Brexit, Smart & Green Hotels. It’s clear, isn’t it?
Dear Insiders,
The omnishambles regarding Brexit is turning expressions of concern to looks of despair in Great Britain: By Christmas, the rifts are to be bridged, though in the background things are obviously chaotic. A no-deal Brexit would mean a significant hit to tourism. Very little is clear, both for air travel as well as for labour (in general), insiders report. Both politicians and businesses are paralysed with uncertainty.
A curiosity: British travellers are preferentially booking package deals for 2019, because they believe that the organiser will iron out any problem for them. Fred Fettner and I were in London this week, at the WTM and at other events, with official and discreet background information.
There was no chaos, but there was still uncertainty among investors when thinking about sustainable construction. This issue is generally complex and will become even more complex if new "green" concepts are linked with digitisation. Together, they make the "smart hotel”, and that makes a lot of sense. All three articles from Sarah Douag this week mention the QO Hotel in Amsterdam, currently Europe’s most sustainable hotel, built from recycled concrete and with urban farming (vegetables and fish) on the roof... The property manager is Invesco Real Estate, which in turn asked environment experts to a roundtable discussion for critical exchange in the QO hotel.
Sarah also asked AccorInvest, Hilton, Louvre, Zoku, Siemens and others what they understand by smart hotel. This particular focus today is not theory, but contains many tips for future concepts.
Investing in energy efficiency and sustainability pays off, the German Energy Agency states, having now issued recommendations for the industry. Amsterdam is also Europe's most attractive investment location, according to the current "European Hotel Investment Survey" by Deloitte. And despite Brexit farce, London remains (for the time being) a desired location.
In the Spanish hotel market, RevPAR is growing, but on the Canary Islands occupancy has slumped. Other Mediterranean countries are catching up. Choice Hotels can now be booked directly through Google. The Hotel Academy (EHL) Lausanne is set to make its own Hospitality Hub. And about staff: In Italy, certification standards for European hotel managers are now being put together. Marriott's Europe boss Amy McPherson is leaving the company to pursue private plans – in London, there was already speculation as to her successor.
We wish you pleasant reading.
Yours, Maria Puetz-Willems, Editor-in-Chief
Your opinion? maria@hospitalityInside.com
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