Affordable boutique hotel with 176 rooms / First Moxy in conventional construction / 20-year operating agreement with SV Group / Top-quality technology equipment for new generation of travellers / Institutional investors voice interest
Jaz in the City enables its guests to embrace authentic experiences in a city hotel. Its target group comprises open-minded world explorers, weekend adventurers, foodies and "bizcationers" – modern business travellers and consultants who are seeking to enhance their commercial trips with elements of leisure. Jaz in the City offers an inimitable flair which captures local circumstances and allows guests to enjoy a truly intimate experience. 175 rooms and suites will set unique trends combined with state-of-the-art technology. A conference area will provide sufficient space for meetings and events, whilst health and beauty enthusiasts will find everything they are looking for in a dedicated SPA facility. A restaurant complete with a Day Bar will ensure that plenty of culinary delights are on offer, and the hotel will also feature a perfect space to chill out in the form of its own rooftop terrace. Breathtaking views of the city are, of course, included. "Our new Jaz in the City concept is perfectly in tune with the times and is an ideal fit within the structures of European metropolises," said Puneet Chhatwal, CEO of the Steigenberger Hotel Group. This is a place where innovation and creativity meet the highest level of service and the excellence for which Steigenberger is renowned. The overall package on offer constitutes a unique hotel experience." The hotel's public areas and rooms are being designed by the Stuttgart-based company GEPLAN Design. The "Cloud No. 7" residential and hotel tower represents a new landmark within Stuttgart's Europa Quarter. Investor Tobias Fischer, CEO of Schwäbische Wohnungs AG and Managing Director of Cloud No. 7 Projektgesellschaft GmbH, stated: "37 high-quality business apartments and 20 luxury flats will be constructed above the Stuttgarter Jaz in the City Hotel. The architectural standards of this new build tower to house both residential units and hotel facilities will make it a beacon project within the Europa Quarter. Cloud No. 7 is a visionary and unique undertaking which reflects the high quality of life and economic power of Stuttgart and the whole of the surrounding region like nothing else."
Developer GBI AG is going to thoroughly refurbish the former office building of the Gothaer Versicherung insurance company in Cologne, converting the property into a hotel of the Holiday Inn Express brand. With 323 rooms this will be the largest Holiday Inn Express in Europe. So far, the Holiday Inn Express Amsterdam Arena Towers, featuring the same number of rooms, has been the sole holder of this “title”.
The International Society of Hospitality Consultants (ISHC), in partnership with the International Hotel Investment Forum (IHIF), presented Greg Bows of African Impact with the 2015 Young Leader Award on 3 March. Celebrating its seventh year, the award recognizes the outstanding contribution to the industry by a young hospitality leader.
All good things come to an end. The International Hotel Investment Forum here at the InterContinental Berlin has culminated, but not before one last day of valuable sessions and networking. Discussing traditional versus next-generation business models was the theme of an afternoon panel composed of four young hotel executives: Guido Fredrich, VP of special property finance-hotel properties at Aareal Bank AG; Fred Hines, director and head of acquisitions at Queensgate Investments; Theresa Jaeger, director of of real estate and asset management for Hilton Worldwide; and Jacob Rasin, analyst-business intelligence at Pandox AB.
The final day of the 18th International Hotel Investment Forum (IHIF), took a new format this year with the introduction of new In-The-Round sessions. These were introduced following suggestions from the IHIF Advisory Board to facilitate more intimate and informative discussion platforms on specialist subject areas. Each session was guided by an industry expert who prepared information in advance to share with delegates to enable a worthwhile and useful conversation. The sessions covered a wide range of topics including assessing the reliability of hotel valuations, crisis management, the sharing economy, technology and improving RevPAR among others. The In-The-Round sessions also provided an opportunity for an in-depth focus on specific geographical areas and the hospitality and investment status within those countries. These included Italy, The Maldives, Scotland, Switzerland, Austria, Morocco, Brazil, Ecuador and Macedonia.
The mobile travel market is flourishing. This was illustrated impressively by Expedia Market Manager Arne Erichsen at the ITB Berlin Convention 2015. By 2020 there will be around 18 billion mobile devices in use. India and other Asian countries in particular are responsible for the high increase in numbers. They already rank second in the mobile device market and are 650 per cent larger than the third largest market. In Germany the market is growing too, said Erichsen. In 2016 mobile devices will be used to book one in every five overnights in Germany, twice as many as in 2013. "For Berlin's hotel industry, where over 5,000 rooms are booked daily, that means that 1,000 reservations are made with mobile devices." Good mobile device products and interfaces were now needed, he added."Customers on the move do not want to generate long pages of hotel reviews using smartphone keys or click on a series of links", said Erichsen. "Information must be easy and quick to obtain, relevant and fit onto one page." In particular, rather than just accepting online reviews one should use them to communicate with the customer. He called upon travel technology providers and developers to make an active effort to support this technological process.
Hilton Worldwide today announced that it has signed an agreement to open its largest Hampton by Hilton hotel to date, in central Berlin. With 344 guest rooms and a prime city centre location, Hampton by Hilton Berlin Alexanderplatz is slated to open in early 2018.
The second day of the 18th International Hotel Investment Forum (IHIF), opened with President & Chief Executive Officer, Questex, Kerry Gumas presenting Ecole hôtelière de Lausanne (EHL) with a cheque as part of Questex's long standing support of the school. André Witschi, President of the Board of Governors at EHL accepted the cheque on behalf of the institute.
InterContinental Hotels Group (IHG®), one of the world's leading hotel companies, has announced the signing of its latest multiple development agreement (MDA) to develop 10 hotels in Germany by 2019 with first time franchisee for the company, Interstar. IHG's growth strategy continues to gain momentum in Germany with over 85 hotels currently either open or planned under MDA agreements.
Frankfurt, Germany and Orlando, FL –Trust International´s customers are off to a positive start in 2015 astride a wave of new technologies and specialized services that have spawned growth in new business and increased bookings across multiple channels.
The 18th International Hotel Investment Forum (IHIF), has opened at the Hotel InterContinental Berlin, Germany. Over 2,000 delegates from across 70 countries have gathered for the largest and most senior event for the hospitality industry. The programme began with welcome remarks from Kerry Gumas, President & Chief Executive Officer, Questex and Jonathan Worsley Chairman, Bench Events, Board Member, STR Global. Gumas thanked the diverse delegation for their attendance as well as the sponsors and advisory board for their continued support. Worsley welcomed delegates who were new to the event and also those who were amongst the 300 who attended the inaugural event 18 years ago.
Hilton Worldwide has reached agreements to add its first European hotels under the Curio - A Collection by Hilton brand. Dating back more than a century each, Reichshof Hamburg and Rumeli Han Istanbul are historic landmark hotels undergoing major renovation and restoration. The hotels are due to open in 2015 and 2017 respectively.
Bangkok-based hotel operator Dusit International has chosen this year's ITB Berlin as the stage to showcase its latest news and updates in the European marketplace, as it continues to pursue its aggressive expansion plans worldwide.
From the International Hotel Investment Forum (IHIF) in Berlin, Starwood Hotels & Resorts Worldwide, Inc. (NYSE: HOT) today announced it is on track to open more than 40 new hotels and resorts across Europe in the next five years, expanding its portfolio by almost 30% with openings in both fast-growing and established markets. Further underlining its long-term growth strategy, Starwood is set to open five new hotels in Turkey this year, including The St. Regis Istanbul which just opened on March 1st.
Design Hotels™ will again be present at this year's ITB tourism fair in Berlin, on March 5-9, 2015. The theme of the stand, awarded best design multiple years in a row, this year is Artists in Residence – Room to Create, highlighting the ingenuity in design, art and intangible matters that bind Design Hotels™ properties with their guests. Design Hotels™ members are seedbeds of creativity where ideas are born and like-minded people come together. Each of the 279 member properties is a destination itself, inspiring and encouraging creative thinking and interaction.
The International Hotel Investment Forum (IHIF), in conjunction with the International Society of Hospitality Consultants (ISHC) have named Greg Bows, Founder and Managing Director of African Impact, as the winner of the IHIF 2015 Young Leader Award.
Peter Kienast has been appointed the position of General Manager of Hotel de Rome, the Rocco Forte hotel located on the illustrious Bebelplatz in Berlin. German-born Mr Kienast has an impressive 25 years experience in some of the most exclusive five star hotels across the world. Overseeing all aspects of the Berlin award winning hotel, Mr Kienast will be responsible for day to day operations and strategic direction of the hotel, including the 145 rooms and suites, the newly launched La Banca restaurant and bar, the historic ballroom, the seasonal roof terrace as well as the Hotel de Rome Spa and meeting and conferencing offerings.
Travel Technology – one of the foundations of the global travel industry. As David Ruetz, head of ITB Berlin, put it: "At the moment, the innovation seen in the travel industry is not so much about products, but really all about processes." This view is shared by Uli Pillau, managing director of hetras, who also believes that travel technology is currently one of the most important innovation drivers in the global travel industry. In his words: "Mobile platforms in particular are becoming more and more important in the travel industry, and, at the moment, the hotel sector is being completely turned on its head – not by gadgets – but by new processes."
The Gay & Lesbian Travel Pavilion, the world's largest LGBT platform, welcomes new exhibitors – discussion round at the ITB Berlin Convention on the prospects for LGBT social media campaigns – a cult event: the ITB TomOnTour Party on 4 March 2015