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  • IHIF: Meliá Hotels strengthens capital position

    Meliá Hotels International will continue to reinforce its international expansion and business model in 2013 and make progress in its adaptation to changing market conditions.

    “Thanks to a consistent international growth plan, supported by strong brands and a model according to management contracts and variable leases, we added a hotel every three weeks in 2012, with 80 per cent of the rooms outside Spain,” said Gabriel Escarrer, chief executive of MHI.

    “The company expects to maintain this rate of growth in 2013, and has managed to bolster its position in international markets which already produce greater than 80% of our operating profit.”

    The Asia-Pacific area is still one the main priorities.

    Meliá has intensified its growth inside the region, managing to double its portfolio in barely two years, due to new hotels in China, Indonesia and Vietnam scheduled to open within the near future.

    The recent agreement with Greenland, one in all China’s major real estate groups, help to leverage MHI’s growth in China, the biggest emerging market.

    The company also plans to consolidate its presence in South American capital cities, promote its Paradisus brand inside the English-speaking Caribbean, open in new cities within the USA, widen its network within the Middle East or even start operations in sub-Saharan Africa.

    In Europe, one of many company’s traditional markets, Meliá continues to reinforce its presence in Germany, UK, France and Italy; while expansion in Spain can be more selective, curious about innovative products in an effort to add greater value to the company’s hotel portfolio, along with the Calvià Beach Resort project in Mallorca or the 2 recently incorporated Innside by Meliá hotels in Madrid, among the many brands with the best growth potential for the corporate.

    The Innside by Meliá growth Meliá Hotels International currently manages 27 hotels in Germany, 11 under the Innside by Meliá brand, among the top rated hotel brands in Germany, that is portion of the corporate portfolio since 2007.

    Innside by Meliá has great potential for international growth, to be widely accepted around the world.

    Having already opened two new hotels in Spain (Madrid), the emblem is currently preparing openings in countries corresponding to Denmark (Innside Copenhagen) and the united kingdom (Innside Manchester).

    Innside by Meliá offers guests a way of life business experience, efficient and smart service, the newest technology and a different design, both in classical buildings – as within the case in Madrid, Berlin or Essen- and contemporary, resembling the hotels in Frankfurt, Dusseldorf and Munich.

    Innside by Meliá has become a great choice for both business and leisure travellers, which has already captivated customers all along Germany.

  • News: IHIF: International Hotel Investment Forum returns to Berlin

    Delegates have begun arriving on the International Hotel Investment Forum, this year hosted by the InterContinental Hotel Berlin.

    Returning for its 16th year, leading delegates from the hospitality sector were welcomed to the development by Kerry Gumas, chief executive, Questex Media Group, and Jonathan Worsley, chairman, Bench Events.

    The conference programme this year includes interviews with leading hoteliers, forecasts from top economists, and panel discussions at the latest developments, trends and best practice inside the hotel and investment industry.


    Kerry Gumas, chief executive, Questex Media Group, left, joins Bench chairman Worlsey on stage

    Also at the agenda are a number inspirational keynote speakers, with greater than 180 scheduled to seem over the 3-day event, all leaders of their field, making for a fascinating and numerous programme.

    They will address the 1,924 delegates expected to wait event, whom have travelled from 71 countries. 

    image[2] align=’right’ border=’0′ style=’padding-left:10px;’ alt=” border=0 >
    Jumeirah chief executive Gerald Lawless, left, debates with Leading Hotels of the area president Ted Teng during IHIF 2013

    More details about the development at the official website.

  • News: IHIF: yoo Hotels launches design-led hotel brands

    yoo Hotels has unveiled two intricately crafted design-led hotel brands for travellers who seek handcrafted luxury: yoo 2 and yoo Collection. 

    yoo, the worldwide design company founded by international property entrepreneur John Hitchcox and renowned designer Philippe Starck, brings an entire hotel offering to the market.

    The brand was offering luxury hotels and high-end residences for over 14 years and has dropped at fruition the visions of creative directors Anouska Hempel, Philippe Starck, Marcel Wanders, Jade Jagger and Kelly Hoppen.

    Headed by industry expert Marco Nijhof, yoo Hotels will create an enhanced hotel experience through delivery of original design and primary rate hotel management services.

    Tapping into yoo’s unique talent bank of worldwide renowned designers in addition its own yoo Studio, yoo Hotels offers an unparalleled breadth of design talent and heritage.

    The culture of every location is crucial for both the yoo Collection and yoo 2 hotels, and that is interpreted throughout the world class designed interiors.

    Electric and luxurious dining and entertainment experiences are joined with flawless service, delivered by yoo Hotel Management, making a feeling of Human Luxury – the yoo Hotels philosophy of unfailingly satisfying every whim a guest could conceive at any moment.

    yoo Collection

    The yoo Collection offers guests a premium, five star luxury stay within truly inspirational spaces. 

    Each yoo Collection luxury hotel could have a different sense of place and personality, created by yoo’s renowned designer base, all of whom are skilled at creating instant destinations with an understanding of local cultures.

    The local soul of a yoo Collection hotel is combined with seamless service and refined luxury, so that it will satisfy the foremost sophisticated high net-worth business and leisure traveller, making each moment a party.

    yoo 2

    The yoo 2 brand is aimed toward the design and tech-savvy traveller who’s searching for a superb stay and a feeling of affordable luxury, whether travelling for business or leisure.

    yoo 2 hotels may have a buzzing social feel and a full of life atmosphere inside the public spaces, with warm and inviting service delivered by like-minded people.

    Restaurants and bars will attract the local crowds too, fusing fun with great hospitality and creating hot-spot destinations in each city.

    The yoo 2 brand will offer spaces that afford everyone the experience of dwelling in exceptional and mindful design, even just for the night.

    yoo Hotel Management

    The yoo Hotel Management team benefits from a combined 107 years of expertise in hotel management, leasing, franchising, and operations.

    Together, they’ve got transacted a combined £15 billion in single asset, portfolio and hotel opportunities.

    With design, branding, marketing and hotel management in one offering, it’s the synergy of the entire yoo Hotels offering which makes it truly unique.

    It suggests that resources are maximised and there are significant cost savings compared to standard segmented hotel teams.

    yoo Hotel Management acts as a guardian of luxury, ensuring the hotelier’s investment return is maximised while maintaining the unique DNA of the emblem vision and philosophy.

    The service delivered is unwavering, creating unforgettable experiences that keep guests smiling.

    yoo Hotel Management provides an uncompromising commitment to the posh and vision of the hotel ensuring repeat guest satisfaction. Any investment entrusted to yoo Hotel Management becomes a ‘trophy asset’. 

    Key metrics would be provided via performance reporting indicating penetration, rates, RevPar, shares and property valuation.

    While guest satisfaction will establish yoo Hotels because the leader amongst the competitive set, it’s the satisfaction of our hoteliers as a way to determine the fibre of the yoo Hotels fabric.

  • Paramount launches $1bn project in Dubai

    Film company Paramount has revealed that it’s teaming up with Damac Properties to launch a hotel and serviced apartment project in downtown Dubai.

    The $1bn four-tower project, The Damac Towers by Paramount, will comprise a 540-room Paramount Hotel & Residences and greater than 1,400 units of Damac Maison – Paramount co-branded serviced hotel residences.

    The 250-metre high towers, that may be connected by a multi-level plaza, represent Paramount’s first venture into the hotel and real estate industry. Features will include themed F&B concepts, meeting facilities, a screening room, fitness centres, pools, kids club, retail, and merchandise all featuring the Paramount brand or select partner brands.

    One tower will comprise of the Paramount Hotel & Residences with the rest three towers, housing the Damac Maison – Paramount co-branded serviced hotel residences.

    “The history, glamour and tradition of the films indirectly transcend every portion of the design and ethos of this aspirational project,” said Damac Properties Managing Director Ziad El Chaar.

    “We will employ an identical, tried and tested production process, pioneered by Paramount Pictures on the studio, to direct, design and detail a global-class experience. The Paramount brand stands for greater than exceptional film and entertainment: it’s an inviting lifestyle.” Adds El Chaar.

    The towers, that are currently under construction and are expected to be completed by the tip of 2015, in line with reports.

    Paramount Hotels and Resorts was established by a gaggle of investors in Dubai last year and has a license from Paramount to construct a sequence of Paramount-branded hotels and houses.

    The company plans to divulge heart’s contents to 50 Hollywood- and California-themed luxury hotels worldwide.

  • IHIF: Worldhotels expands portfolio of branded hotels

    Worldhotels, a number one global group for independent upscale hotels, is growing its branded soft franchise solution because the ideal alternative to standard franchising.

    The offer is quite competitive, as costs to owners are based purely on brand performance in total net room revenue delivery.

    Since introducing the brand new business model in 2011, Worldhotels has already branded 15 hotels and plans so as to add another 20 by 2014.

    Ingo Guerges, vp global hotel development at Worldhotels explained why the recent model was created:

    He said: “Hotels kept asking us for a better level of partnership – without the high operational interference of traditional upscale franchises.

    “So we prepare an answer that follows our motto of ‘If you own a hotel, it’s going to feel such as you own a hotel.’”

    Worldhotels’ soft franchise solution focuses purely at the commercial side of the business, to generate and capture opportunities for room revenue growth from all segments and all distribution channels.

    The model doesn’t require any hardware standards, as Robert van der Graaf, Worldhotels’ newly appointed regional vp full licence Europe, Middle East and Africa, illustrates.

    “We’ve always said that standards don’t ought to mean standardisation,” he stated.

    “Our role is simply to be certain the emblem and supporting systems deliver the absolute best results for our hotels, without interfering within the actual delivery of an authentic upscale hotel experience.”

    The model is built on over 40 years of successes of Worldhotels’ affiliation model and specializes in three areas – to begin with full commercial support to maximize the hotel’s exposure under a world brand, secondly increase hotel market share through total brand performance, system delivery and eventually distribution cost control to ultimately achieve a really healthy return on investment for hotel owners.