Munich (July 9, 2021). Rejection is crumbling: The number of investors interested in sustainable building and operation is slowly growing. But those who already live it remain sceptical – still see a lot of greenwashing. So how do investors, developers, architects and operators get together? Three gentlemen have a decided opinion on this: at the HospitalityInside Think Tank (HITT) on 13/14 September, executives from the Zech Group from Bremen, Invesco Real Estate and the sustainable serviced apartment hotel Soulmade from Munich will discuss.

Those who start thinking in terms of partnership earlier are certainly on the right track, knows Olaf Demuth, Board Member of the construction company Zech Group from Bremen. Sustainable building and operation is connected with investments, but also always with its own moral claim, says Thomas Schlereth, architect, developer and investor of the Soulemade in Munich-Garching. He is critical, especially of chains and banks.

But Adrian Flück, Director Hotel Asset Management at Invesco Real Estate Munich, remains optimistic: The investment house has already gained experience with a hotel in Amsterdam, has meanwhile founded its own focus group in-house and is working on a strategy for its investors.

The Soulmade, a wooden hotel with a lot of warmth and charm, with a barefoot garden, fireplace and books in the “Living Room” and organic food in the open kitchen has been showing since 2009 that there are good, well thought-out projects. The hotel was also well booked during the pandemic. It still does not have a green certificate. “But sustainability costs money at first,” investor Schlereth warns against false expectations at the beginning.

The Genuine wants to be maintained
At Soulmade, interior design is not thrown out after five or seven years because new trends “demand” it: Housekeeping has to make sure that everything from the expensive mattress to the woollen carpets to the wood panelling stays intact for longer. Sustainability, however, affects every facet of a hotel, also driven by the demands of the guests.

Adrian Flück is also currently discussing sustainable room design in the team and with an international chain that is ready to rethink – especially with a view to the economic cycle (cradle-to-cradle). “That means we will also challenge the project developers in the future,” he announces with reference to a large number of investors under the Invesco umbrella who would be willing to invest more if the property becomes “greener”.

But the building contractors are also called upon to make statements soon. The Zech Group, for example, is in the process of thinking much more intensively about prefabrication and modules, about the renewal cycles for materials and lean processes in construction and operation, Olaf Demuth reveals in advance. Scaling is the goal – also made possible by thinking in terms of partnership. He sees great opportunities for standardised hotels to implement sustainable buildings.

JOIN the three experts:

Adrian Flück, Director of Hotel Asset Management, Invesco Real Estate
Olaf Demuth, Executive Board Member, Zech Group
Thomas Schlereth, Architect, Developer & Owner, Soulmade

on Day 2 of the HospitalityInside Think Tank (HITT): 14 September at 13.00 h (CET).

THEIR HITT IMPULSE: We’ve done it! Movers & Shakers talk about their Experiences and Challenges to bring Sustainability and Social Responsibility to Life. Learn from construction companies, investors, private owners and operators.

You can find the vita of the three specialists here 

The big topic of the HospitalityInside Think Tank 2021:

SUSTAINABILITY & DIGITALISATION: THE CHANGE DRIVERS.
The Decade of Action: How Sustainability leads the agenda,
how Digitalisation enables it.

You can find the complete programme directly on www.hitt.world. On the HITT website you will always see all updates, as well as detailed information about the other impulse speakers and all sponsors.

And here you go directly to the registration!

SAVE THE DATE:
HITT, the HospitalityInside Think Tank 2021
on 13/14 September in Munich,
LIVE in a relaxed co-working space and VIRTUAL,
in English language.

WE WOULD LIKE TO THANK THE SPONSORS OF THE HITT 2021:

Logos: companies / Top photo: Soulmade