The German hotel industry is strongly opposed to a rather strange initiative: Airbnb is contributing to a joint fund with the German Tourism Association (DTV) that aims to "direct tourist demand specifically to rural areas" and thus "strengthen the economic base of small communities".

For eleven years, a single hotel has been fighting for the entire industry. Now things are getting tougher for Booking.com after the private hotel Wikingerhof won its second case before the German Federal Court of Justice. Even if this is not yet the final victory, it may already influence the pending decision in the European class action lawsuit involving around 15,000 hotels.

On 24 February 2026, the British competition authority launched an investigation into the Hilton, IHG and Marriott hotel chains and the hotel information service and data analyst CoStar. 

Investor confidence is returning to the hotel market. The transaction volume on the European hotel investment market reached more than 27 billion euros in 2025, comprising more than 1,050 hotels with a total of 133,400 rooms. This represents an increase of 23% compared to 2024 and 28% above the 10-year average.

Adagio, the European market leader with 14,700 apartments, reports a very successful 2025 financial year, which saw further growth in both expansion and guest services. Guests have well received the new family offer, as they have the CSR measures.

Less MICE, more long stays. These are the current trends at BWH Hotels Central Europe. The 2025 financial year remained stable. BWH sees itself as an alternative to traditional franchise hotels.

Amit Sripathi, Kurt Albert, David Wilner / Fabrice Collet / Jeff Lobb, Simone Wu / Marta Lopez de Cos / Luc Delafosse, Vincent Pimont / Michael Heinzmann, Fehmi El Gouireh / Sebastian Ullrich, Jan Zitzmann / Christopher Cox / Tina Haller / Marcus Wersuhn / Torsten Kuttig

753 Hospitality/Lecco, Aareal Bank/hotels, Accor/Milano, a&o/Berlin, Belvilla/New York, Club del Sole/Lake Garda, Conrad/Rome, Dajia Insurance Group/New York, ECE Work & Live/name change, Elbtower/Hamburg, GHA/Japan, Grupo Empresas Matutes/Ibiza, Hilton/New York, Kerzner/Eastern Cape, Limehome/Pipeline, LVG Hotel Collection/Alassio, Maritim/Revenue, Marriott/Pipeline, Minor/Accra, Oku/Bodrum, RoomOO/Rome, Scandic/Oslo, Six Senses/Dubai, Staycity/Munich

Booking.com and OpenAI have been launching the SME AI Accelerator, a free program designed to equip 20,000 SMEs across Europe with practical AI skills. The European Union supports this initiative. 

Corinthia Hotels will hoist its flag at a 5-star resort on Lake Como. It will be part of an "integrated resort" on a 44-hectare site with a luxurious mix of properties. Behind it is RoundShield with new plans for the whole of Europe. 

Arabella Hospitality SE is expanding into Ibiza for the first time – as a white label operator. Its Spanish subsidiary has signed the company's first ever management contract. This also marks a change in the company's expansion strategy: less Germany, more Europe.

Croatia's leading hospitality company Valamar Riviera is ready to expand in Europe – and is looking to partner with hospitality investors and owners in premier Alpine and Adriatic destinations, offering competitive leases and a full range of hospitality management services.

Sustainability has become a key success factor in hotel and apartment construction. And JUNG is putting it into practice. For over 110 years, the German company has been known for pioneering product developments in the fields of lighting, shading, climate control, energy, security, and multimedia. Now JUNG is presenting itself at the first Green Hospitality Conference 2026.

AI is now also conquering the reservations and MICE segment. Online distribution specialist Quality Reservations (QR) will present the tools at ITB in March 2026. In addition, the QR hotel pool has grown by 25 properties.

"From the very beginning, we thought in terms of generations, not quarters." A statement that shows attitude. Star architect Hadi Teherani lives by it, as does the Altenberger family, owners of the Krallerhof wellness hotel in the Salzburg region. The result is the 5,500 sqm ATMOSPHERE Spa, a monument to relaxation, a work of art. Only courage and vision can change the hospitality industry.