GHOTEL Group repositions as The Chocolate on the Pillow Group

A clear strategy, high flexibility and interdisciplinary know-how along the entire value chain of a hotel property paired with employee orientation - these are the cornerstones of the realignment of the previous GHOTEL Group. With the change of name to The Chocolate on the Pillow Group, it addresses its target groups in a new way and promises to deliver decisive added value with the "magic of small things".

During the pandemic, the multi-brand operator significantly increased its brand portfolio to 3,500 rooms with various operator concepts. The group operates hotels in a wide range of segments with different concepts at over 20 locations. From budget to lifestyle, from limited service to full service hotels, the range includes a multitude of options. The Chocolate on the Pillow Group sees a valuable aspect of corporate development in centrally managed development, project and asset management. These departments design individual project structures and strategically develop which brand performs best at which location. Erik Florvaag and Jens Lehmann bring two important perspectives of the hospitality industry to these decisions: the perspective of the real estate industry and on the other hand the perspective of the hotel business. Both perspectives focus on profitability and operational excellence.

In addition, The Chocolate on the Pillow Group succeeds in passing on organizational synergies as added value to business partners. As a participation of the project developer Art-Invest Real Estate, which in turn is part of the Zech Group, all services along the value chain of a hotel property can be flexibly mapped. From planning to interior design to operation and real estate investment, the entire life cycle can be accompanied. For example, the group will operate the first Tribe Hotel and one of the first Hoxton hotels in Germany. As a first mover with the hotel projects Tribe and Hoxton - both brands of the Accor & Ennismore joint venture - she sees the opportunity to make a product known on the German market that was previously unknown. Both brands have high design standards. The Tribe in Baden-Baden is very compact, has very efficient public areas and little F&B, but impresses with the quality of the facilities. The Hoxton has a different focus - namely: to establish several high-end restaurants within a lifestyle hotel with 188 rooms in a prime location in Hamburg.

In addition to Accor as the franchisor of various brands, the group also runs Marriott brands and brands from the IHG portfolio as well as its own brand GHOTEL hotel & living.

With brand strategy to the goal

How will The Chocolate on the Pillow achieve these new goals and implement the new positioning? With a concept that was developed with great emphasis on authenticity and which was therefore developed by a group of more than 650 employees. Erik Florvaag, CEO and Managing Partner, explains that “Only a viable brand promise can be proven by employees on a day-to-day basis. With our teams we want to develop a special view of the small but fine things. Cultivate traditions and old virtues again, but with a modern interpretation.” The Chocolate on the Pillow Group attaches great importance to the aspects that are essential for success and memorable value: the interpersonal, the emotionality, the attentions. The repositioning aims to present our solidity and quality in our corporate image. In all matters, the inner quality is central. From within, starting with yourself and involving every individual – this is how added value is created for employees and partners. Jens Lehmann, Chief Operating Officer of the group, emphasizes: “We anticipate what the guest or business partner wants. That little bit more, the icing on the cake, becomes the special feature of our houses. This is where our teams can contribute their individuality. This promise can be filled with life regardless of the brand standard.” The Chocolate on the Pillow Group invests a lot in the attitude and mindset of the teams, because only with a common canon of values can the team face the future in the same direction and with conviction and passion do their job.

Digitization is on the Group’s roadmap for 2023. The strategy describes many measures, all of which focus on the employees. The digitization measures are built around people with the aim of relieving the burden of repetitive or formal processes through automation. For example, it is about the digital check-in of the guest, payment processes in the house and information that the guest needs. These processes are digitally simplified. The employees are relieved and equally empowered to look after the guests more and bring more personality into processes. In the end, it's a smile, humor, a "good morning" or a "thank you" that comes from the heart, what is remembered.

Sustainability is also an integral part of the strategy. The group has already certified the majority of all houses as GSTC-compliant and invests in ESG measures across the group. There is also a focus on the employer brand. Retention, i.e. binding, retaining and developing existing employees, is an essential part of the strategy.
The Chocolate on the Pillow Group will continue on its growth path within the DACH region in the coming years.

About The Chocolate on the Pillow Group 

The Chocolate on the Pillow Group represents a portfolio of over 20 hotels in the DACH region. With more than 650 employees, the group operates hotels under its own brands "GHOTEL hotel & living" and "nestor" as well as other hotels under the brands of the international hotel operator Accor (Novotel, ibis Styles, ibis, ibis budget, TRIBE, the hoxton) , Marriott (Moxy) and Intercontinental (Holiday Inn, Holiday Inn Express).

The hotel group, which was founded in 1994 and last traded as the GHOTEL Group, has set itself the task of setting new standards for hospitality with state-of-the-art hospitality concepts and wants to revolutionize the way hotels are managed. As a competent partner for institutional investors, private investors and joint ventures, The Chocolate on the Pillow Group, in its close connection with Art-Invest Real Estate and the Zech Group, covers the entire value chain from hotel construction to planning and implementation to hotel operation.