum (IHIF), and Resort & Residential Hospitality Forum (R&R), Questex Hospitality Group brings together leaders in hospitality investment, development and operations to make the deals that shape recovery and growth in the sector.

Emily Newman
Communications and Content Manager
+44 (0)7771 686202
Questex

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