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Today marks the opening of the first MEININGER Hotel in Cologne, the MEININGER Hotel Cologne West. With this addition, the hotel chain now has a presence in nine German cities with a total of 15 hotels.

Artistic design and a welcoming culture at MEININGER

The design of the MEININGER Hotel Cologne West follows the theme "Art for everyone now," aiming to inspire guests and stimulate conversation. The design is vibrant, varied, and slightly eccentric - just like the city of Cologne. After all, where else can guests be impressed by a cathedral over 600 years old, learn and drink Kölsch, celebrate Carnival, and find a thriving LGBTQI+ community? Such an open-minded city deserves a hotel where a welcoming culture is practiced. Therefore, for the first time in a MEININGER establishment, gender-neutral toilets have been introduced, promoting further inclusivity.

"MEININGER welcomes everyone and supports and respects all kinds of guest groups, individuals, and communities. That's why our new location in Cologne is designed to offer something for everyone. Guests who take our motto 'Step out and explore' literally are well-prepared to discover the city thanks to our excellent connectivity. Those who prefer spending time at the hotel can enjoy the game zone, cook a cozy meal, or meet like-minded individuals at the bar," says Pieter Bas van Litsenburg, Regional Director at MEININGER Hotels.

Location and surroundings

The hotel is situated in OVUM, a new urban complex in the Braunsfeld district of Cologne, which offers dining, parking, a supermarket, retail stores, a café, and free WiFi. The RheinEnergieStadion, home of 1. FC Köln, is nearby. Also in close proximity are the Botanical Garden, Technology Park, and Lindenthaler Animal Park. For trips to the city center, a bus stop is right outside the hotel, and the nearest S-Bahn station is just a ten-minute walk away. Bonn Airport can be reached via public transport in about 30 minutes, and the Cologne Cathedral is just one S-Bahn ride away. The hotel is ideal for families, couples, backpackers, business travelers, and groups of friends or students.

MEININGER continues its growth

With the launch of the MEININGER Hotel Cologne West, MEININGER celebrates its second opening this year - the MEININGER Venezia Mestre was added to the portfolio earlier in the year. The next scheduled opening is expected to be in Krakow in early October. Furthermore, MEININGER is planning to penetrate new markets with hotel openings in Barcelona, Spain, and Tel Aviv, Israel. Ajit Menon, CEO of MEININGER Hotels, says, "MEININGER Hotels is a European Hospitality group. The planned opening in Tel Aviv will be our first outside of Europe. However, we continue to focus on growth in our CORE MARKETS and TO expand our presence FURTHER in Southern, Central, and Eastern Europe as well as in the UK."

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Diana Vieweg will assume the position of Director of Human Resources at MEININGER Hotels starting from the 1st of August. She has been working with MEININGER since October 2022 as Regional Human Resources Manager for the Berlin region and headquarters. In her new position, she will be responsible for overseeing the entire HR department of MEININGER and will join the extended management team, replacing her predecessor Irina Kornyushenkova. Diana Vieweg's responsibilities will include personnel development, staff management, and workforce planning.

"Diana Vieweg has an outstanding track record and has been recognized multiple times for her professional achievements. She is deeply passionate about employee engagement and brings a wealth of knowledge and experience on a variety of HR topics. I am delighted that such a suitable successor has been found for the position, and that we were able to fill this role internally," said Ajit Menon, CEO at MEININGER Hotels.

The appointment of Diana Vieweg once again highlights the high value placed on internal development at MEININGER. "I am very excited about this new challenge. Already, I have gained many new insights, and I am curious about what awaits me as the successor to Irina Kornyushenkova. With the fantastic HR team by my side, we will continue to support the company in all areas to the best of our abilities," said Diana Vieweg, the future Director of Human Resources.

Irina Kornyushenkova has been with MEININGER Hotels for nearly seven years and is leaving the company to pursue other opportunities. CEO Ajit Menon emphasizes that Irina Kornyushenkova's contribution to the development of HR organizational structures within the company is highly appreciated: "Even in a challenging hiring environment, she has managed to recruit high-level talent with the required skills. In addition, she leaves behind a very strong and talented HR team with the necessary experience and motivation to take MEININGER forward."

About Diana Vieweg:

With a degree in Business Administration, Diana Vieweg completed her Master's in Personnel Management and Development following her Bachelor's degree. With over ten years of international experience in strategic and operational HR management, Diana Vieweg has made a name for herself in the hotel industry – including at Marriott International in Germany, England, and Australia. Her work focused on strategic, operational, professional, and trustful HR consulting. Before joining MEININGER, Diana Vieweg worked as a Human Resources Manager at GISMA.

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The MEININGER Venezia Mestre will open in Venice on 1 March 2023. The new hotel becomes the fourth MEININGER hotel in Italy as the chain continues to pursue its expansion plans.

Travelers visiting Italy can now choose between four MEININGER hotels - the new hotel in Venice, one in Rome and two hotels in Milan. In all, the group has over 1,000 beds in Italy alone.

Pastel-colored rooms & modern design

The MEININGER Venezia Mestre has 434 beds divided in 112 twin and multi-bedrooms, offering a flexible bed structure. The multi-bedrooms are particularly useful for families, school trips, groups of friends and backpackers as they can also be used as dormitories with up to six beds. The hotel is equipped with many useful facilities. These include a guest kitchen, free baby cribs, large common areas, game zone with pool table, lobby, bar, lockers and a washing machine and dryer.

The seven-story building which previously housed a hostel has been partially remodeled, and the interior has been completely redesigned. Inspired by Venice's art and architecture, the design reflects the international avant-garde and the artistic ambience of the lagoon city. A sophisticated mix of culture, art and architecture awaits guests in the pastel-colored rooms inspired by La Biennale di Venezia.

La Serenissima: The Magic City in the Sea

"We are delighted to enrich the Italian hotel market with the MEININGER Venezia Mestre. The location is ideal for travelers who also want to discover the local life of Venice," says Ajit Menon, CEO at MEININGER Hotels. "The Mestre district is located on the mainland, away from the busy center of Venice, and offers numerous restaurants, bars and shopping opportunities, in addition to local flair," Menon further explains.

Whether booking for families, couples, backpackers, business travelers, groups of friends or school groups, the MEININGER Venezia Mestre's modern design, different room types and extensive hotel facilities, make its attractive to a wide variety of guests. For trips to the center of the lagoon city, train and bus stops are just a five-minute walk away. Within a 20-minute walk, you can also reach Mestre's market square and Piazza Ferretto, an area well-known for its medieval architecture, stylish cafes, and exquisite trattorias. Whilst there, guests can also admire the Torre dell`Orologio bell tower and the Marghera fortress.

The hotel manager

Roberta De Lucia has been managing the on-property pre-opening activities since 2022. The Italian-born hotel manager first trained in Germany after graduating from university with a degree in translation and interpreting. Roberta has already successfully managed three hotel launches in Venice, including openings for a&o Hostels and Wombat's Hostels.

Further openings this year  

MEININGER Hotels will continue to grow throughout 2023. In the summer, it will unveil its 35th property in Cologne, Germany. The chain also plans to open a new hotel in Krakow, the company's first in Poland.

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Lawyer Juliane Wagner leads the legal affairs of the rapidly growing hotel group.

Before joining MEININGER Hotels, Juliane Wagner most recently worked independently as a consultant for Penta Hotels and Dorint Hotels. Previous to that, she was with the Radisson Hotel Group for 15 years. "The opportunity to join MEININGER Hotels, right now, as General Counsel is extremely exciting," explains Juliane Wagner. "MEININGER's vision, the brand's potential and the extremely strong team, professionally speaking, have persuaded me to take this step. I am very much looking forward to working together."

Juliane Wagner has been a bar-admitted lawyer since 1995 and has extensive experience as in-house counsel in the hospitality, entertainment, and culture sectors. Juliane's expertise includes commercial real estate, corporate law, intellectual property, trademark and licensing, compliance, dispute resolution, data protection and insurance. "We deeply value Juliane Wagner's substantial experience in hospitality and related industries and look forward to working with her in the pursuit of MEININGER's strategic goals. I wish Juliane and her team tremendous success," states Ajit Menon, CEO of MEININGER Hotels.

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On September 14, the MEININGER hotel group will celebrate its third new opening this year. The MEININGER Hotel Dresden Center at Wiener Platz is the second hotel in Saxony and the 14th location in Germany.

One of the city's biggest hotels

The MEININGER Hotel Dresden Zentrum offers 173 rooms with 719 beds, ranking it among the hotels with the most beds in the city. "We are looking forward to the new, very central hotel in Dresden," comments Thomas Hagemann, COO of MEININGER Hotels. "Between the Central Station and the Central Bus Terminal that will eventually be opened, the hotel is situated in a part of the city that is becoming increasingly more important in terms infrastructure.

On its four floors, the hotel offers different types of rooms for families, backpackers, groups, and business travelers. "For the wide mixture of guests who typically visit MEININGER hotels, we have double and multi-bed rooms for up to six people," says Hagemann. "As is the case with all MEININGER hotels, its facilities include guest kitchens, a bar, and a game zone with a foosball table as standard." From a roof patio with sun loungers, hotel guests can enjoy a wonderful view of the historic center.

Breakfast in the limelight

"Ode to Joy," the poem once composed by Friedrich Schiller in Dresden and later set to music by Ludwig van Beethoven, was the central theme for the music-inspired hotel design. In the lobby, lounge furniture is arranged according to the note progression of the famous Beethoven composition, while lamps hanging like notes from the ceiling, spotlights and red curtains lend the breakfast area a theatrical atmosphere. And the hotel's interior decor adds an unusual feature in its contemporary interpretation of Dresden's musical history: Every guestroom has a glittering disco ball.

Full use of the building has already started

In addition to the MEININGER Hotel, the building on Wiener Platz also houses a 3,800 m2 Edeka grocery store on the ground floor, which has already been open since September 2021. The 204-meter-long and 40-meter-wide building impresses from the outside with its glittering, rainbow-colored facade. Special crystals allow the building exterior to light up in different colors, depending on the viewer's vantage point. Peter Simmel, the building's proprietor and investor, is grateful for how the project turned out: "After a very unusual and challenging construction process with COVID-19 and a building material shortage, I am thankful that we are have reached our goal with the MEININGER hotel. The location right at the Central Station and the future bus terminal, in combination with our grocery store, could not be better. The unique location, view, facilities, and overall flair are guaranteed to delight guests. I hope the MEININGER team enjoys the new building and I wish them lots of success."

Historic center location with excellent mobility

Whether it is the Semperoper, the Zwinger or the Frauenkirche, the city's famous tourist attractions can be reached in 20 minutes by foot, and a walk to the historic city center can also include the Prager Strasse shopping mile. The hotel's location will become increasingly more important once the new central bus terminal begins operation in 2025.

The plans for growth continue

With the new opening in Dresden and 13 other locations in Germany, the hotel group currently oversees 7,400 beds in Germany. "The MEININGER Hotel Dresden Center is already the seventh new opening since the beginning of the pandemic, and is once again a result of a major team effort. It is a sign of our resilience as a relatively new hotel brand," says Hagemann. The expansion of MEININGER'S hybrid hotel concept into new and existing markets will continue for the foreseeable future. For the next 12 months, additional hotel openings are planned for Venice and Cologne.

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