Hotel & Tourism SMARTreport #29

THE PROFESSIONAL BUYERS’ REFERENCE 

Hotel & Tourism 

SMARTreport #29 

2016 Spring Edition 1 

SMARTreport 

ELITE TRAVEL 

TRENDS 

#07 / A LOOK BACK AT ILTM CANNES 

AND SPOTLIGHT ON VIRTUOSO 

SPOTLIGHT 

ON EUROPE 

#17 / FACTS AND FIGURES, 

TRENDING DESTINATIONS 

AND HOTELS 

INNOVATIONS 

& TECHNOLOGIES 

#39 / HOW CONNECTED 

SERVICES CAN BRING 

A COMPETITIVE EDGE 

TRAVEL 

AGENTS ARE 

THE HEROES OF 

OUR BUSINESS 

FILIP BOYEN 

CEO, Small Luxury Hotels 

of the World 

#29 - 2016 SPRING EDITION / A CLEVERDIS PUBLICATION

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Limassol, Cyprus 

EVENTS CALENDAR 

CLEVERDIS 

1 – 3 MARCH 2016 

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North American Conference, Amelia Island, Florida, USA 

www.htng.org/conferenc es/north-american 

7-9 MARCH 2016 

International Hotel Investment Forum IHIF 2016 

InterContinental Hotel, Berlin, Germany 

berlinconference.com 

9-13 MARCH 2016 

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itb-berlin.de/en 

CLEVERDIS 

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CLEVERDIS 

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CLEVERDIS 

10 MARCH 2016 

PARTNER 

European Group Travel Awards (EGTA) 

InterContinental Hotel Berlin, Ballroom, Berlin, Germany 

europeangrouptravelawards.com 

CLEVERDIS 

7 – 10 APRIL 2016 

PARTNER 

European Hotels Managers Association (EHMA) 

43 rd Annual General Meeting 

Drivers & Trends of Luxury Hospitality 

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Limassol, Cyprus 

ehmacyprus2016.com 

20 - 22 APRIL 2016 

International Hotel Technology Forum IHTF 

Dusserldorf, Germany 

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20-23 JUNE 2016 

PARTNER 

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FOREWORD 

2016: OUT WITH THE OLD… IN WITH THE NEW 

More than a makeover, the SMARTreport is going the extra mile – and then some! 

Welcome to the new look, new content Cleverdis Hotel and Tourism 

SMARTreport. This year, as promised, we have completely changed 

tack with our highly popular quarterly publication, due to strong 

demand from travel and hospitality professionals from around the 

globe. 

While international tourism continues to grow at an annual rate of 

between 4 and 5 percent, competitiveness is stronger than ever. So 

where’s the best place to get ideas of how to be one step ahead of 

the rest – or offer services and ideas that will set your place apart? The 

ultra high-end, of course! Just like in other fields, such as automotive 

or architecture, people look to the cream of the crop in order to gain 

inspiration. We have therefore introduced, henceforth, an elite travel 

trends section. In this edition, we take you on a tour of the ILTM trade 

event in Cannes, in particular spotlighting the visionary participation 

of Matthew D. Upchurch, Chairman and CEO of Virtuoso, and also 

examining the latest groundswell trends in luxury. 

In another new regular section – each time looking at a particular 

region and its trends for this industry – in this edition, we spotlight 

Europe, including facts and figures, trending destinations IN Europe 

and trending destinations OUTSIDE Europe for Europeans. We 

are particularly flattered to have the exclusive participation of the 

European Travel Commission’s Edouardo Santander – outlining his 

roadmap to growth. 

So out with the old look & feel, and in with the new… but more 

importantly, a great deal of new, vital information that will help you 

in your work – with information and inspiration. We thank all those 

who have made this first “new” edition what we believe is a great 

one. We hope you feel the same. Please let us know! 

CONTENTS 

7 ELITE TRAVEL TRENDS 

7 LOUNGING IN THE LAP 

OF LUXURY HAS NEVER BEEN 

MORE ATTRACTIVE! 

8 “THE ROLE OF THE REAL, TRUE TRAVEL 

ADVISOR IS THE HOTEST THING AND 

IT’S NOT GOING AWAY” 

Matthew D. Upchurch, Chairman an CEO, Virtuoso 

10 “WE ARE THE CHAMPIONS OF SMALL” 

Filip Boyen, CEO, Small Luxury Hotels of the World 

12 THE RISE OF THE LUXURY MARKET 

Key Take-Aways from ILTM Cannes 2015 

14 LUXURY SPOKEN FLUENTLY 

Starwood Luxury Privileges achieves highest ever 

ADR for group 

15 IN THE LIMELIGHT 

Catering to the “see and be seen” crowd 

16 “DRIVERS AND TRENDS 

OF LUXURY HOSPITALITY” 

Hans E. Koch, President, EHMA 

17 EUROPE 

17 TRENDS & FIGURES 

EUROPE TOPS TOURISM GROWTH 

Destinations in Europe can justifiably look back 

over the past year and celebrate the tourism 

sector’s outstanding performance. 

21 ETC NAMES UNITED STATES 

AS KEY TO GROWTH 

Eduardo Santander, Executive Director, ETC 

23 TOP EVENTS: ITB BERLIN 

THE WHOLE WORLD - IN BERLIN 

ITB Berlin confirms status as world’s leading travel 

trade show 

25 TOP EVENTS: IHIF 

ENTERING THE GOLDEN AGE 

OF HOSPITALITY 

IHIF Berlin – “Where the industry meets” – puts 

highly positive spin on outlook for future 

26 60 PROPERTIES BY 2026 

Hamad Abdulla Al-Mulla, CEO, Katara Hospitality 

28 ACCORHOTELS: +20% ROOM OPENINGS 

YEAR-ON-YEAR 

Gaurav Bhushan, Global Chief Development 

Officer, AccorHotels 

30 EUROPE INBOUND / TRANSPORT 

LINKING EUROPE TO THE WORLD 

Iran, China and USA for the long haul, low cost 

regional air links within Europe 

32 EUROPE INBOUND / TRENDING HOTELS 


FOR EUROPEANS 

34 EUROPE INBOUND / TRENDING DESTINATIONS 

IBERIAN TOURISM ON RISE 

Spain becomes third-most visited global destination 

35 EUROPE OUTBOUND / TRENDING DESTINATIONS 

THOMSON AND FIRST CHOICE 

FORECAST 2016 TRAVEL TRENDS 

37 EUROPE OUTBOUND / TRENDS 

HOW TO MAKE EUROPEANS FEEL 

AT HOME IN FOREIGN LANDS 

Heiko Blatter, Area Manager Southwest Europe/ 

Middle East & North Africa 

39 INNOVATIONS 


39 INTERNET: HOW FAST CAN YOU GO? 

The snails of the internet domain are set to be 

crushed by the savvy operators installing super 

high-speed networks 

40 ENGAGING WITH GUESTS 

ON A PERSONAL LEVEL 

Franck Racapé, EMEA Sales Director, 

Philips Hospitality TV & Signage Solutions 

43 IN THE FIELD WITH DAVID ESSERYK 

CONNECTED SERVICES BRING 

THE COMPETITIVE EDGE TO SAVVY 

HOTELIERS 

44 SMART GUESTROOMS TO OFFER 

THE NEXT LEVEL OF SERVICES 

… How the Grand Ambassador Seoul associated 

with Pullman raised customer satisfaction and 

achieved 30% energy savings 

46 CASE STUDY 

THE CHALLENGE OF STAYING 

NUMBER ONE 

The Renaissance Malmö leverages new 

coaxialbased network upgrade to stay a step ahead 

of the game

ELITE TRAVEL TRENDS 




© Crown Champa Resorts 

LOUNGING IN 

THE LAP OF LUXURY 

HAS NEVER BEEN MORE 

ATTRACTIVE! 

Welcome to the very first “Elite Travel Trends” section in the 

Cleverdis SMARTreport, an integral part of each edition 

henceforth. Placing the ultimate tourism concepts under 

the spotlight is only logical, as in each case, luxury 

leads the way for the rest of the “pack”. Just 

like in every other industry, the ultimate best 

practices are spawned in the “ultra high 

end” and eventually filter down to 

the rest. 

Business has never been so good 

in luxury travel, not only via online 

agencies, but also for many top 

travel advisors. Proof is in the wonderfully 

good health of Virtuoso – the reference 

network of elite travel advisors. 

Veligandu, 

Maldives


Uxmal 

Panama city 

at night 

© Mexico Tourism Board 

Matthew 

D. Upchurch 

Chairman 

and Chief Executive Officer, 

Virtuoso 

VIRTUOSO’S UPCHURCH: 

“THE ROLE OF THE REAL, 

TRUE TRAVEL ADVISOR IS 

THE HOTTEST THING AND 

IT’S NOT GOING AWAY” 

Addressing a packed press room at ILTM 

2015, Virtuoso Chairman and Chief 

Executive Officer Matthew D. Upchurch 

set a bullish tone not only about the luxury 

travel industry in general, but also when it 

comes to the role of travel advisors. 

With over 2400 new advisors in 2015, 

Upchurch stated, “The reality is, it has never 

been stronger… The role of the real, true 

travel advisor is the hottest thing and it’s not 

going away.” 

The fact that travel and tourism is growing 

more than any almost other industry in 

the world is, says Upchurch, due to several 

factors. Four generations of people are now 

travelling all at same time, and the number of 

healthy, active 80 year olds has gone up by a 

huge percentage. Mr Upchurch went on to 

explain that a shift is occurring, particularly 

in the west, towards primary spending from 

luxury goods to luxury experiences. This, 

he says, is not new but it is accelerating, 

evidenced by the fact that luxury travel is 

now a bigger market than that of luxury 

automobiles. 

An interesting fact is that according to 

Virtuoso’s research, wealthier millennials 

are giving higher loyalty to travel advisers 

than older generations: “The theory is that 

they are the first generation for whom 

the defacto way of booking was online, 

so luxury for them means not doing it 

themselves. They value personal connections 

and great advisors, with a personal contact 

and approach”. 

According to Mr Upchurch, really “great” 

advisors have not changed since the 

beginning of the jet age, as they have the 

same knowledge, but now just use new 

tools. The trend towards people entering 

the field of high-end travel advice is, he says, 

impressive. The Virtuoso boss smiled as he 

told the tale of not just one, but several of 

his lawyer friends turning to the career of 

travel advisor. 

UNPRECEDENTED 

GROWTH FOR VIRTUOSO 

Virtuoso has analyzed the latest data from 

its warehouse of more than $35 billion 

in transactions to uncover where wealthy 

travellers are heading this winter and 

spring. Upscale travellers are seeking exotic 

destinations as they escape winter’s hold 

on North America.While some perennial 

warm-weather favourites remain popular, 

Virtuoso’s proprietary data also reveals 

a yearning to explore far and wide as it 

compares destinations with the most yearover-year 

appeal.




© SaavedraVS 

TAKING EXPERIENTIAL 

TRAVEL TO THE 

N TH DEGREE 

Taha’a Private Island & Spa: a truly 

memorable and powerful experience 

Top Ten destinations 

for January-March 2016 vacations. 

1. Mexico 6. South Africa 

2. Canada 7. Argentina 

3. Australia 8. India 

4. New Zealand 9. Chile 

5. United Kingdom 10. China 

The Top 10 analysis: Global travel is up overall, and travellers 

are flocking to a mix of eternally fashionable places and 

more unusual choices. Mexico and Canada finish first and 

second, their strength i s not surprising due to their proximity 

to the United States. 

Southern destinations dominate the Top 10 as usual for 

winter in the Northern Hemisphere, with one notable 

European exception being the UK, Australia and New 

Zealand are experiencing solid growth, especially for two 

already popular luxury destinations. Upscale travellers, 

always searching for novel destinations, are finding them in 

Asia and South America. India in particular is surging, and 

Argentina and Chile continue to beckon wealthy travellers 

with their mix of food, wine, diverse landscapes and history. 

It’s also worth noting that half these destinations are Englishspeaking, 

making them more comfortable for US travellers. 

While the most prestigious 

events related to luxury and ultra 

luxury debate the true meaning 

of luxury today, it is probably 

in French Polynesia and, more 

specifically, at the Taha’a Island 

Resort and Spa that we have 

found the answer. 

Defined by the Relais & 

Chateaux philosophy, and 

located on the secluded Motu 

Tautau islet, facing the lush 

island of Taha’a on one side and 

the majestic silhouette of Bora 

Bora on the other, the resort, 

inspired by traditional Polynesian 

architecture and style, hosts 57 

remarkable suites and villas. 

If luxury or ultra luxury means 

living an exceptional moment 

in a magical place where you 

feel at home, loved (the word 

is not too strong), surrounded 

by warm attentions to the 

point of forgetting that you 

are a customer but more like a 

pampered member of a family 

then Yes, the Taha’a is the height 

of luxury. 

General Manager Julien 

Bressolles has managed to retain 

the charm and friendliness 

of his Tahitian staff without 

walling them into codes or 

international processes one 

might find with the big names in 

luxury. The result is an incredibly 

communicative atmosphere of 

wellbeing both between the 

clients and the staff. 

Add to that the magic of 

the location on the Taha’a 

lagoon with an incredible coral 

garden, with some outstanding 

gastronomy and you will look no 

further… 

The Virtuoso Hot 10: 

These countries have seen the most significant 

growth in year-on-year bookings for the first quarter. 

1. Panama (+107%) 6. India (+46%) 

2. Thailand (+92%) 7. Jamaica (+44%) 

3. Switzerland (+56%) 8. Vietnam (+43%) 

4. South Africa (+50%) 9. Colombia (+39%) 

5. Kenya (+47%) 10. Spain (+34%)


“WE ARE THE CHAMPIONS OF 

New brand identity for SLH launched at ILTM 

Filip Boyen 

CEO, Small Luxury Hotels 

of the World (SLH) 

Small Luxury Hotels of the World (SLH) leveraged 

ILTM this year to announce a brand new look and 

feel designed to demonstrate a contemporary 

and forward-thinking positioning for the luxury 

brand as it celebrates its 25th anniversary. 

The unveiling followed hot on the heels of the appointment 

of new CEO, Filip Boyen, and a successful International 

Conference for member hotels in Marbella in November during 

which SLH outlined ambitious plans for the future focusing on 

quality, development, technology and loyalty.




Mr Boyen says with the organisation’s 

new branding, SLH can look ahead to 

the next 25 years and beyond, best 

placed to champion the small, luxury, 

independent hotels that are the very 

heart and soul of their business: “We will 

ensure that any customer or travel agent 

making a reservation at an SLH hotel can 

rest assured that the entire collection is 

worthy of the SLH stamp of approval, will 

provide them the authentic experience 

that they are looking for and that they 

will be rewarded for their loyalty. We will 

also ensure that any hotel joining the 

brand is confident that they are in the 

very best hands, and company.” 

The new direction, coined ‘The SLH 

Way’, emphasises SLH’s core philosophy 

to match independently-minded people 

with independently-spirited hotels. It 

celebrates the fact that all SLH hotels are 

consistently different, united by a shared 

commitment to providing the highest 

levels of quality and service to their guests, 

and reinforces SLH’s position as an antibrand 

kind of brand. Complementing the 

existing logo a new brand ‘device’ will 

feature more prominently on the website 

SMALL” 

and newly launched apps for iPhone and 

Android to reflect a 49% increase visits 

to SLH’s mobile site and 71% increase 

in reservations via mobile, as well as on 

SLH collateral, notably the SLH Directory 

which has been reintroduced for 2016. 

Key initiatives for SLH in 2016 include: 

A more stringent approach to the 

Development and Quality Assurance 

programmes that will raise the standards 

expected from hotels both to join the 

brand and to remain as members. This will 

guarantee that all hotels in the collection 

offer the very best guest experience. 

A focus on ensuring that SLH is able to 

offer hotels in new destinations requested 

by its guests. In 2015 SLH introduced 

hotels in Tokyo, the Seychelles, Prague 

and Malta based on unfulfilled customer 

searches on slh.com. In 2016 key 

destinations will include Ibiza, Dubai, 

Hawaii, Munich and Sydney as well as 

major cities in the USA. 

The introduction of language specific 

sites including an updated Chinese 

website, and brand new sites in German 

and Spanish over the next 18 months. 

A new loyalty scheme – Very Independent 

People - to be launched in late 2016 that 

is designed to embody the independently 

minded approach and reward customer 

behaviours in conjunction with a variety 

of luxury partners. 

In addition SLH has just launched its first 

travel agents’ recognition programme 

– Small Luxury Heroes. Travel agents 

account for over two thirds of all SLH 

reservations and the programme rewards 

agents who register for the programme 

at www.slh.com/travel-agents with 

Amazon gift cards, SLH gift certificates 

and complimentary reward nights. 

Mr Boyen concludes, ‘Travel agents are 

the heroes of our business. We hope that 

by launching Small Luxury Heroes we can 

further inspire them to champion the SLH 

brand by providing a platform through 

which they can better engage with their 

peers and our hotels. As we celebrate 25 

years of working with the travel industry 

we hope our Small Luxury Heroes will 

become our ambassadors for the next 25 

years and beyond.” 

THE MOST 

INFLUENTIAL TREND 

WHICH AFFECTS OUR 

CLIENT BASE ARE THE 

HOTELS THAT HAVE A 

REAL UNDERSTANDING 

OF A CLIENT’S 

LIFESTYLE


THE RISE OF THE LUXURY 

Key Take-Aways from ILTM Cannes 2015 

December 2015 saw one of the largest ILTMs ever, with around 

1500 buyers from 77 countries attending to meet with a plethora of 

suppliers in packed individual diaries of pre-scheduled appointments 

as well as social networking opportunities. The event was a launch 

pad for a large number of companies, creating a new roadmap for 

the industry. Following are some of the key take-aways from the 

show. 

LUXURY TRAVEL TRENDS 

REPORT UNDERLINES 

IMPORTANCE OF “NEW” 

MIDDLE CLASSES 

A new luxury travel trends report published 

at ILTM Cannes by the event’s organisers in 

association with Euromonitor, highlights a 

predicted increase in international luxury travel in 

the face of growing tourism flows from emerging 

markets and middle class consumers. 

According to Alison Gilmore, Senior Exhibition 

Director, ILTM Portfolio, “This exclusive ILTM 

report spells good news for both luxury travel 

and luxury spending. Over a billion extra people 

will be travelling in 2030, with over 5 billion 

consumers living in c ities – travel infrastructure 

and mindsets will need to change as the luxury 

industry evolves.” 

Luxury travel is expected to see more buoyant 

growth across the globe with highest growth 

seen in the Americas, Asia Pacific and the Middle 

East and Africa, thanks to increasing income and 

a growing middle class. Germany and the UK are 

the top source markets from Western Europe. 

Worldwide, the report reveals that the number of 

affluent households is expected to grow between 

2015 and 2030. North America will continue to 

have the wealthiest number of households, but 

despite the economic slowdown Asia Pacific is 

still expected to see the fastest increase, posting 

a predicted 113% growth between 2015 and 

2030. 

MARANATHA WAGERS 

ON HIGH-END SEGMENT 

With a new development strategy 

– aiming to acquire, renovate and 

manage new hotels – Maranatha has 

reached the 10th rank amongst French 

hotel groups, and is now strongly 

targeting the high-end segment. 

Strengthening the group philosophy of 

not only financing, but also managing 

hotels, ILTM also saw the launch of the 

group’s new brand identity, reflecting 

the group’s three interrelated and 

complementary professions: invest, 

acquire/renovate and manage, entitled 

“Synergie Hôtelière”. 

This positioning is based on the belief 

that the upscale segment offers a 

better stability than the economy 

market, which is strongly impacted 

by the emergence of new players in 

accommodation rental. 

In Gordes, at the heart of the Luberon in 

France, Maranatha’s picturesque “Mas des 

Herbes Blanches”***** Relais & Châteaux 

has undergone renovation and extension work 

under the supervision of the architect Laurent 

Maugouste




MARKET 

Arnaud Wielgus 

Sales Director, Operations and e-business, 

Relais & Châteaux 

BRANSON 

ESTATE NOW 

PART OF VIRGIN 

LIMITED EDITION 

PORTFOLIO 

Virgin Limited Edition – Sir Richard 

Branson’s luxury collection – is 

expanding, with the announcement at 

ILTM Cannes of the newest addition – 

The Branson Estate on Moskito Island, 

available for rental from early 2016. 

Situated on 125 acres of stunning 

paradise, surrounded by turquoise 

Caribbean waters, The Branson Estate 

features three villas: Headland House, 

Mangrove Villa and Beach Villa offering 

a total of 11 bedrooms for 22 guests. 

For arrivals in 2016 The Branson Estate 

can be booked for 22 guests for 

$47,300 per night ($2,150 per person, 

per night). 

RELAIS & CHÂTEAUX 

UNDERLINES “FIGHT 

AGAINST EXCESSIVE 

STANDARDISATION” 

With a genuine search for new and 

genuine experiences, Relais & Châteaux 

will be unveiling, over the coming months, 

a number of new initiatives destined to 

enriching the travellers’ experiences within 

local communities. 

Arnaud Wielgus, Sales Director, Operations 

and e-business, told Cleverdis at ILTM 

that the vision of Philippe Gombert, 

international group president, to “make 

the world a better place through cuisine 

and hospitality”, was becoming a reality. 

The group has launched a campaign on a 

worldwide level to defend three initiatives: 

preserve the cuisines of the world, share 

the passion for the beautiful and the good, 

be players of a more humane world. “We 

want to do this with humility but with 

pugnacity”, he added. 

SIX SENSES GETS PERSONAL 

Six Senses have announced a new spa 

concept entitled, “Integrated Wellness”. It’s 

an innovative approach to wellness in which 

the group’s in-house experts measure and 

analyze key physiological biomarkers to 

provide guests with lifestyle and nutritional 

advice, and design a personalised program 

of spa treatments, fitness and wellness 

activities based on the preventative 

principles of the Eastern medicine approach 

and the result-oriented Western influences. 

In 2015, Six Senses Hotels Resorts & Spas 

opened its first resort in Europe, located in 

the Portuguese UNESCO World Heritage 

area of the Douro Valley. Covering 22 acres, 

the new resort features an expansive 2,230 

square meters (24,000 square feet) Six 

Senses Spa offering treatments inspired by 

the local area and its famed port wine.


Cleverdis Editor-in-Chief Richard Barnes with 

Sarah Bisa, Director – Leisure and Luxury Sales 

(EMEA) – Starwood Hotels and Resorts; and 

Chris J. Austin, VP Global Leisure and Luxury 

Sales – Starwood Hotels and Resorts. 

LUXURY SPOKEN FLUENTLY 

Starwood Luxury Privileges drives loyalty beyond reason 

IN THE 

LUXURY SPACE, 

NOT JUST 

IN LUXURY 

HOSPITALITY, 

BRAND 

POSITIONING IS 

KEY. THE WAY 

WE SELL OUR 

HOTELS, SO 

THE CHANNELS 

AND TRAVEL 

PROFESSIONALS 

WE CHOOSE TO 

PARTNER WITH, 

IS ONE OF THE 

MOST POWERFUL 

FORMS OF 

BRAND 

POSITIONING. 

For years, a greater part of bookings in the luxury segment at Starwood were based on consortia 

rate plans via the likes of Virtuoso, Signature, Ensemble and American Express FH&R. Today that 

is expanding. At ILTM Cannes, we asked Sarah Bisa, Director – Leisure and Luxury Sales (EMEA) – 

Starwood to tell us more about “Starwood Luxury Privileges” – now a couple of years into its running 

– and currently taking full flight. 

Today’s luxury travel professionals worldwide are 

diversifying the way they do business with their 

hospitality partners. They want to be recognized for 

the work they do which means a direct partnership 

with the hotels they book. 

Historically, especially in North 

America, luxury travel professionals had access to this 

recognition and added values if they were members of 

luxury consortia. 

While we still work very closely with our luxury 

consortia and also wholesale partners as they are an 

important part of our business, we created Starwood 

Luxury Privileges to address this larger need that came 

straight from our customers and essentially gives 

them access to the hotels and resorts in all three of 

luxury brands: St. Regis, The Luxury Collection and W 

Hotels. And, with the launch of SPG Pro, our loyalty 

offering, travel professionals booking Luxury Privileges 

can also earn additional rewards on top of their 10% 

commission which can be redeemed for free nights, 

free flights, merchandise and more. 

How does it work?Available exclusively to invited 

travel professionals, Luxury Privileges offers a new 

level of service and privileges, including personalised 

advantages and special touches that enhance their 

clients’ experiences, a full complement of services 

and support, and direct access to the world’s largest 

collection of luxury hotels and resorts in the most 

inspired destinations. Once the travel professional 

is in the program, they can book via our dedicated 

website, the GDS or by calling one of our call centers. 

Starwood Luxury Privileges is driving the highest 

ADR ever recorded in the history of Starwood. In 

the luxury space, brand positioning is key and what 

drives that loyalty beyond reason, therefore price is 

not the main deciding factor for the luxury customer. 

The way we sell our hotels, so the channels and travel 

professionals we choose to partner with, is one of the 

most powerful forms of brand positioning. Starwood 

Luxury Privileges is still in its infancy, but it’s already 

hugely successful and we remain fully committed to 

growing our business our key luxury travel professional 

partners.




IN THE LIMELIGHT 

Catering to the “see and be seen” crowd 

Nadine Brady with UK 

football legend Alan Pardew 

in 2015 

During ILTM Cannes, we had the great 

pleasure of meeting Nadine Brady, Head of 

Travel at Limelight Collection, based in the UK. 

We asked her to tell us a little more about the 

kind of clients with whom her group works… 

We work mainly with footballers and entertainment 

people. As an offshoot, Limelight Escapes also 

offers our travel service to a larger database of 

non-profiled high net worth individuals who also 

appreciate the finer things in life. 

When attending trade shows such as ILTM, 

what are you primarily seeking? 

I’m looking to strengthen my existing relationships 

and discover new hotels and brands that I think 

fit with our client base. As we look after high 

profile people, I will always seek out contacts who 

I can lean on to flag our members as VIPs and 

look to gain extra benefits such as complimentary 

upgrades and VIP status. 

THE MOST 

INFLUENTIAL TREND 

WHICH AFFECTS OUR 

CLIENT BASE ARE THE 

HOTELS THAT HAVE A 

REAL UNDERSTANDING 

OF A CLIENT’S 

LIFESTYLE 

What are your trending destinations? 

Croatia and Philippines are out and Marbella and 

Maldives are in. Footballers in particular still love 

Dubai, although we try to encourage them to go 

further afield. As we offer a personal assistant 

service for all parts of their life, we get to know 

our clients really well and can build a high level of 

trust and understanding. 

Our key destinations are USA, Caribbean, Indian 

Ocean and Europe and as mentioned, Dubai. The 

most influential trend which affects our client base 

are the hotels that have a real understanding of 

a client’s lifestyle and the fact that it’s no longer 

just about providing home comforts but also 

providing a more specialised offering to fit with 

how the clients live their life at home whether that 

is offering paddle board yoga, specialised diet, 

wellness within the spa plus the means for them 

to use whatever technology they love at home 

throughout the resort. 

Our clients also love hotels with a strong brand 

affiliation whether that be the hotel itself, access 

to designer shopping or aspirational branded 

restaurants such as Nobu or Zuma. 

[ By Jean-François Pieri ]


Hans E. Koch 

President, EHMA 

KEY TOP-END EVENT 

43 RD EHMA ANNUAL GENERAL MEETING 

– LIMASSOL, CYPRUS - 7-10 APRIL 2016 

“DRIVERS AND TRENDS 

OF LUXURY HOSPITALITY” 

Every year, the European Hotel Managers’ Association 

AGM is a not-to-be missed event for the very “elite” 

managers of Europe’s top hotels. 

While close to 5,000 4- and 5-star hotels operate in 

80 major destinations of the European market (the 

majority located in Italy, Spain, the United Kingdom 

and France), EHMA currently has 435 members in 27 

European countries, corresponding to around 10% of 

the market. 

Currently presided by the Swiss National Delegate, 

Hans E. Koch, the association is a veritable “who’s 

who” of the business. 

The AGM is accompanied by information sessions, 

seminars enabling benchmarking in hotel service 

excellence, and local tours, which are exceptional 

platforms for networking, through which new 

partnerships and ideas often arise. 

EHMA was established in Rome in 1974 as a non-profit 

association of Hotel Managers operating first class and 

luxury hotels across Europe. EHMA is concerned with 

safeguarding the ethics of the hotel profession. Its 

members are committed to fostering fellowship and 

respect, as well as their own professional improvement 

to better serve the industry. 

Its mission is to become the number one platform 

for collective intelligence, education, networking and 

professional development among European hotel 

managers of 4- and 5-star properties. 

6 Hotels - 1 Team 

If the delegates of the EHMA 2016 congress will enjoy 

an exciting agenda, this is thanks to the all the ideas 

and hard work put in by the 

organising committee, consisting 

of a group of players from 6 

hotels who form a fantastic team. 

This again proves the strength 

of EHMA in capitalising on 

men and women of exception 

- combining forces. They work 

together to provide a service to all 

delegates in the spirit of EHMA’s 

values: safeguarding the ethics 

of the hotel profession, fostering 

fellowship and respect - to better serve the industry. 

For some years now, Cleverdis has been a key media 

partner of EHMA, as we share the same values when 

it comes to the fostering of intelligence, and growth 

through thought leadership and mutual assistance. 

THE 

ASSOCIATION IS A 

VERITABLE “WHO’S 

WHO” OF THE 

BUSINESS

EUROPE 




EUROPE 

TOPS TOURISM 

GROWTH 

Cliffs, Clare, 

Ireland 

Destinations in Europe can justifiably look back 

over the past year and celebrate the tourism sector’s 

outstanding performance. 

2015 marked a year of healthy 

growth for European tourism, 

consolidating the firm increases 

recorded over the past six years 

and promoting tourism as one 

of the best performing sectors 

and key generator of income and 

employment. 

Despite strong headwinds caused 

by socio-economic agitations, 

fluctuating exchange rates 

and security concerns, most 

recent estimates by the World 

Tourism Organization reveal 

that international tourist arrivals 

to Europe grew by 5.1% last 

year. This growth in arrivals to 

European destinations was, in 

particular, supported by solid 

intra-regional demand boosted 

by the recovery of many euro area 

economies: visits from Germany 

and France mirrored the increase 

in consumer consumption and 

improved consumer confidence, 

UK citizens benefited from the 

strength of the pound against 

the euro. >

EUROPE / TRENDS & FIGURES 




EUROPE TOPS 

TOURISM GROWTH 

The World Tourism Barometer by the 

UNWTO indicates arrivals in Europe reached 

609 million, or 29 million more than in 

2014. Central and Eastern Europe (+6%) 

rebounded from last year’s decrease in 

arrivals. Northern Europe (+6%), Southern 

Mediterranean Europe (+5%) and Western 

Europe (+4%) also recorded sound results, 

especially considering the many mature 

destinations they comprise. 

Looking ahead, Europe can generally 

expect an increase in international visitors 

from major long-haul source markets, 

according to a recent survey by the ETC. 

Consumers in China, the USA and Japan 

are all more positively inclined towards 

travel to Europe, while travel sentiment in 

Brazil is slightly lower than at the beginning 

of the year. Moreover, the intention to 

travel to Europe among Russian citizens 

has fallen significantly for the remainder 

of the year (September-December 2015). 

GOOD OUTLOOK FOR 2016 

Europe saw positive growth in international 

tourist arrivals over the first eight months of 

2015, driven mostly by intra-regional travel 

from major source markets such as the 

UK and Germany, according to European 

Travel Commission (ETC) figures. In terms 

of long-haul inbound travel, ETC expected 

a strong 30% rise in Chinese arrivals and a 

good 11% increase from the USA but an 

18% fall from Russia for 2015 as a whole. 

Stefanie Gallob, ETC’s head of research, 

told the forum that in the USA the strong 

dollar is motivating middle- and higherincome 

travellers to consider Europe as a 

travel destination. In China, positive travel 

sentiment is mostly driven by younger 

and mid-aged people. In contrast, Russian 

travel intentions for Europe have fallen 

sharply due to a mix of factors, supporting 

notions of a predicted fall of 18% in 

Russian arrivals to Europe last year. 

OUTBOUND 

Looking ahead to next year, IPK 

currently predicts a 2.8% rise in 

European outbound travel, based on 

its European Travel Confidence Index, 

which measures travel intentions 

for the next year. According to the 

index, 70% of Europeans are looking 

ahead positively and want to travel 

at least as much in 2016 as this year. 

Confidence is highest in the UK and 

Spain (both +6%), Poland (+4%) 

and Germany (+3%), indicating 

good growth ahead for those source 

markets next year. In contrast, French 

consumers are only slightly more 

optimistic about their travel intentions 

for 2016, while confidence is lower in 

Russia and Italy (both -2%). 

INCREASE 2015 BY REGION 

International Tourist Arrivals 

Absolute change, million 

EUROPEAN TRAVEL CONFIDENCE INDEX 

- IPK FORECAST PER SOURCE MARKET 

35 

30 

25 

29 

50 million 

additional 

arrivals 

2014 

2015 

85 90 95 100 105 110 

Spain 

20 

15 

13 

14 

13 

14 

9 

Great Britain 

Poland 

10 

5 

0 

3 

2 

Germany 

Europe 

0 

France 

-5 

Europe 

Asia 

& the Pacific 

Americas 

Africa 

-2 

Middle East 

Russia 

Italy 

Source: World Tourism 

Organization (UNWTO) © 

Source: European Travel Monitor ® 

1-8/2015, IPK International

THE INTERNATIONAL 

TRADE SHOW 

FOR THE 

TRAVEL INDUSTRY 

LEISURE . BUSINESS . EVENTS 

PARIS, PORTE DE VERSAILLES, PAVILIONS 7.2 &7.1 

NETWORKING . CONFERENCES . WORKSHOPS . FORMATIONS . EXPERTISE




Europe has now 

experienced 

growth in visitor 

numbers for the 

sixth consecutive year. 

International Tourist 

arrivals to Europe were up 

5% in 2015. We asked ETC 

Eduardo Santander what 

he sees as being the most 

important trends in the 

European tourism market 

at the moment. 

This year, we are placing 

particular emphasis on the US 

market. The US is our most 

important overseas source 

market and the strong US 

Dollar and the ever-growing 

consumer confidence all 

contribute to the appeal 

of Europe as a holiday 

destination. In other important 

source markets such as China, 

Canada and Brazil we are 

continuing building strategic 

ongoing evolution of Europe’s 

transport infrastructure, as 

well as a number of new 

ideas and initiatives, which we 

believe will result in improved 

planning for better-targeted 

itineraries. We presented and 

distributed the publication 

at all our trade events and 

seminars in Europe, Canada, 

USA and Brazil last year. 

ETC NAMES UNITED STATES 

AS KEY TO GROWTH 

European Travel Commission Executive Director says more should 

be done to win over American travellers 

Eduardo 

Santander 

Executive Director, ETC 

International tourists continue 

to travel, and tourist flows 

to and within the region are 

expected to surge 3.8% - 

4.4% in 2016. 

In the US, the upswing of 

the economy, a strong US 

dollar, stable airfares, and 

an ever-increasing consumer 

confidence are boosting 

travel to Europe. Although 

US travellers are concerned 

about terrorism they still want 

to discover Europe. The US 

accounted for 5% of total 

arrivals (25.7million) to Europe 

in 2015 and is expected to 

grow on average at +6% 

towards 2020. 

Please tell us more about 

the main promotional 

activities of the ETC at the 

moment. 

partnerships with trade and 

media aiming at increasing 

awareness of lesser known 

European destinations. 

Last year, Cleverdis 

completed the SMARTguide 

to Travel in Europe. How 

has this performed as an 

information tool for travel 

professionals? 

The Travelling in Europe 

Smartguide was very well 

received by the industry in 

Europe as well as in overseas 

markets. 

ETC has a long tradition 

in producing very valuable 

market intelligence, but this 

was the first time that we 

issued a publication targeted 

directly towards travel 

professionals. The guide 

gives a firm overview of the 

TOURIST 

FLOWS TO AND 

WITHIN THE 

REGION ARE 

EXPECTED TO 

SURGE 3.8% - 

4.4% IN 2016.

Advertorial 

Dr. Martin Buck 

Senior Vice President 

Travel & Logistics 

TELL US, DR. BUCK... 

Dr. Buck, in 2016 the world’s largest tourism industry 

trade show will celebrate its 50 th anniversary. What can 

the exhibitors and visitors look forward to? 

On the occasion of the anniversary, we visited many different 

destinations all over the world in order to offer 

our personal thank-you, “From Berlin With Love!”. In the 

process, 50 topics or events from 50 destinations all over 

the world were selected; each is related to one of the following 

topics: tourism, politics, social issues, nature or history. 

A total of 50 ITB Ambassadors from Berlin traveled 

to selected destinations and visited local representatives; 

both the ambassadors and local representatives have a 

personal connection to the selected destination. One particularly 

exciting meeting involved David Ruetz, Head of 

ITB Berlin, who visited Dr. Manfred Busche, the founder 

of ITB Berlin, in his hometown of Ketzin/Havel. The two 

men discussed the milestones of the development of the 

tourism trade show. The fact is: What began in 1966 with 

nine exhibitors from five countries and only 250 trade 

visitors has developed into a huge international success. In 

2015 over 10,000 exhibitors from 186 countries presented 

their products and services to ca. 175,000 visitors. All 

50 encounters will be showcased in a video, a book and 

via Social Media. In addition, the anniversary will be duly 

celebrated at the Opening Ceremony on 8th March and 

throughout the next ITB Berlin, from 9 – 13 March 2016. 

The tourism industry is dealing with new aspects of 

digitalization and disruptive business models. What will 

you offer at the trade show? 

Travel Technology has turned out to be one of the biggest 

and most dynamic exhibitor segments. We are currently 

experiencing an unparalleled change in this tourism industry 

area. Mobile Payment, Deep Link and humanoid 

robots, like “ChihiraAico” from Toshiba, are changing the 

tourism industry. For years eTravel World has successfully 

conveyed knowledge about the key Travel Technology 

market. We also acknowledge the importance of these 

topics at the ITB Berlin Convention with a broad forum: 

“Travel 4.0”. On ITB MICE-Day, for example, the focus will 

be on the topic “Man vs. Machine”. The question whether 

Augmented Reality or Google Glasses drive innovation or 

destroy personal encounters, and future topics like “when 

the robot fluffs up the pillows”, are on the agenda. 

Sustainability is playing an increasingly important role 

for vacationers. How does ITB Berlin address this topic? 

We worked together with National Geographic Travel 

magazine to create the World Legacy Award: It is given 

to the leading tourism companies, organizations and destinations 

which advance a re-thinking of the travel industry 

according to sustainable tourism-based principles and 

practices. But we do even more: ITB Berlin is committed 

to a variety of important areas, including human rights, 

social justice, fighting against the sexual exploitation of 

women and children in tourism and protection of the 

climate, environment and animals. 

As the Official Partner Country of ITB Berlin 2016, the 

Maldives take center stage of the international travel 

industry. What makes this island country in the Indian 

Ocean so unique? 

With dazzling white beaches, turquoise lagoons and 

unique diving sites, the Maldives is one of the last paradises 

on earth. Furthermore, the island country is one of the 

best examples for controlled and environmentally-friendly 

tourism, well beyond the world of mass tourism. 

CELEBRATING 50 YEARS OF ITB BERLIN 

50 OCCASIONS 

50 DESTINATIONS 

50 ENCOUNTERS 

9 – 13 March 2016 · itb50.com 

Official Partner Country 

ITB Berlin 2016

EUROPE / TOP EVENTS: ITB BERLIN 




© Messe Berlin GmbH 

© Messe Berlin GmbH 

ITB Berlin 2015 

ITB Berlin 2015, 

ITB Travel Technology 

This year’s edition of ITB Berlin sees a big 

increase in exhibitors from Asia, Africa, 

the Arab countries, North America 

and Europe – and Travel Technology is 

booming 

ITB Berlin is celebrating its fiftieth anniversary 

and is as successful as ever. From 9 to 13 

March 2016 at the world’s largest travel 

trade show the fair’s organisers expect 

around 10,000 exhibitors and organisations 

from more than 180 countries to be in the 

26 halls on the Berlin Exhibition Grounds. 

THE WHOLE WORLD 

- IN BERLIN 

ITB Berlin confirms status 

as world’s leading travel trade show 

“The high level of demand from emerging 

destinations such as Asia and the Arab 

countries and the growth of popular 

markets such as Travel Technology are proof 

of how dynamic the global travel industry 

is. At the same time, up-to-the-minute and 

forward-looking themes at the ITB Berlin 

Convention, where leading experts will be 

taking part in the debate, emphasise ITB 

Berlin’s reputation as the travel industry’s 

driving force”, said David Ruetz, head of 

ITB Berlin. 

TRAVEL TECHNOLOGY 

PROVIDES AN IMPETUS 

FOR THE GLOBAL TRAVEL 

INDUSTRY 

Travel Technology is booming. Around 30% 

of exhibitors in this section are newcomers 

to the show, including major international 

companies such as Bynder ’getbynder’ 

(Netherlands) and Clicktripz (USA), as 

well as Beachinspector, the winners of 

the Sprungbrett Innovators’ Competition. 

Roompad, Citos Systems and Freshcells 

occupy larger display areas and Sabre, the 

world’s leading provider of solutions for 

the travel industry, has moved to the Travel 

Technology Hall in 5.1. 

CLEVERDIS – PUBLISHER 

OF ITB BERLIN NEWS 

Cleverdis is the publisher of the official 

show magazine “ITB Berlin News”. 

Please feel free to contact us if you have any 

specific news that may apply to the event. 

[ By Gérard Lefebvre ] 

THE HIGH LEVEL 

OF DEMAND FROM 

EMERGING DESTINATIONS 

SUCH AS ASIA AND 

THE ARAB COUNTRIES 

AND THE GROWTH OF 

POPULAR MARKETS SUCH 

AS TRAVEL TECHNOLOGY 

ARE PROOF OF HOW 

DYNAMIC THE GLOBAL 

TRAVEL INDUSTRY IS

EUROPE / TOP EVENTS: IHIF 




ENTERING 

THE GOLDEN AGE 

OF HOSPITALITY 

IHIF Berlin – “Where the industry meets” – puts highly 

positive spin on outlook for future 

Cleverdis is proud to be a media partner 

of the International Hotel Investment 

Forum (IHIF) - the most influential and 

globally diverse meeting place for hotel 

industry investors, CEOs and other key 

players. 

The three-day event, attended by over 

2,000 hospitality and tourism decisionmakers 

from over 80 countries is the 

place where deals are done and important 

industry decisions are made. IHIF attracts 

a very senior gathering and among them 

nearly every major hotel chain CEO, 

influential global tourism ministers and 

the largest group of investors and hotel 

owners. 

IHIF focuses on delivering opportunities 

to anyone who currently operates within 

the hotel and tourism industry or who 

wants to do business in this sector, 

including: 

Investors / Hotel Owners / Lenders / Hotel 

Chain CEOs and Executives / Financial 

Advisers / Real Estate Agents / Lawyers 

/ Designers / Architects / Consultants 

/ Timeshare Developers / ourism and 

Government Officials 

Through three days of unrivalled 

networking opportunities, outstanding 

evening receptions, an exhibition and 

the very best educational programme, 

IHIF delivers important networking, 

information and contacts. Its attendees 

and sponsors agree that IHIF is a not-tobe-missed 

event in their diaries. 

There was palpable optimism across 

last year’s conference, not only praising 

the quality of the event but also the 

future of the hospitality industry. This 

year saw more brands launched, hotels 

signed, reports released, appointments 

confirmed and developments unveiled 

than in the IHIF’s 18-year history. Several 

industry-leading speakers commented 

that we are “entering the golden age 

of hospitality” and the energy and 

enthusiasm felt amongst delegates, 

speakers and sponsors certainly reflected 

this sentiment. 

In attending IHIF, you are immersing 

yourself in an environment with others 

who are serious about doing business, 

completing deals and forging productive 

business relationships. 

© Mark Green 

IHIF 2015 

IHIF ATTRACTS A 

VERY SENIOR GATHERING 

AND AMONG THEM NEARLY 

EVERY MAJOR HOTEL CHAIN 

CEO, INFLUENTIAL GLOBAL 

TOURISM MINISTERS AND 

THE LARGEST GROUP OF 

INVESTORS AND HOTEL 

OWNERS 

© Mark Green


60 PROPERTIES 

BY 2026 

Katara Hospitality holds a steady course 

in a sea of growing success 

Hamad Abdulla 

Al-Mulla 

CEO, Katara Hospitality 

Hamad Abdulla Al-Mulla’s appointment at the helm of 

Katara Hospitality in 2011 was the result of hard work 

and dedication throughout the years, having acquired indepth 

knowledge about the organisation and its strategic 

objectives. In his role, Al Mulla leads Katara Hospitality to 

achieving its goal to become one of the leading hospitality 

organisations in the world. 

His most recent achievements include being ranked number 

one within the 2015 Hotelier Middle East Power 50 list, 

which acknowledges his efforts in charting organisational 

growth and significant expansion into key international 

markets. Mr. Al Mulla was also recognized as number 44 

on Arabian Business Qatar’s 2015 Qatar Power List for his 

contributions to the Qatari business landscape. 

Katara Hospitality, the 

leading global hotel 

developer, owner and 

operator based in Qatar, 

has received worldwide 

acclaim for its combined international 

growth strategy as it builds upon its 

global hospitality footprint. We asked 

Hamad Abdulla Al-Mulla, Chief Executive 

Officer of the group, to outline his latest 

milestones. 

During 2015, Katara Hospitality witnessed 

the opening of Excelsior Gallia, a Luxury 

Collection Hotel, Milan, as well as the 

legendary Art Nouveau style Royal Savoy, 

Lausanne, a Murwab Hotel. Both properties 

had recently undergone a meticulous 

renovation and interior redesign, unveiling 

fully renovated luxury hotels. Katara 

Hospitality also acquired the Westin 

Excelsior Rome, a feat which was symbolic 

of our organisation’s continued commitment 

towards our goal of 60 properties by 2026. 

In Qatar, we continue to illustrate our pledge 

in support of the core tenets of Qatar 

National Vision 2030, through upgrades and 

renovations of properties that are a part of 

our locally based portfolio. 

The launch of Murwab Hotel Group, Katara 

Hospitality’s standalone operating arm, is 

an important move. Could you tell us a little 

more about this? 

ADVERTORIAL CONTENT




The launch of Murwab Hotel 

Group was a significant milestone 

in that it is emblematic of the start 

of a new era for our organisation. 

Leveraging from over 45 years’ 

worth of experience, Murwab 

Hotel Group, which manages a 

collection of international upscale 

boutique hotels and brands, 

is a rapidly growing hotelmanagement 

company with 

multiple projects in its pipeline. 

The formation of Murwab Hotel 

Group is important to our growth 

strategy as we have diversified our 

offering to hotel management 

services geared towards the 

independent hotel segment. 

What is your message this year 

to the leading delegates at 

IHIF Berlin? 

At this year’s edition of IHIF Berlin, 

we aim to highlight our continued 

commitment to reinvesting in 

our current portfolio, as we 

develop properties that appeal 

to the most discerning of tastes. 

Widely renowned as an event 

that attracts the most influential 

decision makers in the hospitality 

arena, IHIF Berlin promises to 

create further opportunities for 

Katara Hospitality to showcase its 

strategic direction and business 

intent in the years to come. We 

look forward to the opportunity 

to not only showcase our peerless 

luxury hotel property portfolio to 

hospitality industry leaders, but 

also share industry insights on the 

future of Katara Hospitality and 

the luxury hospitality market. 

Sharq Village, Spa, 

Doha, Qatar 

GLOBAL 

RECOGNITION 

Katara Hospitality received numerous 

prestigious awards over the past year 

for its continued contributions to the 

Qatari and global luxury hospitality 

landscape. 

Some notable awards to mention 

include being named the “Middle 

East’s Leading Hospitality Development 

Company” for the second consecutive 

year and “Middle East Leading Tourism 

Development Project” for the iconic 

Katara Towers development expected 

to open in 2018 in Doha’s Lusail City 

Marina District, at the 2015 regional 

World Travel Awards. 

The Peninsula, 

Paris, France 

Katara Hospitality also clinched the 

prestigious Seven Star Special Award 

for “Remarkable & Exceptional 

Achievement in the Luxury Hospitality 

Industry” award at Seven Stars Luxury 

Hospitality and Lifestyle Awards 

ceremony in Bali. 

To cap the year off, Katara Hospitality 

scooped three esteemed awards at 

the global edition of the World Travel 

Awards, by being named “World’s 

Leading Hospitality Company” for the 

third year running, “World’s Leading 

Hotel Suite” for the Katara Suite at 

the recently reopened Excelsior Hotel 

Gallia, Milan and the coveted “World’s 

Leading Landmark Hotel” for The 

Peninsula Paris, a Katara Hospitality 

flagship property in the French capital. 

ADVERTORIAL CONTENT


ACCORHOTELS: 

+20% ROOM OPENINGS 

YEAR-ON-YEAR 

Massive growth for the French-based 

industry giant 

2015 was an historic year for AccorHotels in terms of new openings, 

now opening 2 hotels every 3 days. We asked Gaurav Bhushan 

Global Chief Development Officer – AccorHotels to explain this 

extraordinary performance. 

Gaurav Bhushan 

Global Chief Development Officer, 

AccorHotels 

In 2015, we opened more than 

36,000 new rooms in the world 

(229 new hotels), excluding 

acquisitions, which represents 

+20% versus last year. 

We broke our own record, we 

had never opened so many rooms 

before, and 54,000 rooms were 

signed in 2015 to be opened in the 

upcoming years. Europe (+3,500 

rooms versus last year) and Asia 

Pacific (+2,100 rooms) made it 

possible. Asia Pacific is still in pull 

position, boosting AccorHotels 

worldwide development with 

39% of rooms opened (14,000 

new rooms) and 41% of rooms 

signed (21,800 new rooms). This 

booming region represents near 

50% of AccorHotels secured 

pipeline i.e. 64,400 out of 132,900 

rooms. 

The Middle East shows full 

potential with remarkable deals 

that occurred in Saudi Arabia, 

thanks to the partnership sealed 

with the Alessayi Group (6 new 

hotels and 1,650 rooms), and 

the agreement signed with Al 

Rajhi Group for the “Mekkah Al 

Maseem” biggest hotel cluster 

in the world (3 AccorHotels and 

2,500 rooms), meeting religious 

tourism expectations. 

Big news with AccorHotels’ 

signing of an agreement to 

take over running of FRHI. How 

important is this strategically 

and why? 

Indeed, AccorHotels signed in 

2015 an agreement with the 

IN 2015, WE 

OPENED MORE THAN 

36,000 NEW ROOMS 

IN THE WORLD 

(229 NEW HOTELS), 

EXCLUDING 

ACQUISITIONS, 

WHICH REPRESENTS 

+20% VERSUS LAST 

YEAR.




Qatar Investment Authority (QIA), 

Kingdom Holding Company 

(KHC) of Saudi Arabia and Oxford 

Properties, an Ontario Municipal 

Employees Retirement System 

(OMERS) company, for the 

acquisition for US$2,9 billion of 

FRHI Holdings Ltd (FRHI), parent 

of the most prestigious global 

luxury hotel brands: Fairmont, 

Raffles, and Swissôtel. The Group 

will integrate an unrivalled hotel 

portfolio of 155 hotels and 56,000 

rooms to its already existing 3,900 

hotels and 510,000 rooms. 

It is highly strategic because it 

strengthens our presence and 

expertise in the Luxury segment 

with strong iconic brands. It 

significantly strengthens our 

position in the North American 

market with flagship properties in 

key cities. It allows us to leverage 

high-end client databases, mostly 

US-based. It helps us build a 

new global brand architecture to 

address strong growth market 

potential. And it creates significant 

synergies thanks to shared 

expertise, distribution platform 

and loyalty programs. 

What does your recent strategic 

alliance with Huazhu in China 

mean? 

Huazu is now the Master Franchisee 

of AccorHotels for Mercure, ibis 

Styles and ibis in China, Tawain 

and Mongolia. Novotel and 

Grand Mercure (Mei Jue) will be 

developed and operated by both 

AccorHotels and Huazu under 

a co-development agreement. 

Huazhu also owns a 29,3% in 

AccorHotels’ luxury and upscale 

platform for China, developing 

and operating Sofitel, Pullman, 

MGallery by Sofitel. To end with, 

AccorHotels has a 10,8% stake 

in Huazhu and one representative 

to China Lodging Group’s Board 

of Directors. The combined hotel 

networks represent more than 

6,500 hotels worldwide and the 2 

loyalty programs have more than 

75 million members. 

The objective is to enhance 

synergies in the largest inbound 

market and soon-to-be the largest 

outbound market. It will accelerate 

AccorHotels’ development in the 

world’s biggest hospitality market, 

adding an average of 80 properties 

per year to the Group network. It 

will give AccorHotels access to the 

Chinese domestic market thanks to 

Huazu powerful distribution tool 

and loyalty programme, as well 

as bringing a growing number of 

Chinese travellers in AccorHotels 

worldwide. 

ASIA PACIFIC 

IS STILL IN 

PULL POSITION, 

BOOSTING 

ACCORHOTELS 

WORLDWIDE 

DEVELOPMENT 

WITH 39% OF 

ROOMS OPENED 

AND 41% OF 

ROOMS SIGNED 

Could you please tell us more 

about AccorHotels Group’s 

development strategy? 

Geographically speaking, 

AccorHotels development 

strategy is built around a 2-strong 

approach: be present in all major 

markets and gateway cities of all 

regions around the world (Europe, 

ASPAC, Americas, Middle-East) 

and continue its rapid expansion 

in emerging countries for all brand 

segments, especially in China, 

Brazil, India, Saudi Arabia, sub- 

Saharan Africa & Iran. 

[ By Gérard Lefebvre ] 

MOST REMARKABLE 

OPENINGS 

MGallery Cures Marines, 

Trouville 

MGALLERY CURES MARINES TROUVILLE, 

103 rooms, France 

PULLMAN THE PARK LANE HONG KONG, 

834 rooms, China 

PULLMAN DUBAI GRAND HOTEL JUMEIRAH 

LAKE, 

354 rooms, United Arab Emirates 

MAHA CIPTA (GRAND MERCURE) JAKARTA 

KEMAYORAN, 505 rooms, Indonesia 

NOVOTEL MUENCHEN CITY ARNULFPARK, 

204 rooms, Germany 

MERCURE ISTANBUL TOPKAPI, 

204 rooms, Turkey 

MAMA SHELTER LOS ANGELES, 

70 rooms, USA 

IBIS RIO COPACABANA, 

231 rooms, Brazil 

Pullman The Park Lane, 

Hong Kong

EUROPE INBOUND / TRANSPORT 

Manchester Airport, 

Runway Park 

LINKING EUROPE TO THE 

Iran, China and USA for the long haul, low cost regional 

With low cost airlines 

representing now over 

40% of passengers traffic 

in short/Medium haul 

traffic in Europe, budget 

carriers and “hybrid carriers” – the answer of 

legacy airlines to the low cost competition with 

a hybrid product continue to “do and undo” 

networks around Europe. Vueling for example 

is launching services to six destinations out 

of Zurich and to three European cities out of 

London Luton Airport. The carrier will also 

start connecting Algeria with two new routes, 

one between Barcelona and Constantine and 

between Valencia and Algiers. 

In Germany, Airberlin is increasing frequencies 

from Düsseldorf to Italy and from Berlin to 

Central Europe while Eurowings will match 

Airberlin in Düsseldorf with the launching 

of services to 9 cities. Ryanair is also looking 

at strengthening its presence in Germany by 

launching two bases in the country, one in 

Hamburg and the second one in Nuremberg. 

Another low cost carrier is moving into 

Germany. This spring time, Dutch/French 

low cost carrier Transavia – an affiliate of Air 

France-KLM- is opening its first base outside 

its home markets in Munich. Transavia bases in 

Munich four aircraft to serve 20 destinations. 

This springtime, Easyjet opens its 27th and 

28th European bases in Barcelona and Venice 

while expanding consequently in Lyon with 

seven new routes. Its competitor Volotea 

strengthens its presence in Bordeaux while 

further growing its main French base in 

Nantes. Finally, British Airways is denting into 

London low cost market at Stansted Airport. 

The British carrier is launching in May flights 

out of Stansted to leisure destinations in 

Portugal and Spain. 

Legacy carriers continue to boost their long-haul 

network as competition from low cost airlines 

still remains limited. From major European 

hubs, Amsterdam will benefit from a new flight 

to Mexico (Aeromexico) while Delta Air Lines 

is launching a daily flight from Paris CDG to 

Raleigh Durham in North Carolina. Air France 

is also launching from June a daily frequency 

between Paris-Orly and New York JFK. 

From the summer, Lufthansa will operate 

five weekly services from Frankfurt to San 

Jose in California. The carrier opened flights 

last October to Nairobi and Tampa, Florida. 

Lufthansa adjusts its long haul network out of 

Munich by cancelling its route to Dubai while 

opening a new service to Teheran and Denver. 

From its Rome Fiumicino base, Alitalia is luring 

Latin America: From May, the carrier launches 

five weekly flights to Santiago de Chile 

followed in June by three weekly services to




© techboy 

Airbus A320 of Air Berlin landing 

at Berlin Schönefeld Airport 

WORLD 

air links within Europe 

LARGE EUROPEAN 

SECONDARY AIRPORTS 

ARE RECEIVING AN 

INCREASING NUMBER 

OF LONG HAUL 

FLIGHTS. 

Mexico. Rome is also an attractive destination 

for Chinese carriers, benefiting from Hainan 

Airlines flights to Xian. 

NEW FLIGHTS TO 

SECONDARY LARGE 

AIRPORTS 

Large European secondary airports are 

receiving an increasing number of long haul 

flights. Düsseldorf in Germany or Manchester 

in the UK are among the top airports for new 

intercontinental flights. 

Düsseldorf: After Cathay Pacific launched 

in winter 2015 four weekly frequencies to 

Hong Kong, Singapore Airlines will start to 

fly to Düsseldorf from this summer with 3 

frequencies in an Airbus A350 while home 

carrier AirBerlin is launching in May and 

June 5 weekly flights to San Francisco, 

4 weekly flights to Boston while waiting 

for the approval for two weekly services to 

Havana. Neighbouring airport Cologne/Bonn, 

which turned since last November into the 

new base for Lufthansa budget subsidiary 

Eurowings, saw the launching of half a dozen 

intercontinental flights including Bangkok, 

Phuket, Dubai and . For the summer season, 

while Dubai will be discontinued, Eurowings 

will strengthen connections to the USA with 

flights from Cologne to Boston and Las Vegas. 

Asia continues to attract new services to 

Europe. 

Iberia just announced to launch from October 

routes to Shanghai and Tokyo from Madrid, 

a first for the Spanish carrier which until 

now concentrated mostly on developing its 

network to South America. 

IRAN, DESTINATION 

OF THE YEAR 2016 

Hottest destination of 2016 is Iran, following 

the normalization of relations between 

Washington and Teheran and the consequent 

end of commercial sanctions. 

Air France from Paris and Lufthansa from 

Munich will launch flights to Teheran while 

British Airways will follow in July with six weekly 

frequencies from London Heathrow. Alitalia 

boosted frequencies to the Iranian capital from 

Rome in January while Austrian Airlines will 

add flights from March out of Vienna. Austrian 

is also the only Western European carrier to 

have been granted traffic rights to Isfahan, Iran 

second largest city. In April, the carrier starts 

four weekly services out of Vienna and looks 

now to serve Shiraz in the near future.

EUROPE INBOUND / 

TRENDING HOTELS 

A NEW ICON ON THE 

UK’S GREENWICH 

PENINSULA 

869 ROOMS: EUROPE’S 

LARGEST MARRIOTT 

OPENS IN MADRID 

Much like the iconic 

InterContinental Hong 

Kong or InterContinental 

Paris Le Grand, the new 

InterContinental London The 

O2 Hotel is set to become a 

destination in its own right, 

next to one of the UK’s 

most popular entertainment 

venues. 

The InterContinental London - 

The O2 will bring a new level 

of glamour to cosmopolitan 

guests seeking to enjoy the 

allure of global etiquette, 

timeless experiences, and the 

city’s local heritage. Alongside 

its five destination-inspired 

food and beverage outlets 

including The Peninsula 

Restaurant and rooftop sky 

bar, Eighteen, the hotel boasts 

a world-class health spa and 

sumptuous accommodation, 

with 453 rooms, including 59 

suites - and the most breathtaking 

views over London. 

InterContinental London – 

The O2 is operating under 

a franchise agreement with 

Meridian Hotel Operations 

Limited and is managed by a 

division of the Arora Group. 

The Madrid Marriott Auditorium 

Hotel and Conference Center, 

which opened in early 2016, 

boasts 15,500 square metres 

of event space including an 

impressive auditorium that can 

accommodate up to 2,000 

guests. 

Marriott’s Meetings Imagined 

program provides new 

opportunities and inspiration 

for event coordinators and 

meeting planners along with an 

online service that keeps guests 

in touch with guest relation 

managers 24/7. 

Conveniently located for 

Madrid-Barajas Airport, the 

hotel is the third Marriott Hotel 

in Spain and is the brand’s 

largest property in Europe. 

Formerly known as Hotel 

Auditorium Madrid, the 869- 

room property has undergone 

an extensive renovation to 

present a contemporary and 

welcoming design to excite 

both business and leisure 

travellers. Guests can enjoy 

flexible, innovative and spacious 

public areas to meet, connect, 

socialise and relax, while guest 

rooms are luxuriously appointed 

with amenities such as spacious 

work desks and Nespresso 

Coffee machines to ensure a 

comfortable and productive 

stay.




REDEFINING 

THE AIRPORT 

HOTEL CONCEPT 

WIND OF CHANGE 

AT PARIS CHARLES 

DE GAULLE AIRPORT 

Hilton Hotels & Resorts 

new Hilton Amsterdam 

Airport Schiphol is designed 

as “modern air travel 

accommodation”. The stateof-the-art 

433-room hotel 

replaces the previous Hilton 

Amsterdam Airport Schiphol, 

which opened in 1972. 

The landmark property was 

developed and is owned by 

Schiphol Real Estate. 

Created by acclaimed 

Dutch architects Mecanoo, 

alongside British interior 

design company The Gallery 

HBA, Hilton Amsterdam 

Airport Schiphol has a distinct 

cubic design that features 

a 42-metre high glazed 

roof. Contemporary Dutch 

influence can also be found 

throughout the public space 

and guestrooms. Spanish 

artist Israel Páez has created 

a wide range of bespoke 

pieces for the hotel such as 

story-telling tile walls in the 

open kitchens and a series 

of headboards for the guest 

rooms representing the Dutch 

landscape that gives every 

space an authentic and local 

touch. 

Shooting directly to N°1 

position on TripAdvisor’s list 

of hotels at Paris Charles de 

Gaulle Airport, the new 305- 

room Pullman Paris Roissy CDG 

Airport is breathing a welldeserved 

breeze of change 

into the ever-evolving transport 

hub’s accommodations. 

Recently opened along with 

a new mid-market ibis Styles 

property also at the Roissy hub, 

this hotel was designed as a 

living setting for exchanges 

and sharing. It is a savvy blend 

of upscale comfort and class, 

to nestle guests in wellness 

amid the quintessentially 

cosmopolitan surroundings. 

Elegant and stylish are the two 

words that shine through the 

areas that designer Christophe 

Pillet created with his novel 

touch. The restaurant, Culinaire 

Bazaar, serves appetizing, 

authentic and friendly dishes 

made with quality produce. 

Chef Thierry Coutable is keen on 

market produce and works with 

local farmers. At the bar, the 

creative crew mixes its singularly 

creative up-to-the-minute takes 

on rare or forgotten spirits such 

as the Rin Quin Quin from the 

time-honored Distillerie et 

Domaines de Provence. And the 

cocktail menu naturally includes 

Absinth, Calvados and Cognac.

EUROPE INBOUND / 


IBERIAN TOURISM 

ON RISE 

Spain becomes third-most visited 

global destination 

Consecutive years of record-breaking 

inbound tourism is breathing new life 

into Spain’s vacation hotspots and travel 

companies’ strategic positioning. 

Spain is now the world’s third-most visited 

destination, behind only France and the USA. 

A new Phocuswright report, Spanish Online 

Travel Overview Eleventh Edition explores 

Spain’s travel market dynamics, and contains 

detailed information on all segments in the 

region. 

Spain has emerged as a darling among 

European economies after years of fiscal 

turmoil, with gross domestic product jumping 

to 3.5% (year-over-year) in 2015. While 

inbound tourism is booming, ongoing austerity 

measures and sky-high unemployment (nearly 

50% among the youth population) keep travel 

out of reach for many Spaniards. 

TOTAL TRAVEL 

MARKET 

The country’s travel market has been buoyed 

by strong inbound visitation, driven in part by 

political and economic turmoil in competing 

destinations, including Tunisia, Egypt and 

Greece. In 2015, Spain’s total travel market 

is projected to climb 7% to reach €23 billion, 

with 7-8% growth projected through 2017. 

ONLINE TRAVEL 

MARKET 

Online channels – including bookings via both 

desktop and mobile devices – are the primary 

growth drivers, with strong double-digit gains 

projected through 2017. As travel suppliers 

become increasingly focused on driving 

online-direct bookings, OTAs’ share of the 

online channel will decline. 

“Spain’s traditional travel companies, and 

especially the tour operator segment, have 

been slow to adapt to the online environment,” 

says Cathy Schetzina Walsh, Phocuswright’s 

senior research analyst. “In stark contrast are 

digital age companies which have prioritized 

online and mobile bookings and are now 

reaping the benefits.” 

NOTE: From 2016, Cleverdis is publisher of 

the official show daily for FITUR Madrid, 

one of the world’s leading travel and 

tourism shows. 

AS TRAVEL 

SUPPLIERS 

BECOME 

INCREASINGLY 

FOCUSED ON 

DRIVING ONLINE- 

DIRECT BOOKINGS, 

OTAS’ SHARE 

OF THE ONLINE 

CHANNEL WILL 

DECLINE. 

SPANISH SHARE OF EUROPEAN 

TOTAL AND ONLINE TRAVEL 

MARKETS, 2015 (€B) 

Online 

Total 

(€B)0 50 100 150 200 250 300 

SPANISH SHARE OF GROSS BOOKINGS 

BY CHANNEL, 2015 & 2017 

2015 

Traditional Airline 

LCC 

Hotel 

Rail 

Car Rental 

Tour Operator 

2017 

Spain 

Rest of Europe 

0% 20% 40% 60% 80% 100% 

0% 20% 40% 60% 80% 100% 

Note: 2015 and 2017 projected. 

Source: Spanish Online Travel Overview Eleventh Edition 

© 2016 Photocuswright Inc. All Rights Reserved 

Supplier-Direct Online OTA Other Channels 

Note: 2015 and 2017 projected. Totals may not add to 100% due to rounding. 

Source: Spanish Online Travel Overview Eleventh Edition 

© 2016 Photocuswright Inc. All Rights Reserved

EUROPE OUTBOUND / 





© Rafael Golan 

© Sri Lanka ‘One Island.Many Worlds’ 


FOR EUROPEANS 

Thomson and First Choice forecast 2016 travel trends 

While it is too difficult to generalise about “European” 

likes and dislikes, given that each culture within Europe is 

very unique, a new study published by leading UK holiday 

companies Thomson and First Choice shows the trends at 

least for British travellers… no doubt giving an indication 

of broader trends. 

Indeed, in 2016, British travellers will be breaking 

traditional holidaying habits to go away more often – as 

evidenced by the continuing popularity of three or four 

night breaks to destinations such as Madeira, the Balearics 

and Iceland. The travel giants expect the trend to fly 

further afield to continue, as more Brits make the most 

of their extended long-haul programme – with Costa Rica 

and Sri Lanka set to top wish lists for 2016. 

They predict the top five trends for 2016: 

- Further growth of emerging destinations 

- More people travelling long-haul 

- Action packed holidays on the rise 

- More flexibility on holiday dates 

- Technology providing streamlined holiday experiences 

Long-haul ‘hot spot’ predictions for 2016: 

• Costa Rica, • Sri Lanka, 

• Aruba, Cuba, • & Goa, India 

Short and mid haul ‘hot spot’ predictions for 2016: 

• Croatia, • Iceland, 

• Santorini, • Ibiza 

• Cyprus, • & Italy 

GROWTH IN LONG 

HAUL TRAVEL 

Paradise is just a long-haul flight away, and more people 

than ever are willing to travel further afield to find the 

perfect holiday. More than three-quarters (77%*) of those 

surveyed by Thomson would be happy to travel more than 

nine hours for their dream destination. In addition, over 

two-thirds (65%*) of people who have travelled on a 

long-haul flight of more than seven hours believe a longhaul 

trip ranks as their most-memorable. 

The research supports a growing trend of long-haul 

holidays, and is matched by Thomson and First Choice 

extending their programme for 2016, following a 350% 

increase in long-haul passengers over the past decade. 

And with more than half of people (53%) prepared to fly 

long-haul to experience a new culture, Thomson and First 

Choice recently added non-stop flights to Costa Rica, to 

existing destinations such as Cuba and Thailand – and will 

offer Sri Lanka for winter 2016. [ By Gérard Lefebvre ] 

Irazu Volcano, 

Costa Rica 

Sigiriya, 

Sri Lanka

Developing Intelligent Hotel 

Technology Solutions 

20th-22nd April 2016, 

Dusseldorf, Germany 

Special features: 

Ted Horner 

Head of the 2016 

Advisory Board 

The leading face-to-face event for the hotel technology industry will shortly be 

amongst us. To register your place please visit the website: 

www.arena-international.com/ihtf 

• Pre-arranged, private business meetings with selected organisations of your choice 

• Individually matched meetings according to business needs and immediate & future priorities 

• Exclusive meetings model to run in parallel to fully comprehensive conference programme 

• Engage privately with industry leaders from across the globe 

• Interactive networking sessions to develop new and existing business relationships 

• 2016 will see the addition of the Inaugural IHTF Marketing Stream 

The IHTF 2016 welcome Drinks and Dinner will be hosted by: 

Quote reference code MK-HJAD 

when booking your place 

www.arena-international.com/ihtf

EUROPE OUTBOUND / TRENDS 




HOW TO MAKE EUROPEANS 

(GERMANS) FEEL AT HOME 

IN FOREIGN LANDS 

What does it take to satisfy the demands 

of Europe’s N°1 outbound market? 

Heiko Blatter 

Area Manager 

Southwest Europe/ Middle East 

& North Africa 

Gebeco represents 

the brands “Gebeco 

Länder erleben” and 

“Dr. Tigges”, and is 

one of the leading tour 

operators for study and group travel 

programmes in the German speaking 

market. We asked Heiko Blatter - Area 

Manager Southwest Europe/ Middle 

East & North Africa how he thinks 

receptive TOs and hoteliers might 

best welcome his nation’s travellers… 

During our travel programmes, our 

German guests don’t spend a lot 

of time in hotels. Nevertheless, our 

German guests have a few demands. 

For example, German travellers attach 

importance to cleanliness. Our travel 

programs are led by German-speaking 

tour guides. Furthermore, German or 

at least English speaking hotel staff 

is desirable for the German guest. 

Food should vary: Our guests love to 

travel, especially in order to immerse 

themselves into foreign cultures. Thus, 

the hotel should offer local food besides 

international meals. 

What are you seeing as being the 

key trends in terms of destinations? 

Cuba, Iran, Myanmar, Vietnam and 

Japan are considered as some of the 

key destinations for guests of study 

and group travel programmes in 

2016. Currently, the booking positions 

demonstrate that German travellers 

are looking forward to visiting far 

away destinations. In addition to 

the destinations I just mentioned, 

South Africa and Brazil are seeing a 

considerable increase in demand. 

Regarding European travel destinations, 

Gebeco expects a considerable increase 

in passengers for Spain, Portugal and 

Italy. Also the Northern countries such 

as Iceland or the Baltic States, as well 

as Poland, are considered as upcoming 

destinations, where a stable growth 

is expected. All these destinations are 

regarded to be safe. The desire for 

safety is reflected in a high dimension in 

the current booking situation. A good 

touristic infrastructure, a high quality 

in hotel standards, excellent transport 

network and good value for money are 

further important points for German 

travellers. 

[ By Jean-François Pieri ] 

THE DESIRE 

FOR SAFETY IS 

REFLECTED IN A 

HIGH DIMENSION 

IN THE CURRENT 

BOOKING SITUATION.

INNOVATIONS 





© AccorHotels 

INTERNET: 

HOW FAST CAN 

YOU GO? 

The snails of the internet domain 

are set to be crushed by the 

savvy operators installing super 

high-speed networks 

More than ever it is becoming apparent 

that “excellence in internet” is no longer 

an option for hoteliers. It’s quite simply 

essential. 

Over the past couple of years, the growing importance 

of good Wi-Fi coverage has been a key issue at hotel 

technology events, such as the recent HTNG (Hotel 

Technology Next Generation) meeting in Nice. Recent 

studies demonstrate that for today’s guests, NOTHING 

is more important than a good internet connection 

when it comes to hotel guest technology. The TV is 

of course essential, air conditioning should be quiet 

and effective, but if your internet is not up to scratch, 

the guests seriously risk never coming back to your 

establishment. Yes, guests want fast internet, they 

want it on all their devices, and they want it now. Is 

that too much to ask? 

In this section, we look at how internet is being 

leveraged by top hotels to add value to their offering 

as well as raising levels of satisfaction for clients. We 

hope the ideas and examples in this section will inspire 

you to go that “extra mile”!

INNOVATIONS & TECHNOLOGIES 

ENGAGING WITH GUESTS 

ON A PERSONAL LEVEL 

Philips Professional Display Solutions offer game changing inno 

Over the past decade, televisions have moved far beyond their traditional role 

of providing in-room entertainment. Within the hospitality sector, displays have 

become a full-fledged communications platform in their own right. We asked 

Franck Racapé - EMEA sales director, Philips Hospitality TV & Signage Solutions 

what differentiates his offering for hoteliers… 

Franck 

Racapé 

EMEA Sales Director, 

Philips Hospitality TV & Signage Solutions 

Everywhere a 

hotelier places a 

screen, from the 

reception and bar 

to conference facilities and 

guest rooms, provides an 

opportunity to engage with 

guests at a personal level. 

Philips Professional display 

solutions allow hoteliers 

to tailor communications 

to match their objectives 

as well as the needs and 

desires of guests. With 

hospitality TVs, one can 

enhance customer service, 

reinforce brand values 

and increase revenue by 

promoting additional 

services such as restaurant 

or spa. Furthermore the 

latest innovations in Philips 

hospitality TVs enable 

hoteliers to manage and 

upgrade all their TVs, plus 

customise content and 

messaging from a single, 

centralised system. 

Philips Professional display 

solutions now has a wide 

range of displays to choose 

from, with a combination 

of signage solutions as well 

as hospitality TVs. This all 

comes with content that 

can be updated to any of 

our connected displays 

in real time, from any 

location. With the Content 

Management System 

“CMND”, it’s easy to show 

what you want, when you 

want. 

While CMND is a new 

innovation AmbiLux 

and Android are also




EasySuite 

… The latest 

innovations in Philips 

hospitality TVs give you 

the ability to manage and 

upgrade all your TVs, plus 

customise content and 

messaging from a single, 

centralised system 

AmbiLux 

vations for the hotelier 

innovations for 2016. 

Please tell us more… 

Our new Android OS will be 

integrated in selected signage 

solutions and Hospitality TV 

displays. In-room, the benefit 

is the faster processing 

power of Android OS, 

access to Android apps, and 

the possibility to integrate 

more features in the UI. For 

digital signage, the benefit 

is easier installation, lower 

costs, and the ability to 

play robust content directly 

from the display. We are 

very enthusiastic to be able 

to bring such a disruptive 

innovation to the market. 

Our AmbiLux will give a 

unique and immersive 

experience of showing 

content, but it can also be a 

beautiful eye-catcher with its 

sleek design and authentic 

materials. 

What are your ambitions 

for the upcoming year? 

With large international 

hotel chains forming one of 

our most important client 

bases, our ultimate goal 

is to be able to meet with 

and support our partners 

wherever they may be. 

While focused on primarily 

Europe for many years, we 

have recently drastically 

increased our footprint in 

Asia and the Middle East 

for Hospitality TV as well as 

Signage Solutions. 

[ By Jean-François Pieri ] 

Philips hospitality TV is built 

around four different product 

lines; Studio, Easy Suite, Media 

Suite, and Signature, with a 

focus on our core innovations 

such as ‘CMND’ with its modules 

CMND & Control and CMND 

& Create. CMND & Control is 

a server-based solution that 

gives hoteliers the ability to 

control all of their individual 

TVs from one centrallymanaged 

system. It completely 

eliminates the hassle (and 

related costs) of going room to 

room to perform maintenance, 

update channel frequencies or 

reconfigure settings. CMND 

& Create is a unique interface 

for managing all guest-facing 

communications. It allows you 

to provide branded content 

and custom promotions, with 

the user friendly interface, still 

controlled through a single 

centralized system. 

PHILIPS LAUNCHES ANDROID 

IN THE PROFESSIONAL ENVIRONMENT. 

Philips Professional Display 

Solutions are the first to bring 

the Android interface to this 

market. Thanks to the latest 

Android interface, guests can 

access to the world’s largest 

operating system. Thanks to 

the latest D-line range of TVs, 

extra connectivity adds true 

value to the hotel’s proposition. 

D-line benefits include 

developing and playing one’s 

own Android apps, directly 

from the display, enhanced 

connectivity with an mPCIe slot 

(featuring LTE, extra Wi-Fi and 

bluetooth connectivity). That 

can allow Machine to Machine 

communication and ad hoc 

creation of a local network to 

bring intelligence and analytics 

through the Displays.

In The Field 

with David Esseryk 

THE "INSIDE LINE" ON WHAT'S HOT IN HOSPITALITY TECHNOLOGIES 

43 



2016 Spring Edition 

PART 12 

TECH AS A BRAND 

DIFFERENTIATOR 

CONNECTED 

SERVICES BRING 

THE COMPETITIVE 

EDGE TO SAVVY 

HOTELIERS 

David Esseryk, the AccorHotels 

Group’s Vice President Guest 

Technology, is in charge of guestfacing 

technology for all brands. 

In this edition of his regular 

report, he explains how, by 

offering new connected services, 

hotel groups hope to gain a 

competitive edge and additional 

sales. 

Some might view them as simple gadgets, 

or even money down the drain. But for 

AccorHotels, leaving connected services 

at the threshold of establishments 

would be, quite to the contrary, a critical 

strategic mistake. As the so-called in-room 

technologies conceal a highly effective 

differentiation strategy for the hotel 

industry and wonderful opportunities 

for additional sales. AccorHotels has 

developed a number of easy-to-use 

services that are free of charge. 

Starting with the partnership with 

the streaming platform Deezer 

for music on demand in the 

bar areas (or lobbies) of 

hotels. Established for 

over six months in 

450 Ibis hotels 

worldwide, the 

service will soon be 

available in Mercure 

and Novotel hotels. 

LEAVING 

CONNECTED SERVICES 

AT THE THRESHOLD OF 

ESTABLISHMENTS WOULD BE, 

QUITE TO THE CONTRARY, A 

CRITICAL STRATEGIC 

MISTAKE 

AccorHotels’ sources of guest satisfaction. 

That is the objective of My Web Valet, 

a new digital experience automatically 

displayed when connected to the 

hotel’s Wi-Fi, on which information and 

advertisements about an establishment 

is published, as well as the paid services 

offered to customers. The customers 

can place orders directly from a mobile 

terminal. 

At the same time, Marriott Hotels & 

Resorts rolled out mobile service requests 

to 700 hotels – allowing a guest to make 

any kind of request to the hotel from 

within the app. Marriott mobile 

app users report much higher 

intent to recommend 

Marriott – a leading 

indicator of brand 

preference – and 

a materially higher 

satisfaction with their 

“arrival experience.” 

In addition, over 1,000 

AccorHotels offer the possibility to 

access 4200 media publications that 

can be viewed free of charge on the 

Wi-Fi network of the company; they are 

available in 60 languages, and with voice 

option for 16 languages. 

But although until now the objective has 

been to enhance customer experience 

and ensure loyalty, other solutions under 

experiment ensure diversification of 

Proofs of concept are an excellent 

way to validate the viability of new 

services at lower cost and risk than bigbang 

releases. Do consumers actually 

use the new feature? Is it technologically 

scalable? Can we operationalise it on 

property with minimal disruption to the 

hotel? Hotel groups continuously need 

to test, evaluate, adjust – and move on 

if something they try doesn’t provide 

value or substantially boosts the guest 

experience. 

SEE YOU AGAIN IN THE NEXT EDITION


The Grand 

Ambassador 

SMART GUESTROOMS 

TO OFFER THE NEXT LEVEL 

OF SERVICES 

… How the Grand Ambassador Seoul associated 

with Pullman raised customer satisfaction and achieved 

30% energy savings 

With a long history of “firsts”, Grand Ambassador 

Seoul associated with Pullman is the first to pilot 

a highly innovative integrated technical solution 

from Samsung, resulting in excellent customer 

feedback and huge energy savings. 

As the ambassador of Korea’s hotel industry to the 

global hotel scene, and as the flagship hotel of the 

Ambassador Hotel Group, Grand Ambassador Seoul 

associated with Pullman has always strived to stay 

ahead in the services, facilities, and technology it 

provides to its guests. It has turned its lobby into 

a tech hub bustling with IT activities ranging from 

simple email exchange to accommodation of 

business level data communication connectivity. 

Now, the hotel is turning to its guest rooms to offer 

the next level of industry services providing only the 

best to its guests. 

“We’re constantly leading the way whether it was 

as the first hotel to adopt new technology such as a 

switchboard system for our operator or developing 

world-leading ‘smart guestrooms’ with the latest 

technology, ” said Nam-Wook Kim, the hotel’s 

General Manager. 

BACKGROUND 

In-room control, energy and room management 

solutions already existed. But what the market has 

been lacking is an integration of all systems into 

one. Samsung LYNK HMS integrates all essential 

functionalities, augmenting hotel operations and 

guest services, while minimising logistics.




THE SOLUTION 

Samsung’s LYNK Hospitality Management 

Solution (HMS) leverages in-room displays, 

transforming them into portals capable of 

communicating with integrated devices and 

empowering staff and guests with control 

over the in-room environment. 

Core services include : 

Room Management Solution (RMS) - a 

comprehensive management tool and 

mobile application solution that streamlines 

hotel staff service workflows through realtime 

temperature, device performance and 

electricity consumption monitoring; 

Energy Management Solution (EMS) - a 

sensor-based tool that monitors room 

occupancy and adjusts heat and air settings 

accordingly for more intelligent resource 

delivery; 

In-Room Control (IRC) - an on-screen service 

that allows guests to control various aspects 

of their in-room environment through a 

user-friendly interface; 

Content Management Solution (CMS) - a bidirectional 

interactive program that creates 

a more welcoming in-room experience, as 

hotels can deliver custom messages and 

access to applications and web services 

THE TV AS AN IN-ROOM 

CONTROL HUB 

Samsung smart hospitality displays have 

been upgraded to operate as “in-room 

control hubs”. By integrating an intuitive 

HMS UI over the TV UI, and new remote 

control usability, the TV allows the guest to 

manage the thermostat, drapery, lighting 

and communication with housekeeping. 

Feedback on such aspects as room 

temperature also enables the guest to better 

control his or her environment. 

Property managers are able to set the room 

state when guests enter suites after checkin, 

known as “welcome mode”, greeting 

guests with cosy room temperature, drapes 

open, lights on, and a customised welcome 

message on the TV, courtesy of door and 

motion sensors. 

PROPERTY MANAGERS 

GAIN “TOTAL 

MANAGEMENT” 

Property managers can oversee all rooms on 

one screen. Room management information 

reveals statuses of rooms and devices, 

such as temperature, power consumption, 

door and drapery. LYNK HMS enables the 

property manager to remotely tend to rooms 

and reduce room energy usage, facilitating 

progressive energy management. Through 

TV-synced motion sensors and key-slots, the 

server can detect room presence, changing 

the room to eco-mode when not in use. 

IMPROVED TIMELINESS 

AND EFFICIENCY 

THROUGH MOBILE 

INTEGRATION 

LYNK HMS is a case of real IoT (Internet of 

Things) at work in hotels. For example, when 

a guest requests “Make Up Room” via the 

TV, a request is transmitted near real time to 

the mobile device of a corresponding staff 

member, bypassing their need to check room 

status signs. After cleaning, staff report their 

checklist through their mobile device. This 

workflow improves timeliness and efficiency, 

equating to significant Return on Investment. 

HOTEL BENEFITS 

With Samsung LYNK HMS and Hospitality 

Displays deployed in the hotel, Grand 

Ambassador Seoul associated with Pullman 

was able to address many of the concerns 

they had in operating a five-star flagship 

hotel. The hotel management’s effectiveness 

and efficiency have greatly improved. 

GUEST BENEFITS 

The guest experience is elevated with 

streamlined device control accessibility. 

Automatic systems work intelligently in the 

background complementing the simple 

and intuitive control interface up front. 

All in-room amenities are managed via a 

single remote control and a single intuitive 

user interface on the Hospitality Display (in 

addition to the traditional switches). 

TANGIBLE RESULT 

The hotel’s marketing staff has reported an 

immediate impact from the use of this new 

system. In a 6-month period, the Grand 

Ambassador Seoul associated with Pullman 

was able to save around 30% on energy costs. 

And crucially, guests responded positively, 

with 90% saying they were satisfied with the 

Samsung LYNK HMS. 

ADVERTORIAL CONTENT





THE CHALLENGE OF 

STAYING NUMBER ONE 

The Renaissance Malmö leverages new coaxial-based 

network upgrade to stay a step ahead of the game 

The Renaissance Malmö Hotel is a four star, historically 

stylish hotel in the very heart of Malmö; the first 

Marriott hotel in Sweden and was named the country’s 

best hotel by Trip Advisor. But staying number one 

means thinking ahead, so the hotel’s management 

decided to upgrade the property’s network in such a 

way as to match the luxury of its 128 rooms. Quadriga 

was chosen as a technical partner, having a longstanding 

relationship with Marriott and its various 

brands across the globe. 

to deliver carrier grade broadband speeds – would 

be the best option for the Renaissance Malmö. This 

was the first WiFi over CoCo installation in Sweden 

and allowed all 128 rooms to have individual, in-room 

Ruckus access points and a Cisco cable modem that 

converts the cable signal via a single head end in the 

basement. 

Filip Hector, Sales Manager of Quadriga Sweden 

commented, “The solution is currently offering an 

excellent guest speed of 50-60Mb/s and coverage/ 

signal levels are really good. 

This project reaffirms our 

commitment to providing 

guests with a better than 

home experience and 

hoteliers with a solution 

that increases revenue.” 

Due to the building being listed and Marriott wishing 

to keep all its traditional aesthetics, Quadriga needed 

to supply a seamless, connected ultra-fast solution 

without the hassle of drilling into walls and future 

proof the property in the process. 

WI-FI OVER COCO 

Quadriga decided that CoCo – a network solution 

that converts an existing coaxial TV network into IP 

HOTEL 

AND GUEST 

BENEFITS 

As well as benefitting from 

better speeds for their 

guests, Renaissance Malmö 

will also be able to take 

advantage of customisable 

landing pages that will 

enhance branding opportunities. 

Jimmy Dahlberg, Hotel Manager at Renaissance 

Malmö explains, “Today’s hotel guests have made it 

very clear that reliable internet access is a necessity 

from any location and not just in the hotel reception. 

As one of Sweden’s most distinguished hotels, we 

pride ourselves on our service levels, so it’s vital to 

deliver the latest in hotel technology to keep our 

guests happy.”

Hotel & Tourism SMARTreport #29

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