This episode of the IDEEA podcast provides a comprehensive exploration of the ever-evolving world of academic programs, Les Roches' unique positioning in the hospitality education landscape, the critical role of lifelong learning, the versatility of Les Roches academic offerings, and the institution's strong connection with the industry.

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Marina Franolic and Dirk Bakker discuss the challenges in the EMEA hospitality capital market, including high inflation, the Ukraine conflict, and cautious investor behavior due to economic uncertainties. They emphasize the rising importance of ESG compliance and explore the evolving concept of hybrid hospitality, driven by changes in work habits and technology.

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In this episode of the IDEEA podcast, JS Anand, founder of Leva Hotels, shares insights into their affordable luxury lifestyle brand. Established before COVID-19, Leva Hotels thrived by offering personalized services, advanced technology, and strategic planning. Expansion plans for Europe, focusing on markets like Greece and Budapest. The brand's differentiation lies in cost-effective construction, competitive fees, and achieving high rankings.

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Frank Halmos, CEO of Ensana Health Spa Hotels, joins the podcast to discuss the brand's background and operations. Halmos highlights how their health spa hotels differ from typical wellness hotels, focusing on strong medical foundations with doctor-guided treatments for specific health conditions. The conversation also touches on variations in reliance on health insurance across countries. Overall, the podcast showcases Ensana's unique identity, adaptability, and commitment to tailored health and wellness experiences.

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In this insightful episode, we discuss Greece's improved investment ratings and positive economic outlook. Despite challenges posed by inflation, the government is proactively using financial tools to stabilize the investment climate. Greece's tourism industry, with its rich historical heritage, remains a major advantage. The government's focus on modernization and fiscal targets positions Greece as an attractive prospect for long-term investors.

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In this insightful episode, we spoke with Professor Jan A. deRoos, an expert in Hotel Finance and Real Estate from Cornell. We discussed hotel development trends, COVID-19's impact on valuation, tech differences in hotels, converting spaces to hospitality assets, and economic effects on hotel investments.

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In this episode, we uncovered how Considerate Group is revolutionizing the industry and paving the way for a sustainable tomorrow. Discover the world of sustainability in the hotel and tourism sector with Xenia zu Hohenlohe, Co-Founder and CSO of Considerate Group. Gain insights into the challenges faced by investors and the innovative solutions driving change.

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In this episode, we had the opportunity of hosting Heribert Gangl, Director Hotels & Tourism, Erste Group Bank AG. Heribert walked us through the challenges faced in the Industry, especially in the post-COVID era. He also shared his expertise and insights on tackling a number of challenges such as labor shortages, inflation etc.

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In this episode of the IDEEA Podcast, I had the pleasure of interviewing Jakub Dyba, Head of New Investments at R2G. We discussed R2G's investment strategy and their recent investment in the hospitality industry, specifically the renovation of the Intercontinental Hotel in Prague, which will be rebranded as the Fairmont Golden Prague.

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Wellness in Hotels: The Potential for Growth in Central and Eastern Europe In this podcast, Marina Franolic Managing Director Central and Eastern Europe, the bench engages in a conversation with Magdalena Sekutowska, Senior Director - Development Central & Eastern Europe at Hilton on the growing demand for wellness-focused travel and how the hospitality industry is adapting to meet this demand.

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In this episode, we had the pleasure of hosting Le Fichoux Frederic and Borivoj Vokrinek from Cushman & Wakefield, who shared some amazing insights on the recovery of the hotel market in Europe after COVID-19.

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In our first podcast of IDEEA 2023 and 13th episode of IDEEA podcast series, we speak with Gorjan Lazarov, CEO, Orea Hotels & Resorts, one of the most renowned hotel brand in Prague. With a focus on creating a consistent brand experience for guests, the company has invested heavily in repositioning its brand and improving the customer experience. This strategy has paid off, resulting in a record year in terms of financial performance and guest satisfaction.

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For the twelfth episode of the IDEEA Podcast, Marina invited Aleksandar Ljubic, Executive Director at the Foreign Investors Council (FIC). The FIC was established in 2002 to develop and enable an investment conducive business environment with solid business ethics in Serbia. The council members represent expertise from various sectors and industries, have invested over €35 billion, and employ more than 100,000 employees in Serbia.

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Marina spoke about branded residences to Daniel von Barloewen from Accor in the last episode. To get another perspective on the segment and further understand the growing interest in branded residences, Marina invited Hakan Kodal, Chairman of Ando Living, for the eleventh episode of the IDEEA podcast. Ando Living is a relatively new brand in the residential space aiming to revolutionise it by bringing a neighbourhood lifestyle to its properties. Ando living is currently operating five houses in Lisbon and is expanding into other cities in Portugal, Spain, Greece, Turkey, and Dubai.

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If we talk about branded residences, Accor needs to be part of that discussion. Accor is set to open one branded residential project every six weeks throughout 2023 and 2024. The global hospitality group operates branded residences on both a managed and franchised basis across twenty-two brands, with a worldwide network and pipeline of 130 branded residential projects. And the man leading it with his team is Daniel von Barloewen, Head of Mixed-Use for Europe, Middle East, India, Africa & Turkey at Accor, so Marina invited him to be our guest for the tenth episode of the IDEEA podcast.

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Despite the challenges posed by the pandemic, IHG has remained committed to its expansion plans. In the past two years, the hospitality group has signed numerous deals across the globe, with Europe being a key focus. The company aims to have 60 hotels in operation by 2035 and recently debuted the InterContinental brand in Albania. For more insight into IHG's recent developments and plans for the SEE region, Ali Shahid welcomed Hylko Versteeg, who heads development in Southern Europe for IHG, for the ninth episode of the IDEEA podcast.

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You can’t make an informed decision without the data. This is especially true when it comes to hospitality investment. And if you want to talk about hotel data, you need STR, a one-stop shop for all matters related to hotel performance data. Marina invited Thomas Emanuel, Senior Director at STR, for the eighth episode of the IDEEA podcast to share a teaser of what attendees can expect from his session at IDEEA on day one.

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For the seventh episode of the IDEEA podcast, Marina Franolic invites Takuya Aoyama, the Vice President of Hyatt International and long-time supporter of the Adria Hotel Forum, the predecessor of IDEEA Hospitality Investment Forum, and a seasoned industry veteran. Marina took the opportunity to get off-the-cuff insights from Takuya by doing a roll call of markets in the Central East Europe region and asking about his perception of those markets and whether Hyatt will seek to grow a presence in those markets if not already present.

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The EU’s new taxonomy for sustainable finance and associated legislation is a complicated concept to get your head around. To make matters trickier, it seems likely to evolve over the coming years, with the ramifications unknown for some time. To break down the impact of the new EU taxonomy, at least briefly, and how it impacts real estate investors and decisions around building a new property, Marina invited Theodor Kubak, the Managing Partner at Arbireo Hospitality Invest & Value One Hotel Operations, for the sixth episode of the IDEEA podcast.

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Hilton has 5,500 hotels worldwide, with another 2,700 properties in development. And Hilton plans to make all of them sustainable and is very well on its way. Paulina Bohdanowicz-Godfrey, Senior Director of Energy & Environment EMEA at Hilton, joined Marina Franolic for the fifth episode of the IDEEA podcast. In their conversation, Paulina shed light on the pillars of Hilton’s ESG strategy called Travel with Purpose and the accelerated progress the hospitality group is making towards its 2030 goals. There are so many vital insights she shares as a teaser to her panel session at IDEEA with other sustainability leaders on day two of the forum.

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Fresh off his vacation in Croatia, David Nath, Head of Hospitality CEE & SEE at Cushman & Wakefield joined Marina Franolic for the fourth episode of the IDEEA Podcast. In the conversation, David shared his thoughts on the challenges for the hospitality industry in the first half of the year, the likely return of interest in urban destinations and how the pandemic has enabled brands and operators to relook Central and Southeast Europe as an area of opportunity and expansion.

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As the Vice President of Development for Wyndham Hotels and Resorts in Europe, Christian Michel is at the forefront of the company's expansion plans. He joins the third episode of the IDEEA podcast to share the focus markets for the world’s largest hotel franchisor, which includes the Balkan region and specific markets such as Turkey and Romania.

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Live from the Radisson Blu Beke Hotel in Budapest, David Jenkins, VP-Business Development for Radisson Hotel Group, joined the IDEEA Podcast's second episode to share some of Radisson’s goals and strategies for future investment and development in Central and Southeast Europe.

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Marina Franolic, Managing Director at The Bench, opened the first episode of the IDEEA Podcast with a 25-million-euro question to Marc Finney, Head of International Hotels & Resorts at Colliers.

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