Celler Hoteliers alerted: Who is really planning the Hotel am Nordwall?

Celler Hoteliers alerted: Who is really planning the Hotel am Nordwall?

The Celler hotel industry is concerned about the planned developments in the North Wall area. Susanne Ostler, senior boss of the hotel "Celler Tor" and advisory member of the DEHOGA Lower Saxony, expressed her unrest in the committee for business development, tourism and urban marketing and demanded more transparency. According to information from Celler Presse there are still many open questions about the plans for a five-story hotel with 98 rooms and gastronomic offer Earth floor, which was presented four years ago by the municipal housing association "Allland".

The site belongs to a subsidiary of the city that wants to sell it to an investor. The then interim manager, Thomas Edathy, announced in October 2023 that society would not build itself. Despite multiple changes in corporate management, including the execution of the managing director Manfred Lork without notice, there have been no progress on the construction site. This not only led to uncertainty in the industry, but also triggered concerns. Another hotel could strengthen the existing negative trend in the price structure of the Celler Hotels, warned Ostler.

concerns from the industry

The discussion about the planned hotel is accompanied by concerns about the competition for local businesses. The upcoming opening of "Hampton by Hilton" in June 2024 is particularly perceived as a threat to the existing hotel and catering industry. Ostler criticizes that Celle does not have the necessary industrial basis to bring guests to the city and that the establishment of pure hotel companies hardly creates any jobs. Dr. Jörg Rodenwaldt, a member of the committee, shared these fears and demanded clear answers regarding the new hotel plans. The next sessions should deal with these topics in more detail, whereby the current managing director of "Allland", Lasse Laging, is also invited.

In another context, a flash survey by the DEHOGA Lower Saxony shows that the hotel and catering in the Region is currently fighting with considerable challenges. Despite the outdoor catering permitted since May 10, 2021, only 31% of the companies are open. As the magazine Hotelier , 69% were closed because they can be attributed to unprofitable and difficulties with the negative test. The companies were also charged with the new test obligation, which is strongly criticized by Detlef Schröder, the President of the Dehoga Lower Saxony.

market development and future prospects

The economic situation shows some troubling trends. Around 61% of the open companies did not fulfill sales expectations, and only 10% were able to achieve better results than forecast. In tourist overnight stays, only 33% of the companies were open, of which only 0.5% exceeded sales. Despite these challenges, over 80% of the open companies expect constant or increasing sales over the upcoming Pentecost weekend, with 37% declining sales fear.

The industry looks worries into the future. Two thirds of the companies in the area of ​​tourist accommodation expect a decline in sales for Pentecost. The necessary support from the public side is therefore urgently challenged to help the industry and stimulate the tourist demand in Lower Saxony.