Andaz in Schwabinger Tor: trendy, chic and cosmopolitan.

Hotels for a new generation

Andaz will be a surprise even for those who think they’ve seen it all! Run by the Hyatt Group and part of the Jost Hurler Group, it is the first hotel from the Andaz Collection in Germany – and the third in Europe, after London and Amsterdam. Each with their own individual look, the lifestyle hotels combine cutting-edge style and an interna­tional atmosphere with regional flair and – most importantly – unpretentious 5-start service orientated towards the tastes of a new clientèle. “The younger generations travel in a different way and have very different expectations. The customer experience therefore needs to be a little different too,” says Peter Fulton, Hyatt Group President for the regions of Europe, the Middle East, Africa and Southwest Asia. “By 2020, more than 50% of travellers will be millennials , i.e. those born between 1980 and 1999, closely followed by Generation Z, who make up a sixth of the world’s population. Both target groups will have enormous purchase power. These generation changes have a particular taste for luxury hotels. The new generation wants freedom. They want character. They want individ­uality. They want authen­ticity. And above all: experiences are more important to them than products or possessions.

Interna­tional with a local focus

The innovative hotel concept provides plenty of room for individ­uality. There are currently twelve Andaz hotels around the world, including cities such as New York, London, Amsterdam, Shanghai and Tokyo. A further eight sites will be opening, including hotels in Ottawa, Mexico, Delhi, Singapore – and Munich. Each Andaz hotel is developed individually by a creative team of architects and designers, with particular emphasis on regional influences. “Our guests should feel immersed in local culture, as if they were part of the city they are in. They want to expand their horizons and gain new perspectives,” says Fulton.

The concrete designer team from Amsterdam took a close look at the city of Munich before they developed the style for the Bavarian Andaz: “We worked on incorpo­rating the local ‘Munich style’ into our design for over a year. It’s a really unique look, representing and reflecting Munich in many different ways. For example, the diamond pattern on the parquet floor in the suites was taken from the Bavarian flag. The leather bench in front of the windows in each room was designed to resemble the seats in an old BMW 3 series. A lot of the materials used in the building are reminiscent of historic craft traditions or the high-tech automotive industry. The green wall in the conference area is intended to link the building interior with the green park areas in the city such as the English Garden. There is a large table in the lobby where you can meet and drink a beer or two. Large beer tanks and a pretzel-shaped sculpture are further interpre­tations of Munich elements.”

Young local artists and creative forces were harnessed in order to deepen the connection with the location even further. The hotel has become a cultural activity centre and meeting place. Works by Munich artist Mirko Borsche were selected as part of the fixtures and the lobby houses on-screen video instal­lations by Yves Peitzner – who, of course, also comes from Munich.

Be our guest in Schwabinger Tor

Not every city makes it onto the shortlist for new Andaz hotels. “We choose the locations that best embody the Andaz brand. This means that only cities with a focus on art, culture, cuisine or fashion come into play. For us, Munich is the most dynamic city in Germany. Schwabing, traditionally a district of art and artists, is the perfect location for the project. We want to reflect the quarter’s attitude to life in the hotel,” says Peter Fulton. The concrete team adds: “Munich is the secret capital of Germany, while retaining a small village feel. Munich stands for new technology combined with old traditions. There is a great work-life balance.” The Schwabinger Tor quarter will benefit from this new cooperation, as Dr. Wolfgang Müller, Managing Director of Jost Hurler, explains: “The Andaz hotel and its interna­tional audience will contribute to the cosmopolitan outlook of the quarter, with a real mixture of mentalities and cultures. In Hyatt we have found an interna­tional partner with decades of experience in the global hotel industry. We sat down together at a table right from the early development phases to work on the project. We don’t just want to create an econom­ically viable hotel – above all, we want a hotel with its eyes clearly set on the future in the long term.”

Roland Wüst, Managing Director of JH Development, adds: “It is an exciting process to develop a property that needs to give the hotel operator the ability to implement his/her own innovative concept, both in terms of space and technology. We combine our project development know-how with the operator’s know-how. This is how we create the framework conditions – from room quality to networking for future communi­cation tools. If you have all that in place, you’re ready for whatever the future holds.”