Expanded eTravel World sets its sights on the future
International pitching event for startups – discussion rounds with experts on chatbots, virtual reality and millennials – the eTravel World is booked up and for the first time occupies two halls
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ITB Berlin highlights corporate social responsibility in tourism again
Corporate social responsibility in tourism will be a dominant theme at ITB Berlin – ITB CSR Day features the key topic 'Sustainable Food and Beverages in the Hotel Industry and at Tourism Destinations' – admission to the ITB Berlin Convention is free for trade visitors
ITB MICE Day: MICE striking a balance between effectiveness and efficiency
Agenda includes topical issues such as sustainability and social responsibility, digitalisation and demographic change – admission to the ITB Berlin Convention is free for trade visitorsDigitalisation, demographic change, disruption, corporate social responsibility etc., what is behind the mega trends and the buzzwords of the MICE industry? How do they play out in practice? How effective and efficient are these developments? At the ITB MICE Day MICE industry professionals will be providing answers to many questions and highlighting best practices and actual scenarios. The event is organised by Vereinigung Deutscher Veranstaltungsorganisatoren e.V. and will take place on 8 March 2017 at the ITB Berlin Convention.
Clear, focused and industry leading programme announced IHIF 2017
As the industry prepares to gather and celebrate the 20th anniversary of the International Hotel Investment Forum (IHIF), the programme for the 2017 event is announced.
ITB BookAwards 2017: the winners
Award winners include Art Wolfe, Laurent Baheux, Andreas Kieling und Kilian Schönberger, Ilona Hupe, Michael Iwanowski, Nikolaus Gelpke, Christine Thürmer, Robert Macfarlane, Jörg Maurer, Werner Pawlok, Jens Glüsing and Michael Pasdzior
STR: Preliminary December 2016 data for Munich
STR's preliminary December 2016 data for Munich, Germany, indicates overall performance declines.Based on daily data from December, Munich reported the following in year-over-year comparisons:
Novum Hotel Group To Expand To Mannheim In Cooperation With GBI AG
Trendy Novum Style Hotel with 168 rooms planned in the vicinity of the Europaplatz Yet another new building project in cooperation with GBI AG offers state-of-the-art Living Lobby Opening of the Budget Hotel to be in 2019
The NOVUM Hotel Group is doing it again – they are planning a trendy Novum Style Hotel in Mannheim with 168 rooms in cooperation with the project developer GBI AG. The location for this budget hotel with its stylish design has been well chosen, ideally positioned close to the Europaplatz and the city's main traffic artery, the Augustaanlage. GBI AG purchased the property – an unused car park – from the city by arrangement and with consultation performed by the Podstawski Group from Viernheim. The planning permission was issued beginning of December. Decisions have also been made already upon the design of the NOVUM Style Hotel façade. The architects of prasch buken partner from Hamburg won the architectural competition. The opening will be in 2019. The fashionable Living Lobby at the NOVUM Style Hotel will become a venue for hotel guests as well as for people from the neighbourhood – offering a specially designed Coffee Bar, a Pop-up Store, high-speed WiFi, cosy and comfortable seating furniture as well as work places for co-working. 'Our advanced concept will considerably contribute to a good work-life balance for our guests, particularly in the buzzing metropolis of Mannheim,' summarises David Etmenan, Managing Partner of the NOVUM Group. A lot of emphasis is placed on the interior of the guest rooms and bathrooms by using a stylish design and rendering the use of the rooms as simple as possible. Several hotel projects are being developed at present by NOVUM Hotels and GBI AG mutually and the cooperation is due to be extended further. "Mannheim, as the centre of the Rhein-Neckar metropolitan area, is progressing to become one of the most advanced economic areas in Europe. The most important key indicators are continuously improving for the hotel location,' explains Chris-Norman Sauer, Head of Hotel Chris-Norman Sauer, Head of Hotel Development of GBI AG. 'Tourists as well as business travellers will find the location at the Luisenpark ideally chosen in respect of traffic connections and being so close to the city centre. We are especially pleased about the fact that we are able to intensify our cooperation with the NOVUM Group in Mannheim only a few weeks after we agreed on a cooperation in Frankfurt.' Michael Grötsch, Mayor of Mannheim responsible for the economy, labour, social policy and cultural issues welcomes the development: 'Using the closed-down car park at a prominent position for building a hotel makes a lot of sense. This will create new jobs in Mannheim as well as providing additional overnight accommodation in the city.'
ITB Berlin Convention: well prepared for turbulent times
4 days, 200 sessions, 400 speakers – all the latest topics ranging from geopolitical crises and disasters to artificial intelligence – numerous sessions will be streamed live on the internetAt the ITB Berlin Convention, which takes place from 8 to 11 March 2017, one of the key up-to-the-minute topics will be 'Disruptive Travel: The End of the World as We Know It'. Leading international experts will show how tourism professionals are successfully taking on controversial issues and current challenges such as geopolitical crises, travel safety risks and the use of artificial intelligence.
Holiday Inn ups its game with new luxury development in Berlin city centre
A new development for one of the world's largest hotel chains, the HOLIDAY INN, is in the pre-opening stages in the German capital, Berlin. The project is in the pre-opening stages, with the opening date set for March 2017. The 4-star development will have 186 rooms and be located in one of Berlin's most iconic squares, Alexanderplatz. The hotel is a move up for the brand, which often lies at the more economic end of the spectrum. The HOLIDAY INN Express Alexanderplatz is to be a luxury upscale development, for business and conference purposes, in the heart of the city.
Three-pronged Growth In The Intercityhotel Family
Three new hotels are soon to join the portfolio of Deutsche Hospitality's subsidiary IntercityHotel GmbH at locations in Hamburg-Barmbek, Dortmund und Hildesheim. These latest additions are scheduled to open in 2018 and 2019.
Vienna House coming soon to Kronberg im Taunus
Vienna House has signed the lease agreement for a 96-room hotel project in Kronberg im Taunus. Construction of the new design hotel is scheduled to start in 2017; the grand opening is planned for the first quarter of 2019. Vienna House, Austria's largest hotel group, signed the lease agreement with development firm Contraco GmbH on 7 December 2016. The design hotel to be built in the town of Kronberg near Frankfurt will offer a timeless and relaxed experience in 96 rooms, with two creative meeting rooms, a casual bistro, a cosy lobby lounge with bar and terrace as well as a fitness area with a view of the surrounding green space. The hotel building forms part of a new urban development plan that also includes the construction of the adjacent chamber music hall and the integration of the historic railway station. Musikquartier Kronberg, as the ensemble will be called, was designed by Staab Architekten of Berlin. Daniel Rinck, managing director of Contraco, and Rupert Simoner, CEO of Vienna House, agree on the positioning of the hotel. "Kronberg is a picturesque city and an important centre of business and research. This combination, plus the direct commuter access to Frankfurt, make Kronberg such an interesting destination for a Vienna House. The concept – contemporary style and a luxurious, premium lightness – sealed the deal," Rinck explains. "A Vienna House fits perfectly to Kronberg and its high cultural standards." "We want to encourage travel and adventure. Vienna House hotels are casual yet high-class. Our focus isn't on short-lived lifestyle fads, but on fantastic and timeless design, a local connection, sophisticated products, and employees who are authentic hosts," says Simoner, describing his strategy. What sounds simple requires seeing everything from the guests' point of view and focusing on the beauty of the simple things in life. Raimund Trenkler, Chairman of the Kronberg Academy Foundation, is clearly delighted at the management agreement concluded with Vienna House: "The hotel is an important contribution toward the development of the Musikquartier and will offer our artists and guests the familiar atmosphere they are looking for." The hotel plays with the themes of travel, business and music and will subtly use the historic train station and adjacent chamber music hall as inclusive style elements. The lobby is the heart of the hotel and will beat with a relaxed and easy-going rhythm. It will be a meeting place with a living room atmosphere, friendly bar and sun terrace. Breakfast will be served in a home-style kitchen environment, lunch and dinner will reflect the freshness and variety of a weekly market, and the bar will beckon with a lounge-like atmosphere and the coolest drinks. The new hotel in Kronberg will also offer a creative meeting concept in its two 50 square metre meeting rooms. Anyone who has experienced a meeting in this casual atmosphere with healthy power food will never again want to sit through a normal conference setting. A fitness area, an underground car park and a bus parking lot will also from part of the hotel. State-of-the-art technology with just as much digitalisation as needed will be found throughout the entire hotel, including free high-speed WiFi, mobile concierge, self check-in/check-out and an environmentally friendly mobility concept. Following the grand opening, Vienna House will operate 16 hotels in Germany and 17 more all over Europe.
Novum Hotel Group And GBI AG Set Up Hotel Project In Frankfurt
Frankfurt am Main is in pole position: Increasingly more banks, financial institutions and Fintechs want to be part of the thriving metropolis at the Main river. By erecting yet another new hotel the NOVUM Hotel Group will meet this strongly growing demand. A hotel of the NOVUM Style Hotel brand with 352 rooms will be erected in the vicinity of the central exhibition grounds, in cooperation with the largest hotel project developer in German cities, the GBI AG, who has sold resp. set up projects of above 1.0 billion Euros.
ISHC Now Accepting Nominations for the 2017 Young Leader Award presented at IHIF
The International Society of Hospitality Consultants (ISHC) is now accepting nominations for the 2017 Young Leader Award presented at the International Hotel Investment Forum (IHIF) in Berlin, Germany 6-8 March 2017.
STR: Preliminary November 2016 data for Berlin
STR's preliminary November 2016 data for Berlin, Germany, indicates performance growth.Based on daily data from November, Berlin reported the following in year-over-year comparisons:
Novum Hotel Group And GBI AG Set Up Hotel Project In Frankfurt
Frankfurt am Main is in pole position: Increasingly more banks, financial institutions and Fintechs want to be part of the thriving metropolis at the Main river. By erecting yet another new hotel the NOVUM Hotel Group will meet this strongly growing demand. A hotel of the NOVUM Style Hotel brand with 352 rooms will be erected in the vicinity of the central exhibition grounds, in cooperation with the largest hotel project developer in German cities, the GBI AG, who has sold resp. set up projects of above 1.0 billion Euros.
Sharing accommodation impacts cities more than hotels
Fast growth but low market share for 'sharing' accommodation platforms – Experts see major impact on residential accommodation – ITB Berlin exclusively publishes results from the World Travel Monitor® ForumSo-called 'sharing' accommodation providers may be growing fast but they still have a relatively low share of the overall hospitality market in Europe. Their main impact is in cities where they generate significant numbers of visitors but also reduce residential accommodation, according to experts. Those were some of the results of the 24th World Travel Monitor® Forum. Only 3 percent market share for 'sharing' accommodationThe so-called 'sharing' economy has boomed in recent years with the rise of firms such as Airbnb which have disrupted the leisure accommodation sector. However, they remain niche players, according to figures from the World Travel Monitor®. In 2015, Europeans booked so-called 'sharing' accommodation for 14 million outbound trips, which was a mere 3 percent of all their international trips. Nearly two thirds of these bookings were for apartments/flats and holiday homes, while only about 15 percent were for private rooms or B&B stays. "These apparently low figures may seem surprising considering how often 'sharing' companies make headlines about their dynamic growth, but they also show the sizeable future potential for these players," commented Dr. Martin Buck, Messe Berlin's Senior Vice President. Is Airbnb 'sharing' or commercial?The largest and best-known 'sharing accommodation' platform Airbnb now has about 3 million accommodation listings worldwide and is expanding into new business areas such as destination activities. But the US company has also faced widespread criticism that it is disrupting city centres and neighbourhoods by bringing in excessive numbers of visitors and effectively taking apartments out of the commercial rental sector by driving up prices. Diverse cities including Berlin have imposed new rules on commercial rental of private apartments to try to stop property-owners from renting to tourists through Airbnb and other providers instead of to local people or students. In response, Airbnb agreed at the start of December to enforce regulations designed to prevent hosts from renting properties in London for more than 90 nights a year and in Amsterdam for more than 60 nights. Jeroen Oskam, research centre director at the Hotelschool The Hague, explained to the Pisa forum that Airbnb is primarily a commercial business, and now has a 10 percent share of all international arrivals in Amsterdam and nearly 8 percent in London. According to his in-depth analysis of Airbnb's bookings in four European cities (Amsterdam, London, Berlin and Madrid), more than 82 percent of Airbnb-listed accommodation is rented as the entire property, and less than 18 percent as a private room or a sharing room. Similarly, more than 80 percent of the accommodation is available for rent for more than 31 days a year, and a high proportion of listed accommodation is located in city centres, he said. In London, about half of all Airbnb units are offered by hosts with multiple properties. "Airbnb combines a substantial part of commercial activities with a minority of authentic 'sharers'. This means residents are displaced by tourists. So it's 'unsharing'. You reserve assets for tourists," Oskam concluded. At the annual World Travel Monitor® Forum in Pisa, initiated at the invitation of consultancy IPK International and sponsored by ITB Berlin, around 50 tourism experts and academics from around the world present the latest figures and current trends in international tourism. Alongside special evaluations from IPK International's World Travel Monitor®, ITB Berlin will publish further key data from the World Travel Monitor® as part of the 'ITB World Travel Trends Report 2016/17' (Link to last year's ITB World Travel Trends Report 2015/2016 here: http://www.itb- berlin.de/media/itb/itb_dl_all/itb_presse_all/WTTR_ITB2016_8_Web.pdf) in early December. The 'ITB World Travel Trends Report' is based on the latest results and presentations at the World Travel Monitor® Forum, which is an exclusive meeting where current trends in the travel industry are discussed and predictions for tourism developments are made. The annual results of the World Travel Monitor®, which is the largest worldwide study on global travel behaviour, will be presented by IPK International at the ITB Future Day at the ITB Berlin Convention.
Westin Hotels & Resorts Arrives in Hamburg
Bethesda, MD -- Westin Hotels & Resorts, part of Marriott International, Inc. (NASDAQ:MAR), today announced the official unveiling of The Westin Hamburg, marking the brand's debut in Hamburg. Overlooking Germany's famed port city, the hotel resides within the Elbphilharmonie: Hamburg's new architectural landmark, home to two esteemed concert halls as well as luxury residences. Reimagined with a striking glass facade and thoughtfully-designed interiors, the storied building – once a historic riverside warehouse – is now poised to deliver a new level of well-being in the bustling city.
Rezidor and prizeotel announce their second joint hotel in Erfurt, Germany
The Rezidor Hotel Group and prizeotel are proud to announce their second joint hotel project in Erfurt, Eastern Germany, only a couple of days after announcing the signing of the prizeotel Bern, Switzerland. This new signing is evidence of Rezidor's rapid expansion plans with prizeotel. The prizeotel Erfurt-City, featuring 208 rooms, will open its doors in 2019 at a premium location with a direct connection to Erfurt central train station, at the start of the urban development project 'ICE City'.
Medical Tourism – a new segment at ITB Berlin
For the first time ITB Berlin 2017 will be fully devoting a platform to medical tourism, which has become an important fast-growing market. Medical service providers, hotels and destinations will be able to exhibit their products and services In the Medical Tourism Pavilion in Hall 3.2. Presentations and workshops will be held so that visitors can find out more about the latest trends and developments in this growth market.
Hanover To Get A Second Intercityhotel
Deutsche Hospitality is developing a new upper mid-range IntercityHotel on Berliner Allee at the very heart of the city of Hanover. When work is complete, the hotel will offer 220 rooms and four conference rooms as well as featuring a modern interior design scheme by the Italian architect Matteo Thun which will deliver bright generously proportioned spaces and a real feel-good atmosphere. The new hotel will join an existing IntercityHotel located on the South-West side of Hanover's main railway station. The latter opened in 2009 and will undergo modernisation during the course of 2017.