“Make plans for the future” – This has become more of a challenge over the past two years, as unexpected events have arisen and continue to evolve which have forced us to act and adapt. Nevertheless, especially in our industry, a closer look should be taken as to where the journey is going. There are great challenges but at the same time interesting opportunities. One outcome is already certain: the future will become hybrid. 

After a very difficult 2020, this year has shown some positive signs of light for the hotel industry. High demand for rural/leisure destinations coupled with resilient ADRs have proven to be the game changers in 2021. 

In October, we had the pleasure of hosting our hotel lounge at the Expo Real in Munich and our 196+ hotelforum Munich. It was nice being back LIVE and networking in person. The overall mood was positive and forward looking. In this brief write-up we summarise some key takeaways from our conversations and panel discussions held at these events.

After almost two years of the corona pandemic, Italy seems to be on the verge of a new ‘golden era’. The investment boom in the hospitality sector, the recovery of domestic tourism demand, several hotels in the pipeline and some new openings are all positive signs that Italy is well on track for a full recovery expected by 2023/24.

Nature based travel is popular, growing, and in need of differentiation as more supply comes on the market.  Major growth plans, development challenges and lack of available financing are elevating this segment out from the cottage industry status and into more established territory.  Sustainability, quality offerings, and a clear consumer value proposition will be key to long-term success. 

Serviced Living is playing an increasingly important role in the world of hospitality and the merge between residential- and hospitality concepts is ongoing. During the pandemic especially serviced apartments and co-living performed better than comparable hotels. But how future oriented is serviced living? Some major trends suggest that this diverse segment will serve various niche markets on a long term basis and is therefore here to stay.