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
Starwood Hotels & Resorts Worldwide, Inc. (NYSE:HOT) today announced that it is expanding its footprint in Germany with the signing of the Sheraton Berlin Grand Hotel Esplanade. The franchise agreement with Esplanade Operation GmbH, a subsidiary of Host Hotels & Resorts' European joint venture, marks the conversion of the existing Grand Hotel Esplanade to a Sheraton hotel. The hotel continues to be operated by EVENT Hotel Group, which also holds a minority interest in the property.
The International Hotel Investment Forum (IHIF) continues to set the industry standard for conference speakers and programme content. Information on some of the topical and engaging sessions new for IHIF 2015 will be detailed over the following weeks.
The Steigenberger Hotel Group's main focus this year will be strongly directed towards achieving increased quality and productivity. Both Head Office and the hotels themselves are carrying out fine tuning processes to deliver improved solutions and innovations which will ultimately lead to even higher levels of comfort and guest satisfaction. The main thrusts here are the continuing development of digital booking channels and of customer loyalty programmes and the expansion of e-commerce and IT platforms to accelerate international growth whilst also bringing about a significant improvement in cost of sales via the deployment of digital media. Responsibility for the implementation of these ambitious objectives has been placed in the hands of the newly created Division of E-Business for E-Commerce & Distribution and Online Travel Agencies (OTA), which is headed up by Vice President Ralf Denke. Mr. Denke has been involved in the e-business industry for more than twelve years and will take on a central role in moving the company into the digital age. He will share this remit with Niklas Unger, the new Head of the IT Division. Adapted to the international strategy of the company in terms of applications, architecture and sourcing, IT creates the necessary basis for the successful implementation of innovations. Mr. Unger has already worked in a number of branches as an IT and process consultant and has held responsibility for Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP), digital transformation and website relaunch projects. "We are delighted to have been able to secure the services of two such high-calibre candidates for these two new Head Office management roles," said Puneet Chhatwal, CEO of Steigenberger Hotels AG. "We took a conscious decision to recruit outside the hotel branch, and Mr. Denke and Mr. Unger will bring the necessary know-how to the table that will enable the Steigenberger Hotel Group to continue its successful development both in e-business and in the field of IT. We are making great strides in terms of realising our digital vision."
Hilton Hotels & Resorts has opened its first hotel at Munich Airport in Germany. Hilton Munich Airport started welcoming guests on New Year's Eve, following an agreement between Hilton Worldwide and owners Allresto Flughafen München Hotel und Gaststätten GmbH, a wholly owned subsidiary of Flughafen München GmbH.The 389 guest room property is the only hotel to provide direct access to the terminal building and establishes a Hilton Worldwide presence at more than 35 major airports across Europe.Simon Vincent, president and executive vice president, EMEA, Hilton Worldwide, said, "The opening of Hilton Munich Airport follows new Hilton Worldwide airport hotels at London's Heathrow and Gatwick as well as Krakow in Poland. With nearly 40 million passengers travelling through Munich Airport in 2014, we are uniquely positioned to give guests direct and convenient access to the terminal building. This addition to our portfolio in Germany marks more than 20 hotels trading and in the pipeline in key locations throughout the country."Rob Palleschi, global head, full service brands, Hilton Worldwide, said, "This year will see us increase our presence at key transport hubs around the world, and this hotel is an incredible example of our signature Hilton brand. Hilton Munich Airport continues our heritage of opening at prime locations internationally, including our award winning Hilton Frankfurt Airport and upcoming opening at Amsterdam Schiphol Airport in the Netherlands. We are proud to bring our Hilton values and service to guests travelling to Europe's top airports."Hilton Munich Airport boasts a full height glass atrium which contributes to its spacious public areas. Guests at the hotel benefit from a range of quality amenities including large scale state of the art conference and business facilities spread over 20 meeting rooms. The hotel is also undergoing a significant extension which will see 160 guest rooms added to the building in 2017.Hilton Munich Airport offers a range of dining options, including local cuisine and international dishes served at Charles Lindbergh. Cocktails and snacks can be enjoyed in the stylish Nightflight Bar, while business and leisure guests wishing to keep fit away from home can take advantage of the hotel's fitness facilities which incorporates a 17 metre swimming pool, whirlpool, sauna, steam bath and fitness area.Munich Airport was voted third best airport (and number one in Europe) by passengers at the 2014 World Airport Awards. Its geographical location at the heart of the continent means it is well placed for passengers travelling to Germany or in transit to other destinations. Flughafen München GmbH originally developed the hotel in 1994 to enhance the quality and customer experience at Munich Airport and will commence the hotel extension following completion of the conversion under the Hilton Hotels & Resorts brand.Munich city has emerged as an important business and leisure destination, hosting events which include investment show ExpoReal and the popular annual Bavarian beer festival - Oktoberfest.Hilton Munich Airport is situated at Terminalstrasse, Mitte 20, 85356, Munich, Germany. For more information or to make reservations, please visit Hilton Munich Airport, or call +49 899 7820. The hotel joins two other Hilton Hotels & Resorts property in Munich - Hilton Munich City and Hilton Munich Park. View more news about Hilton Hotels & Resorts openings and a development map at news.hilton.com/openings.
The Steigenberger Hotel Group will be taking over the Hotel Cologne Rudolfplatz in Cologne with effect from 1 January 2015 and has now signed an agreement to this effect with the owner company Carey Property, S.L. of Madrid. €15 million has been budgeted for renovation and modernisation works, and the property will be opened as the Steigenberger Hotel Köln in the second half of 2016 once these have been successfully completed. During the conversion phase, Carey Property S.L. will continue to operate the hotel under the name of Hotel Cologne Rudolfplatz and will receive specialist support from Steigenberger Consulting, a one hundred percent subsidiary of the Steigenberger Hotel Group. The future Steigenberger Hotel Köln will offer 301 rooms and suites, a ballroom, seven meeting rooms, a restaurant, a spa and gym area and 110 parking spaces. Luis Miguel Martín, senior executive of Carey Property S.L. Madrid said: "The Steigenberger Hotel Group and Carey have had a highly successful partnership in place for many years with the Steigenberger Hotel Berlin. We are delighted to be able to continue this close collaboration in Cologne and see it as the basis for future projects of this magnitude." Puneet Chhatwal, CEO of Steigenberger Hotels AG, stated: "Cologne was one of the very few blank spots on our map. We could not imagine any better partner than Carey with whom to launch the multi award-winning Steigenberger service in this attractive Rhine metropolis."
Both Budapest and Munich hoteliers reported significant year-on-year increases in gross operating profit per available room (GOPPAR) by 25.1% and 52.8% respectively, according to the latest data from HotStats.
More and more companies are exploiting the wide-ranging impact of travel blogs in order to target customers. At the upcoming Blogger Speed Dating event ITB Berlin will be offering members of the travel industry an opportunity to meet with experienced travel bloggers from around the world for the third time. During the eight to ten-minute time slots both participants will be able to briefly introduce themselves, discuss topics and business, and establish initial contact.
The InterCityHotel Hamburg Dammtor-Messe opens on 1 December to become the 37th property in the portfolio of Steigenberger's subsidiary InterCityHotel. The hotel offers 275 rooms, a conference area on the 13th floor with up to six meeting rooms, a restaurant, a bistro lounge and a bar. The "FreeCityTicket", which entitles guests to use local public transport free of charge, is included in the price of overnight accommodation and provides real added value for city travellers and business visitors alike. "Hamburg is an important market," said Puneet Chhatwal, CEO of Steigenberger Hotels AG. The opening of the InterCityHotel Hamburg Dammtor-Messe forms part of our strategy of expansion, which places an emphasis on the further development of our brands at attractive and strategically significant locations." "The launch of a third InterCityHotel in Hamburg enables us to bring the year 2014 to a successful conclusion," added Joachim Marusczyk, Managing Director of InterCityHotel GmbH. "We will begin 2015 in a similar vein when the InterCityHotel Enschede opens in January and becomes our first venture into the Netherlands". InterCityHotel GmbH is operating the hotel via a lease agreement. The owner and project developer is the Hamburg-based B&L Group. Architectural planning is by "ingenhoven architects" of Düsseldorf. The public areas and rooms have been designed by "Dreesen und Partner" from Düsseldorf and "Burbacher Objekt Consult" from Burbach.
Ralf Bohlmann, the Managing Director for Ariane Inhotels, has decided to leave Ariane in March 2015. Ralf started Inhotels 20 years ago and has been essential in developing the business of Ariane Systems in Germany, Austria, Switzerland, Italy and Poland. Ariane Inhotels is currently one of the most profitable business units at Ariane Systems. Ralf has decided to dedicate his new active life to his passion, sport and health. He will remain a shareholder at Ariane, but will transfer the operational responsibility to Dr. Josef Schilling. Dr. Josef Schilling joined Ariane on December 1st 2014 and we are very proud to welcome him to our Management Team. Josef has an extensive background in business management. He has worked in multiple roles at the Daimler Group for nearly 8 years, before moving on to new challenges as Managing Director and Commercial Manager for start-up companies. More than a decade of frequent business travels has provided Josef with a lot of first-hand experience of the hospitality industry by spending hundreds of nights at hotels. Josef joins our team with many great ideas on how to help develop business travel, hotels and our industry in general. Starting from March 2015 Dr. Josef Schilling will follow Ralf Bohlmann as Managing Director of Ariane Inhotels.
The ITB Berlin Convention looks at a new trend, the sharing economy – leading experts give their opinion on the future of travel marketing, mobile marketing and film location tours – admission is free for visitors to ITB Berlin
Madeleine Pauly Marx ESSEC IMHI 1987 has joined the Scandic Hotels chain as General manager for hotel Emporio in Hamburg. Prior to that Madeleine spent more than 10 years as General Manager in several Marriott properties in Hamburg.
Travel-hungry Europeans are defying local crises and political unrest, having undertaken record numbers of trips this year. Compared to last year, in 2014 the number of foreign trips rose by three per cent, reaching a new record. According to the ITB World Travel Trends Report, conducted by IPK International and commissioned by the world's leading travel trade show, destinations such as Greece, Spain and the UK profited from this boom. All signs point to growth in 2015 as well.
Hampton by Hilton today announced the official opening of its newest property, Hampton by Hilton Nuremberg City Centre. The 80 guestroom property is operated by Foremost Hospitality and is the first one to represent the brand in the 11th century city of Nuremberg.