From 18 to 20 May 2010 key players of the real estate and investment industry will gather at REAL VIENNA at Messe Wien, where PKF hotelexperts will be exhibitor with a stand in hall C, stand no. C0840. Adjacent to the stand we are looking forward to welcoming hotel groups and other decision makers of the industry at the HTL lounge, a platform for hotel, tourism and leisure professionals.

Moreover, PKF hotelexperts and GEWINN, a business magazine, will organise the HTLconference which will be held from 18 to 20 May, offering presentations and discussions related to the hotel, tourism and leisure industry along with ample networking opportunities.

On the first conference day, a speed networking session will be arranged from 1.30 pm to 2.00 pm. Participants and speakers will have the opportunity to exchange information and establish contacts.

If you would like to register for the speed networking or require any further information, please contact:
Evelyn Priesch, Marketing Coordinator
email evelyn.priesch@pkfhotels.com
tel +43 1 5120707115  

PKF hotelexperts would be pleased to welcome partners and friends at this year’s MIPIM, which has been the world's premier real-estate trade fair for the last 20 years, in Cannes. The well renowned fair takes place from Tuesday, 16 to Friday, 19 March 2010. The widespread programme of conferences, events and networking opportunities on today’s most current topics will offer various new insights into the industry and the present challenges.

PKF hotelexperts will be exhibiting in Hall Lerins, at stand no. 409. Additionally, PKF hotelexperts, in cooperation with Reed MIDEM, is organising the Hotel & Tourism  lounge, a networking platform for hotel groups, project developers, investors and other key players of the hotel, tourism and leisure industry.

The lounge, located at Palais des Festivals, level 3, will host, among other events, daily presentations of hotel, tourism and leisure projects and debates on topical issues. Discover new business opportunities and identify future partners!

If you are interested in meeting us at MIPIM in Cannes, in presenting a project showcase at our HTL lounge, or if you require any further information, please let us know: vienna@pkfhotels.com

See you in Cannes! 

Hotel development in Turkey’s secondary cities - this was the focus of the first HTLroundtable in Istanbul which took place at the Radisson Bosphorus Blu Hotel on 29 January 2010. The event was organised by PKF hotelexperts and co-hosted by Entegre Project Management, an Istanbul based project management company. 

More than 30 national and international hotel and real estate professionals were invited to discuss the future of Turkey as a top tourism destination. The participants of the HTLroundtable saw a high potential for hotel developments in secondary cities and identified a clear shortage of branded hotels outside Istanbul and an increasing demand for mid-segment and low-budget hotels. 

It can be concluded that Turkey’s so-called secondary cities are clearly poised for a wave of new hotel development. Trendy, lifestyle oriented budget products, offering the special ”wow-effect” and catering to the needs of national and international tourists alike, would most likely be the best and most profitable choice of filling the gap between seaside holiday resorts and upscale city hotels.

This year the event was themed “On the outlook for new horizons”. Almost 300 participants, among them representatives of banks, hotel companies, consulting firms, investors and architects, had the opportunity to catch up on recent developments and innovations in the areas of hotel and resort real estate. On the occasion of the gala evening, which represented the highlight of the conference, the Hospitality Innovation Award and the Hotel Property Award 2009 were granted.

The Lindner Park-Hotel Hagenbeck in Hamburg, the first zoo-themed hotel worldwide, prevailed over many competitors and was honored the Hotel Property of the Year 2009. The Hospitality Innovation Award was granted to wombat’s and Meininger city hostels & hotels. Both companies developed the hostel concept and refined it by combining hotel and hostel elements.

Exciting and informative project showcases, a vivid panel discussion, speed networking, as well as an entertaining gala evening, contributed to a successful event for all participants.

 
     

From 26 to 28 May 2009 key players in the real estate and investment industry will gather at REAL VIENNA at Messe Wien, where PKF hotelexperts will be exhibitor with a stand in hall C, no. C0544. Adjacent to the stand we are looking forward to welcoming hotel groups and other decision makers of the industry at the HTL lounge, a platform for hotel, tourism and leisure professionals.

Moreover, PKF hotelexperts and GEWINN, a business magazine, will – for the first time – organise the
HTLconference which will be held from 26 to 27 May, offering presentations and discussions related to the hotel, tourism and leisure industry along with ample networking opportunities.
  

On both conference days, speed networking sessions will be arranged from 1.30 pm to 2.15 pm. Participants and speakers will have the opportunity to exchange information and establish contacts.

If you would like to register for the speed networking or require any further information, please contact:

Evelyn Priesch
Marketing Coordinator
evelyn.priesch@pkfhotels.com
+43 (1) 5120707115                                                            

Stuttgart’s hotel market has been given a boost by the recently inaugurated Neue Messe Stuttgart. With 1.29 million overnight stays, the city registered an increase of 9.2 per cent during the first six months of 2008, when compared with last year’s data. The perspectives for the years to come are quite optimistic, in view of the new fairground and the international congress centre.

In the last ten years, the demand for accommodation - with an increase of 31 per cent - has grown faster than the offer, which has shown a growth of only 25 per cent. Due to an average room occupancy rate of 63.5 per cent, Stuttgart ranks on eight place among the German top-10 hotel sites. In the first six months, the average room rate has reached 98 euros, thus showing a rise of 1.7 per cent. Therefore, Stuttgart’s hotel industry registered a RevPar (revenue per room) of 59 euros.

In the light of these figures, various projects will be realised within the next years, such as the inauguration of the B&B in Siemensstraße in 2009 as well as an acom hotel, a Holiday Inn, another Motel One, a Holiday Inn Express and a Park Inn by the year 2010. 

For more than 12 years, the Adlon Holding, operator of the well-known Hotel Adlon at the Brandenburger Tor in Berlin, and the Café Adlon at the Kurfürsten-Damm have been disputing about their renowned name. Now the dispute is over. The proprietor of Café Adlon, Mehdi Sharif, has sold his name to the Adlon Holding for an unknown price. 

The dispute startet in 1997, when the Hotel Adlon was inaugurated – 7 years after Sharif had protected his local’s name. In 2002, a decision taken by the Federal Court of Justice stipulated that both sides could use the name. Now, after the last Adlon-party on September 12^th, the Café at the Kurfürstendamm will be given a new name: Destino.

Generally, the German hotel market developed positively in the first half year 2008. Overall, the rooms yield (revenue per available room) of the recorded hotels in Germany increased by 5.6 % to € 59.52 compared to the same period last year. This was mainly driven by a 5.7 % increase in AARR to € 94.17.

Particularly city- and airport hotels were hereby a crucial factor with an increase of rooms yield by 6.1 % to € 65.49 and 5.6 % to € 71.84, respectively.

The following chart shows the development of hotel key data of selected German cities in the first half year of 2008 compared to the same period last year (based on a sample of three- to five-star branded hotels with a total of around 66.000 rooms): 

Belarus, the last European country with centrally planned economy, starts to get the attention of international hotel chains and investors. Although all land in this still rather isolated country is publicly owned, it seems to be finally possible for hotel chains to enter the market – linked with a bunch of considerable obstacles, though. Hyatt, as one of the first international hotel groups, is expected to open its first hotel in Minsk by mid 2009. Besides that, the hotel market remains rather untouched by foreign direct investment. 

The Belarusian Ministry of Statistics and Analysis announced in 2007 that there were 279 operating hotels and similar type establishments with about 23,500 beds available in the whole country. The annual average occupancy rate amounted to approximately 48% in the whole of Belarus and to approximately 60% in Minsk city. Average net room rates range from about € 100 to € 264 in four-star hotels. Moreover, there was no single five-star hotel in the country until 2007. History shows that officials rather tried to hinder international investors to enter the market. Anyhow – on a long-term basis – investors should keep an eye on this last soviet-style governed country in Europe.

The Spanish hotel chain Sol Melia will also operate in Vienna. The hotel, named “ME Vienna” is part of the brand “Me by Melia” and will be placed in the future DC-Towers, the highest skyscraper, whose construction will start this summer. The opening is planned in the year 2010. The higher tower of the two, planned by Dominique Pierrault with a height of 230 meters, will accommodate 255 rooms on 15 of in total 57 floors.

Further hotels of the brand “ME by Melia” are located in Madrid and Barcelona. Sol Melia was founded in the year 1956 in Palma de Mallorca. According to their own information they belong to the biggest holiday hotel chain in the world comprising 300 hotels in 30 countries and 32,500 employees.

Sheraton, Starwood's leading meeting- and convention-, resort- and vacation-brand in the first-class segment, represents 45 % of the Starwood hotels and 51% of the Starwood rooms with over 400 hotels worldwide. Sheraton is now planning the biggest expansion since its founding. 

Until the end of 2009, 51 hotel openings are planned worldwide (with focus on the North American market with 26 hotels and the Asian Pacific area with 15 hotels). On average, Sheraton will thus open a new hotel every 14 days in the years 2008 and 2009. 10 more deals are already signed for further openings in the years 2010 and 2011.

The trend in attracting foreign partners for the operation of hotels supports the venture. Hilton intends to expand with 20 new hotels in the next few years, Rezidor follows with Park-In and Holiday Inn plans to gain market shares using its brand Express by Holiday Inn. 100 hotels of All Seasons, the new brand of Accor, will be present on the German market in medium term.

In reaction to the fact that the German hotel market is being infiltrated by low-budget hotels, national hotel chains are increasingly looking towards foreign markets to fuel their expansion. Due in part to this reason, the German based Steigenberger Hotel AG decided to recruit André Witschi, the former Chief Executive Officer of Accor Germany, in order to benefit from his international know-how.

While the German Maritim hotel group is placing more of a focus on the foreign markets, the Israeli Fattal Group, with its European division Leonardo Hotels, is concentrating on acquiring hotels in Germany. The ambition is to own 30 hotels in Germany by the end of the year 2008.

Also the French chain B&B is working on increasing its market penetration in Germany while benefiting from the growing appeal for low-budget hotels. At the first AHGZ hotel congress, a growth of branded budget hotels from currently 200 properties to 350 hotels was forecasted for the not too distant future.

But a trend is not only seen in the budget segment of the market. Health resorts and lifestyle hotels, as well as seminar hotels, are increasing in popularity.

Dresden’s role is by no means confined to tourism and history. Because of its flourishing IT sector it is often regarded as Germany’s Silicon Valley, where more blue-chip and semiconductor companies have established operations in recent years than any other German region. Historic monuments such as the newly rebuilt and reopened Frauenkirche, the Dresdner Zwinger or the Semperoper are of great cultural importance.

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The American investment group Blackstone absorbs the Hilton Corporation Group for about 19 bn. Euros until the fourth quarter of 2007. With a price of around 47.5 Dollar, Blackstone pays 30 percent more per share than its closing quotation worth last Sunday. With 2,800 hotels in 80 countries, Hilton is among the leading hotel brands worldwide. Blackstone holds shares in a large number of companies worldwide, among others the Deutsche Telekom. Already about 100,000 hotel rooms belong to its portfolio in and Europe.
 

The Rezidor Hotel Group, which is, according to own statements, the European market leader in the airport-hotel-segment, signed four contracts, for the operation of new hotels in Germany, Great Britain and Ireland. Furthermore, three Park Inn hotels are planned in Great Britain. All together, the group plans to open 20.000 new rooms by 2009.

The French Louvre Hotels Group and the Austrian Warimpex Finanz und Beteiligungs AG plan to set up a strategic joint venture for the establishment of a hotel group in Middle and Eastern Europe.

Around 80 hotels are currently being planned in Poland, the Czech Republic, Slovakia and Hungary. For this purpose, an investment of between Euro 300 and 500 million is planned for the next three to five years. A further expansion into other countries in the region is not unlikely. The already existing budget hotel chains of the Louvre Group, Campanile, Première Classe and Kryriad, are also to be further enlarged in the context of the joint venture.

The joint venture shall be founded in the middle of 2007; both companies will hold half of the shares. Warimpex will be responsible for the construction and furnishing of the hotels and the Louvre Group for the operation. The first phase will consist of an investment of about Euro 150 million for the construction of about 30 hotels.

The British InterContinental Hotels Group (IHG) is planning to expand its capacities by 50,000 to 60,000 rooms by the end of 2008.

In 2006, the seven brands of the group, InterContinental, Crowne Plaza , Holiday Inn, Express by Holiday Inn, Indigo, Staybridge Suites and Candlewood Suites, comprised 3,741 hotels with 556,246 rooms altogether. These hotels generated a turnover of about € 1.2 billion. However, only 25 of these hotels are actually owned by InterContinental Hotels Group. The majority of hotels are operated under management and franchise agreements. In 2006, the group sold off  31 of its hotels in Europe to investors.

The luxury brand InterContinental will be one of the main brands to be expanded: Currently, there are 36 hotels worldwide under development. Future locations in Europe include Davos, Kiev and Moscow . In the group is looking for a site in Munich .

Furthermore, the opening of seven hotels of the Staybridge Suites brand is planned in the within this year. Thus, this brand will be represented in Europe for the first time.