The Steigenberger Hotel Group has unveiled its 2013+ corporate strategy, which focuses on the key themes of quality leadership, expansion and increased profitability. Chairman André Witschi and Financial Director Matthias Heck presented the future direction of the hotel group in a press conference held in Frankfurt in mid-December.
“The Steigenberger Hotel Group, including the brands Steigenberger Hotels and Resorts and InterCityHotel, has outstanding potential. It is our task to equip this traditional German company for the future and to strengthen its economic base”, explained André Witschi, Chairman of Frankfurt-based Steigenberger Hotels AG, in unveiling the new corporate strategy.
The 2013+ corporate strategy aims to establish lasting competitive advantages in order to attract and retain guests in the long term. The focus is on three basic principles:
1. Quality leadership of the brands Steigenberger Hotels and Resorts and InterCityHotel in their areas through a constant increase in brand awareness.
2. Expansion within the existing brand portfolio – in the core markets and also in cities and resort destinations popular with Germans.
3. Increased profitability through consolidation and Best Practice processes and ideas.
These elements are at the heart of the strategy being employed by the Steigenberger Hotel Group in the face of the current challenging economic situation. A key feature here is the focus on the two brands, Steigenberger Hotels and Resorts and InterCityHotel. In future, the intention is to build on their leading position in terms of performance and guest satisfaction and to increase their competitive edge by redefining their brand profile. Furthermore, greater emphasis is being placed on staff training in order to induce a greater sense of responsibility and to encourage above-average motivation.
The starting point for the strategy was based on such factors as recent travel and consumer analyses, observation of the competition, local evaluations and findings related to brand profiling. Both internal and external specialists were brought in to work out the strategy, which covers all areas of the business.
Central to the expansion programme are the strategically significant locations in Germany and major European cities. In the next three years the Steigenberger Hotel Group plans to open twelve hotels (five Steigenberger Hotels and seven InterCityHotels) with a total of around 1,700 rooms. The company is currently at an advanced stage of negotiation with some well-known partners in order to implement the expansion programme as quickly as possible.
Following the restructuring of the portfolio, Steigenberger will lose six hotels that do not meet the specifications of the new corporate strategy in terms of orientation or quality. Financial Director Matthias Heck explained: “We will undergo a dynamic expansion but our investment programme for existing hotels will also be carried out as planned.”
For the two brands Steigenberger Hotels and Resorts and InterCityHotel the 2013+ corporate strategy will bring far-reaching changes in its wake.
In the top end segment of Steigenberger Hotels and Resorts the brand profiling will be underlined by a homogenisation of the portfolio and a rise in standards. The new strategy will see the introduction of the label “Grandhotel”. This will be awarded to Steigenberger hotels that already represent the classic German grand hotel tradition. “Hotels such as the Steigenberger Frankfurter Hof or the Steigenberger Parkhotel in Düsseldorf have long been offering traditional German grand hotel culture. We consider this tradition and the specific expertise of our company in this field to be an asset that we can and must exploit to the full”, said Chairman André Witschi.
In future, Steigenberger guests should be able to enter a new world that indulges all their senses. In this context “deceleration” is the key word. One central element of the 2013+ strategy is therefore the “World of the Senses” – a multi-level concept that appeals to all the senses. The Steigenberger Hotels and Resorts will offer a sophisticated music and aroma concept and focus on lighting, art and improved Wellness concepts.
The InterCityHotel brand is affected by two key elements of the 2013+ strategy: contemporary design and a new F&B package. The modular architecture of InterCityHotels will increase the usability of the public areas of the hotel. The culinary concept will be based on modern gastronomic ideas and will focus on international trends.
When it comes to the current challenges of the global financial crisis Financial Director Matthias Heck considers the company to be in a good position: “Steigenberger is well prepared for the crisis. We have no debts and our various brands and segments serve to strengthen our position.”
With the 2013+ strategy Steigenberger Hotels AG hopes to sharpen the brand profile of Steigenberger Hotels and Resorts and InterCityHotel and to raise awareness of both brands. This will give the company a strong base for further expansion at home and abroad. “The 2013+ strategy will allow us to carry forward the success story of Steigenberger Hotels AG and secure the future of our company”, said André Witschi with conviction.
