OF FMTG ’ S HOTELS
GLOBAL UPDATE
PLAZA GETTING
F & B
MAKEOVER
FALKENSTEINER EMERGES
The flagship Falkensteiner Schlosshotel Velden in Austria is about to realize the fruits of a major renovation .
Sahara Hampshire Hotel Management has named Geoffrey Zakarian culinary director of The Plaza , New York City . Zakarian , of “ Iron Chef ” fame , most recently created The Lambs Club restaurant for the Chatwal New York Hotel , where he remains a partner .
Under Zakarian ’ s guidance , The Plaza ’ s The Palm Court , The Oak Room & The Oak Bar , The Rose Club , The Champagne Bar and inroom dining will get a new look by the first quarter of 2014 . Zakarian will join existing culinary partners The Plaza Food Hall , The Todd English Food Hall and CPS Events at The Plaza . “ I plan on creating an authentic experience for New Yorkers and visitors that will capture the timeless glamor of The Plaza ,” Zakarain says .
Geoffrey Zakarian
Key Group Worldwide
Austria ’ s Falkensteiner family got started in the hotel business in 1957 when it opened a seven-room hotel in the South Tyrolean town of Ehrenburg . Today the Falkensteiner Michaeler Tourism Group ( FMTG ) has quietly become one of the biggest hotel developers in Central Europe with 30 4-star hotels and two residences , and two 3-star hotels marketed under the Falkensteiner Hotels & Residences brand in six European countries .
“ How quickly we ’ ll manage to enter new markets we can ’ t measure yet ,” says CEO Otmar Michaeler . “ We continue to see realistic opportunities for new management contracts in our core markets , but we will increasingly concentrate on Italy and Germany .”
The Falkensteiner Hotels are divided into the following strategic product lines : family , wellness , city , premium collection and residences . Currently , 35 % of its hotels are managed hotels , and the other 65 % are owned . In the medium term , Michaeler says the balance will move toward 50-50 .
CURRENTLY ,
35 %
OF FMTG ’ S HOTELS
ARE MANAGED HOTELS , AND THE OTHER
65 %
ARE OWNED . IN THE MEDIUM TERM , THE BALANCE WILL MOVE
TOWARD 50-50 .
FMTG is just now opening the 4-star , 195-room Falkensteiner Hotel Wien Margareten in Vienna designed by David Chipperfield and Matteo Thun . Next year , it will add a 4-star Beach Hotel in Italy on the Adriatic coast .
Michaeler says the company is satisfied with occupancy rates in the first six months of 2013 , “ but we have yet to do our homework so we can achieve the set goals by year-end .”
He expects a significant boost to come from the prestigious Falkensteiner Schlosshotel Velden as the renovation and extension of the new Acquapura Spa & Med takes effect next year . “ Our new spa project in Jesolo / Italy on the Adriatic coast will also attract international attention and strengthen our portfolio ,” Michaeler adds . “ For next year , I expect a further boost in the new EU market of Croatia .
“ The future increasingly points toward niche products ,” Michaeler continues . “ It will become necessary to position hotels even more clearly and to align them ever closer to the needs and wishes of a precisely defined target group .”
14 HOTELS October 2013 www . hotelsmag . com