The Latest Developments in the German Hotel Industry

Overview of market trends The summary of the week April 8th to 12th, 2024

Dear hotel professionals, In today's newsletter we take a look at the latest developments in the German hotel industry. Germany experienced an impressive 6.9% year-on-year increase in overnight stays in February 2024, with a historic high since 2020. 

The upcoming European Football Championship has already seen hotels almost fully booked, with games such as the Netherlands versus France and Portugal versus the Czech Republic in Leipzig, with a price increase of up to 100% expected. Motel One reports strong revenue growth of 33% in 2023 and plans to expand its portfolio to 117 hotels. 

The market for hotel properties is stable with a sales volume of 260 million euros in the first quarter of 2024. The ahgz top 100 brand hotels in Germany report an increase in sales of 15.66%, led by the Estrel Hotel in Berlin. 

A study presented at the ahgz hotel congress highlights the communication gap between employees and employers, while DEHOGA Brandenburg warns of the impending death of restaurants. The Next Work Study 2024 proposes future-oriented working models to counteract the staff shortage.

Have fun while reading! Best regards, Martin and Tony


THE TOPIC CATEGORIES :

1. Innovation
2. Sales and Revenue Management
3. Law and administration
4. Market trends
5. Hotel management
6. Eco-responsible initiative and CSR

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1. INNOVATION

The Migros Zurich cooperative has introduced the “Bridge” concept in Zurich. This concept combines retail and catering, with orders and payments made digitally. Details about the QR code solution from Migros .

The use of artificial intelligence (AI) in recruiting processes is increasingly being discussed. Verena Fink offers insights into the challenges and potential of AI in this area. More about AI in the application process .

McDonald's in the Netherlands has launched a campaign with the scent of their fries. Advertising posters in Utrecht and Leiden spread the smell to evoke emotional memories. Learn more about this olfactory marketing strategy at McDonald's Scent Marketing .

Schloss Elmau, the renowned Bavarian resort, has chosen Infrasys Cloud as its POS platform. The application supports sophisticated gastronomy, including a two-star Michelin restaurant. Read details about Schloss Elmau's POS solution .

Ibis has identified a security issue at check-in terminals that exposed third-party access codes. The problem that was discovered at the ibis Hamburg-Altona has now been resolved by Accor. More information about the security issue at ibis .


2. SALES AND REVENUE MANAGEMENT

Optimistic forecasts and strategic partnerships in focus

Holiday home rental companies in Germany expect strong demand for 2024 and 90% expect reservation numbers to remain the same or increase compared to the previous year. 46% of providers plan to increase their prices, usually by less than 5%. In addition, 88% of landlords view their offers as a cheaper alternative to local hotels.

The GCH Hotel Group has extended its partnership with the German Handball Association until the end of 2026 and will continue to promote the brand at home games and in associated media. The group manages around 80 hotels in Germany and Austria that are used by the DHB.

A Holidu analysis shows that less than half of German holiday home providers want to increase their prices this year. However, major events such as the European Football Championship could lead to price increases.

The importance of an effective marketing plan is highlighted to increase booking rates . Especially for small businesses such as guesthouses and holiday apartments, using local marketing platforms and emphasizing quality service, local SEO and social media is essential to stand out from the competition.

HotelPartner Revenue Management combines human expertise with artificial intelligence (AI) to enable more precise predictions in revenue management. This technology helps hotels maximize revenue and increase profitability by creating more efficient offerings and operations.

The Landlust Hotels have welcomed their 20th member to their network of exclusive country hotels, Gut Damp on the Baltic Sea. The members benefit from a strong media presence and a loyal readership of the Landlust magazine for reservations and specialist exchange.

Adagio has a new Director of Sales & Revenue, Stéphane Ormand, who previously worked at Air France-KLM for 25 years. He will now drive the Next Adagio strategy with a focus on revenue management and pricing.

Phantasialand in Brühl and Europa-Park in Rust lead the ranking of the most popular theme parks in Germany. Created by kurz-mal-weg.de , the ranking is based on the number of followers and search volumes in social networks. Phantasialand achieved 366 points, closely followed by Europa-Park with 362 points. Heide Park in Soltau is in third place with 361 points. You can find more details in the article on the topic.


3. LAW AND ADMINISTRATION

Tightening rules and challenges in the hotel industry

New penalties come into force in Palma de Mallorca, providing fines for wild peeing, graffiti and public drinking of up to 3,000 euros, in a bid to improve the image of Playa de Palma as a year-round family destination. Tightened rules at Ballermann

The revelations from Günter Wallraff's team about the cleaning industry and the subsequent reactions from affected hotels in Hamburg show that there are difficult questions about working conditions in our industry. Wallraff research in the cleaning industry

The Dorint hotel group has failed with its lawsuit for Corona compensation before the Federal Court of Justice. She had considered the state aid to be inadequate, but the BGH pointed out that the chain had already received extensive aid. Corona compensation lawsuit from Dorint

In response to the warnings about the use of Google Fonts, a hotelier issued a “virtual ban” for the warning person. A Vienna court has also decided that this practice is considered an abuse of law. Dispute over Google Fonts

Katarina Barley calls for a limit on the conversion of apartments into vacation rentals on platforms such as Airbnb to address the housing shortage. Limitation of holiday apartments required

Babboe, the manufacturer of cargo bikes, has initiated a recall for certain models and is offering those affected a replacement or refund. Babboe recall

The increase in VAT to 19% for food consumed on site and the associated tax changes present new challenges for catering establishments. VAT changes in the catering industry

In January 2024, prolonged rainfall led to floods in Germany, with damages amounting to 4.9 billion euros in 2023. Natural hazard insurance offers protection, but not all damage is covered. Flood damage and insurance

The COMEX project promotes the employment of Mexican chefs in Germany, with new phases planned for 2025 to address the shortage of skilled workers. Mexican chefs in Germany through COMEX

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4. MARKET TRENDS

Increasing numbers of overnight stays, booms and real estate developments in the hotel industry

In February 2024, Germany recorded 28.2 million overnight stays, an increase of 6.9% compared to the previous year. Domestic overnight stays increased by 7.3%, international overnight stays by 5.1%. The highest February value since 2020 is particularly notable.

The European Football Championship leads to almost fully booked hotels in Leipzig. Important games such as Netherlands vs. France on June 21st and Portugal vs. Czech Republic on June 18th are creating demand that could drive up room prices by 30 to 100%. 

Motel One recorded revenue growth of 33% to 852 million euros and EBITDA of 281 million euros in 2023, a growth of 64%. The hotel group plans to expand its portfolio to 117 hotels and 32,177 rooms.

The hotel real estate market starts 2024 with a solid sales volume of 260 million euros in the first quarter, driven by the sale of the Hotel de Rome in Berlin. Nevertheless, transaction activity remains moderate with only five sales over five million euros and stable top yields at 5.50%.

The ahgz Top 100 brand hotels in Germany increase their sales by 15.66% to 2.256 billion euros in 2023. The Berlin Estrel Hotel leads the ranking with 89.3 million euros in sales.

A study presented during the ahgz Hotel Congress highlights the discrepancy in communication between employees and employers and emphasizes the importance of factors that contribute to employee satisfaction.

Despite the boom in the hotel industry, there are concerns in Brandenburg about the death of restaurants and their potential impact on tourism, according to DEHOGA observations.

The Next Work Study 2024 identifies future working models , such as home office, coworking and the four-day week as solutions to the impending staff shortage in the hospitality industry.


5. HOTEL MANAGEMENT

Innovation and challenges in hotel management

The Altstadt Hotel in Zurich , managed by Mattias Larsson, is characterized by its art orientation and achieves an occupancy rate of 88% in 2023 despite its 3-star classification and lack of full restaurant service.

The news about the dissolution of the IFK vocational school in Weggis from 2024 reflects falling demand and the adaptation to the changing needs in the sector.

Financing hotel property requires a significant initial investment and the importance of specialist financing advice and networking is highlighted.

An innovative gastronomic concept with a focus on high-quality beef and rare spirits, presented by Michael Wilhelmer in Hamburg, sets new gastronomic standards.

The JOHANN Schladming restaurant GENUSSraum has been renovated and now offers authentic Austrian cuisine in an urban-alpine style.

Marco Nussbaum emphasizes the need to promote real achievers instead of focusing on self-promotion and calls for a change in leadership hierarchies.

The discussion about leadership culture and teamwork shows that modern leadership should be based on role models, communication and commitment.

In order to counteract the shortage of skilled workers, the Feldberger Hof family hotel relies on targeted personnel management that attracts international talent with comprehensive integration and support programs.



6. ECO-RESPONSIBILITY INITIATIVE AND CSR

Sustainability initiatives and ecological developments in the hotel industry

In Singapore, new sustainability standards for the hotel and events sector have been introduced by the Singapore Tourism Board to promote environmental responsibility.

Betterspace's optimized energy management solution better.energy makes it possible to save up to 31% energy in historic buildings without having to carry out structural interventions.

A study on the sustainable mobility economy in Germany shows that this sector contributes 117.6 billion euros to economic output and secures 1.7 million jobs.

The Radisson Collection Hotel in Berlin will feature a live tree in the lobby when it reopens at the end of the year to improve air quality and reduce noise.

The Austrian family bakery Resch&Frisch achieved its strongest year in 2023 with sales of 147.6 million euros, showing that sustainable practices and local collaborations can contribute to success.

In Germany, 82% of companies have reduced their paper consumption in recent years, with 40% printing less and 42% printing significantly less than five years ago.



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Your newsletter, designed specifically for hospitality professionals, is structured to bring you the latest news. Given the abundance of articles from blogs, news sites and other sources, our newsletter strives to condense this information to provide you with a clear and concise overview. Each issue consists of different sections based on the latest news, with links to the original articles to deepen your reading.

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