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Fashion, music, lifestyle! Deutsche Hospitality unveils new upscale lifestyle ‘House of Beats’ brand
Deutsche Hospitality has developed a new hotel brand ‘House of Beats’ aimed at guests who feel at home on and in front of the catwalks and stages of this world. The first House of Beats hotels are being created in Hamburg and Milan, and more locations in other global metropolises are also at the planning stage. “Fashion, music and art are the elements which combine to form House of Beats,” said Marcus Bernhardt, CEO of Deutsche Hospitality. “These ingredients fuse with our passion as hoteliers to be the best hosts and generate a truly unique hotel experience. The brand fills a gap in the market. It speaks to lifestyle-oriented people who expect more from a hotel brand than the market usually offers and provides a home for cosmopolitan travellers who are interested in arts & culture and fascinated by fashion. House of Beats turns the hotel into a catwalk.” As well as seeking to put its own catwalks in place, House of Beats also includes a gastronomic concept called “The Beast”, which appeals to vegetarians and meat lovers alike. The main focus is, however, on the digital guest journey merging the physical and digital experience. “The Beast” is entirely centred on freshness and sustainability. No preservatives or colourants are used, and certain key products such as honey serve as the basis for all dishes. Everything is digital except the food. This goes for the menus, the music, the room keys and the library. Guests are networked at all times – prior to, during and after their arrival. House of Beats represents an expansion of Deutsche Hospitality’s high-end portfolio. It forms part of the group’s Upscale Segment alongside its sister brand Jaz in the City, which sets out to inspire music enthusiasts. Steigenberger Hotel & Resorts also occupy the same category. Steigenberger Icons are positioned in the Luxury Segment. In July this year, Deutsche Hospitality joined forces with Porsche Design to launch the Steigenberger Porsche Design Hotels with the aim of making a mark in the Luxury Lifestyle Segment. “Our objective is to grow to become one of Europe’s leading hotel brands by 2026,” Bernhardt added. “The new brand is an important strategic move which will attract a new target group in the long term. It also takes full account of the enhanced guest requirements with regard to locality, individuality and hotel stays which deliver a characteristic experience.”
Spruced up and ready to go! Deutsche Hospitality reopens hotels in Austria today
As travel restrictions begin to ease and many countries gear up to celebrate the Whitsun holiday, the Steigenberger Hotel Herrenhof in Vienna and the Steigenberger Hotel & Spa Krems will both be reopening for leisure travellers today. They will be followed by the IntercityHotel Vienna and the MAXX by Steigenberger Vienna, which will start receiving guests again on 2 June and 1 July, respectively. Some of Deutsche Hospitality’s Austrian hotels have been using the break caused by the corona crisis to carry out renovations in their guest rooms and public areas. “We have smartened ourselves up and are delighted to be able to welcome guests back to all our Austrian hotels at last,” said Elisabeth Perwanger, area general manager in Austria at Deutsche Hospitality. “Our team has made thorough preparations for this moment. Staff at the hotels have been given targeted training, and we are now ideally placed to offer our guests the highest possible hygiene standards whilst also delivering maximum comfort,” she added. The extensive measures which have been initiated include more frequent cleaning and disinfection and social distancing rules in public areas.
Deutsche Hospitality opens second IntercityHotel in Hannover
Another new generation IntercityHotel has joined the Deutsche Hospitality portfolio. The four-star IntercityHotel Hannover Hauptbahnhof Ost opened its doors for business to become the second hotel in the city to operate under the brand. It houses 220 guest rooms spread over 14 storeys and is positioned in the upper midscale segment. Joachim Marusczyk, founding managing director of IntercityHotel said: “We would like to thank our partners and all other parties involved for enabling us to complete work on such an impressive structure and to write another chapter in the success story of IntercityHotel.” The pentagonally-shaped building features a façade clad in coloured glazed clay elements and a partial glass frontage. It is operated via a lease agreement. Thomas Nixdorf, GM of IntercityHotel Hannover Hauptbahnhof Ost, added: “The hotel’s central location mean that unique panoramas of the city can be enjoyed from the upper storeys. Numerous shops and restaurants and Hanover’s historic old quarter are with easy walking distance. Our guests can also use the FreeCityTicket scheme to travel on local public transport free of charge.”
Huazhu completes Deutsche Hospitality deal
Huazhu Group, a leading and fast-growing hotel group, has announced the closing of the acquisition of all shares in Steigenberger Hotels Aktiengesellschaft, Germany or popularly called Deutsche Hospitality. In connection with the acquisition, China Lodging Holdings (HK), a subsidiary of the company, has signed a EUR 440,000,000 (USD 491,590,000) term facility and USD 500,000,000 revolving credit facility agreement for a term of three years with a bank consortium led by JPMorgan Chase Bank, NA, acting through its Hong Kong Branch, Deutsche Bank, Singapore and Morgan Stanley Senior Funding to fund the payment of all amounts payable under or in connection with the acquisition. The balance under the facilities agreement will be used, among other things, for the general corporate and working capital purposes of the company and its subsidiaries.
Deutsche Hospitality continues Swiss expansion
Deutsche Hospitality has announced further development plans for its core German, Austrian and Swiss markets. The second IntercityHotel to be launched in Switzerland will open in Geneva in 2022. The IntercityHotel Geneva Airport will be located in the new Quartier de l’Étang between the airport and the city centre and will boast a total of 270 rooms. The hotel in Switzerland’s second largest city will form part of a new generation of IntercityHotels, which feature an impressive fresh and young design by the Italian architect Matteo Thun. This style is characterised by the use of natural high-quality materials, plants and soft colours. “The IntercityHotel Geneva Airport will appeal to business travellers and to city trip enthusiasts alike,” said Thomas Willms, CEO of Deutsche Hospitality. “Geneva is both an international centre of business and a magnet for tourism. The Quartier de l’Étang very much puts the emphasis on sustainable development.” The hotel in Geneva will be the second in Switzerland to operate under this brand following the IntercityHotel Zurich Airport, which is scheduled to open in 2020.
“The ideal environment”: Deutsche Hospitality thrives in the Netherlands
IntercityHotel Amsterdam Airport Deutsche Hospitality drives its expansion forward in the Netherlands with a second IntercityHotel in Amsterdam, set for 2021. “Many discussions are currently ongoing,” said Thomas Willms, CEO of Deutsche Hospitality. The IntercityHotel Amsterdam Airport (scheduled to open in 2021) will become the latest addition to the group’s portfolio. It will join the existing IntercityHotel in Enschede, the Steigenberger Airport Hotel in Amsterdam and Jaz in the City Amsterdam as Deutsche Hospitality increases its presence in the country to four hotels. “Amsterdam is the ideal environment for a young hotel brand” Willms added: “When we were seeking a location for the first Jaz in the City in 2016, it rapidly became clear that Amsterdam is the ideal environment for a young hotel brand that takes its inspiration from music and design. “Today, the Jaz Amsterdam boasts an occupancy rate of over 80%. This success proves that we were right, and we are now looking to achieve strong growth right across the Netherlands.” Jaz in the City Amsterdam Expansion strategy The IntercityHotel Amsterdam Airport will be the second IntercityHotel in the Netherlands when it launches in 2021. This is part of an overall expansion strategy, which encompasses Steigenberger Hotels, Jaz in the City and the MAXX by Steigenberger and Zleep brands. Rotterdam, Den Haag, Utrecht, Eindhoven, Nijmegen, Arnhem, Maastricht, Groningen, and the resorts on the Dutch coast, are all potential locations alongside Amsterdam.
Unfolding the Arabic carpet: Deutsche Hospitality groups expands presence in ME
The IntercityHotel Dubai Jaddaf Waterfront; the brand’s first hotel in the United Arab Emirates is scheduled to open at the end of the first quarter of 2019. Intercity offers more than 40 upper mid-range urban hotels, all of which are located within easy walking distance of railway stations or airports, and a further 30 hotels are currently at the development stage with a growing presence in the Middle East. A part of the Deutsche Hospitality group that brings together four separate hotel brands under a single umbrella – Steigenberger Hotels and Resorts, MAXX by Steigenberger, Jaz in the City and IntercityHotel, the group currently encompasses a total of over 130 hotels on three continents. Aylin Nöske, the recently appointed GM will guide the Dubai Jaddaf Waterfront through its pre-opening phase and is very much looking forward to the challenge ahead and said: “I am very proud and happy to be contributing to Deutsche Hospitality’s expansion on behalf of the IntercityHotel brand." Probing into their growing hunger for ME expansion, TD exclusively spoke to Thomas Willms, CEO of Deutsche Hospitality to shed light on the expanding brand presence and their plans for the Middle East region. "The Middle East is one of the most exciting regions in the world" TD: Is ME your first regional expansion outside of Europe? TW: The international ambitions of Deutsche Hospitality were first realised way back in 2001 in Egypt, a country where we today have 12 operating hotels and two more in the pipeline. Expansion in GCC region had begun with the first Steigenberger hotel in Dubai opening in 2015. The Middle East is one of the most exciting regions in the world at the moment and we are grateful to be part of that development with the Steigenberger in Dubai and with the IntercityHotels in Oman, UAE and Saudi Arabia. What makes it a lucrative region? "Expected to be a stronger need of high-class hotels" It begins with the spirit of the people. They are open-minded, great hosts who love to get in touch with guests from all over the world. So Deutsche Hospitality is bringing the best of the two worlds in the Middle East together: German precision, the love of details, our perfection and the open-minded culture of the Middle East. Looking at the economy, the number of international, especially German travellers to the Middle East is not at its peak – it is expected to grow in the future. There is expected to be a stronger need of high-class hotels, even at a lower budget than the luxury hotels. So this is a perfect market for our brands. How many properties are in the pipeline just in the Arab region? We are having some really interesting talks at the moment. Hopefully, we can announce some more projects within the next months. Dubai being our base of expansion in the Middle East, other markets like in Oman have also gained traction ever since we established our office in Dubai. Having three hotels opened in the GCC region and four more in the pipeline, we believe our brands are well positioned to add tremendous value for investors in driving German base business in our hotels whilst being cost efficient. "Establishing sustainable, modern hotels with highest standards" How supportive is the business and government environment for foreign investors? The government has really understood, how to attract and support brands like ours. We feel like partners as we have the same vision: Establishing sustainable, modern hotels with highest standards. As for this, we have established a structure in the region: we are not managing the expansion in the Middle East from Germany, we are here – in the Middle East – with our own people to be partners with the government and private sector. It is not the easiest markets to crack for an outsider, what were your challenges, if any? "Growing with quality takes time" We had to understand that growing with quality takes time. We are really enthusiastic about the Middle East and sometimes we want to push things too fast little bit to straight forward. It is typically German and we had to understand that we sometimes need to slow down the pace to have a sustainable presence in the region. So it is all about localising for you, so was it easy to recruit hospitality professionals in the region? The Middle East tends to attract talent from all over the world which is a big benefit for any people-intensive business. Whenever possible we try to induce our professional expertise through our trained staff from Germany and passionate talents in the local markets. Since the beginning of our operations in the region, we realised that there some great people out here. We offer them the opportunity to work with one of Europe’s most high profile and trusted hotel brand with job opportunities all across the company’s portfolio. Next up? The company has ambitious plans to further penetrate the key markets in the GCC region with a focus on UAE and Oman. "Pipeline including hotels in India and Thailand" Why not Asia? Asia is also at the forefront of the company’s development plan with two hotels under operation in China and a pipeline including hotels in India and Thailand. Our first hotel in Bangkok will be open within 2019.
Deutsche Hospitality lays foundation stones for schools in developing countries
German hotel company Deutsche Hospitality, has teamed up with the Fly & Help foundation to help build schools in Sri Lanka and Uganda. With a mission to provide children with access to education, the group contributed €60,000 from the monies raised within the scope of its Deutsche Hospitality 1x1 donation programme. The funds are used to construct two schools in Sri Lanka and Uganda – both schools have now celebrated the formal laying of their foundation stones. "I'm so grateful to Deutsche Hospitality for supporting my Fly & Help foundation for so many years, making it possible for children in developing countries to have a future," said Reiner Meutsch, CEO of Fly & Help. Sri Lanka In Sri Lanka, a pre-school project is taking place in the village of Rambewa. The school will be able to accommodate up to 50 children aged between three and five and give an education boost to the community. Locals are very particular when it comes to the laying of the foundation stones. Superstition says that the ceremony must take in a specific time in order to successfully bestow good luck on the site, the project, and the people living in the area. The precise moment is determined by consulting horoscopes and the village temple is subsequently informed of the decision and while participants are laying the foundation stones, Buddhist monks sing religious verses called Gatha. Uganda In Uganda, a pre- and primary school is being expanded to meet the growing demand in Kaitsiya. The plans include the construction of new classrooms, renovation and the rearrangement of previous classrooms to be transformed into sleeping quarters. The hostels will be for children who come from long distances, so they can have a place to sleep in and never miss lessons. Social responsibility Over the coming years, Deutsche Hospitality will continue its efforts to create funds for Fly & Help through 1x1. The idea behind the programme is to create a charitable pot, to which €1 is added for every online booking made via Deutsche Hospitality’s own websites. Fly & Help donation boxes have also been placed in the foyers of all IntercityHotels. The money collected has already helped to finance new classrooms and a rainwater cistern for a school in Rwanda attended by 759 pupils.
Deutsche Hospitality upgrades the hotel sector with Alexa Voice Service Skills Kit
Proving to be a digitisation trailblazer in the hotel sector, Deutsche Hospitality is currently developing several solutions to provide customers with state-of-the-art communication and reservation services, a new web check-in function, and more online payment options. Now, Deutsche Hospitality has become the first German hotel chain to present the Alexa Voice Service Skills Kit - an internet-based language assistant delivered via Amazon Echo (shown below) which supports guests in the selection of their next travel destination. The technology asks guests targeted questions about their preferences and provides individual hotel recommendations. Alexa is able to suggest locations for upcoming spa weekends, city trips or beach holidays. If the user wishes, relevant links to the booking sites of the respective hotels can be sent out by e-mail. The Alexa Skills Kit (ASK) is a collection of self-service tools that allows users to create engaging skills and reach customers through tens of millions of Alexa-enabled devices, built by Amazon. "Hotel reservations in an intuitive and playful way" Dr Jan Sammeck, director of e-commerce at Deutsche Hospitality explained: “Mobile end devices are assuming an increasing number of purposes in our everyday lives. We have taken the opportunity to map hotel reservations in an intuitive and playful way." Digital check-ins Deutsche Hospitality is also continuing to digitalise the check-in process. Guests who wish to avoid possible waiting times at reception will soon be able to access a new web-based check-in function via the relevant website. This service has already been incorporated into the apps for the IntercityHotel and Jaz Hotel brands. The app can also be used to open room doors and settle bills. In order to go one step further in future and offer all guests the possibility of checking in online without needing to download a dedicated app, plans are in place to make a stand-alone web check-in service available by the second half of the year. IntercityHotel and Jaz Hotel guests may download the app for easy check-ins, opening room doors, and settling bills. “Our chat function enables mobile users to book their hotel stays quickly, automatically and interactively,” added Dr Sammeck. More payment options With the growing significance of international hotel visitors and given the rise in cashless online transactions, Deutsche Hospitality is increasing the diversity of its payment options. Alipay is a third-party mobile and online payment platform, established in 2004 by Alibaba Group. Payments via Alipay will be accepted in future for reservations made via the company’s websites. Alipay is an online payment system offered by the Alibaba Group in China - boasting more than 520 million users, it is one of the largest platforms of its type in the world and is particularly popular amongst Chinese guests.
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