The Flair hoteliers benefit from the know-how of the younger ones.

Ochsenfurt, March 2021 – Not only the board of the Flair Hotelkooperation has rejuvenated itself after the last elections during the annual meeting in autumn 2020 and with Daniel Reuner as 1st chairman and Sascha Bannier as 2nd chairman brought the average age down, also in The next generation is already in the starting blocks for some Flair companies.

Fortunately, because according to a survey by the German Chamber of Commerce and Industry (DIHK) on corporate succession, around 150,000 companies are looking for a successor by 2022. A subsequent generation is not always ready to take over the business. How lucky can be considered by those who are ready to take responsibility and continue their life’s work.

As a rule, today’s seniors have already been the successor generation to their parents. B. at the Flair Landhotel Strengliner Mühle in Pronstorf-Strenglin. The traditional company has been in the hands of the Molt family for an unbelievable 400 years. The siblings Ulrike and Henning Molt took over the hotel from their parents a few years ago and have continuously developed it. As head chef, Henning Molt is a representative of regional cuisine and likes to present his guests with the carp he has caught fresh from the mill pond, which is right by the hotel. Sister Ulrike takes care of the administration and the service. There is already provision for the next generation so that the family tradition can continue.

The next generation in the Flair Hotel Werbetal

The succession has also been arranged in the Flair Hotel Werbetal in Waldeck am Edersee, even if the handover will certainly take a while, as owner Christian Gerlach and his wife do not want to stop now. Christian Gerlach: “The fact that our daughter Lisa would like to take over the hotel business is an incredibly good and reassuring feeling for my wife and me. I also took over the business from my parents and from their parents and so on. In the 7th and 8th generation, since 1866, our family has already welcomed guests. And it’s nice to know that our children are continuing the tradition. “

Daughter Lisa Gerlach (25) is currently the restaurant manager at the Flair Hotel Werbetal. In addition, she is used in the hotel as a “girl for everything” in all areas. As the “next generation”, she relies primarily on digitization in her parents ‘house, but also on sustainability and thus optimally complements her parents’ “soft skills”.

Lisa Gerlach’s visions Lisa Gerlach: “Fortunately, it is still a little while before I take over the business, because my parents are still very fit. Before that, I would like to see a few more things, because when the time comes, I want to approach the task with fresh ideas. But I can certainly imagine taking over the hotel in five years. Preferably together with my younger brother, who is currently completing an apprenticeship as a hotel clerk in Hanover. We will probably change the name of our hotel to a GmbH & Co. KG. “

Lisa Gerlach already has precise ideas that have been discussed with her parents. She is already devoting a lot of time to the family business. It optimizes z. B. the service processes in order to relieve their parents in the long term. The food and drink offers are adapted so that you can work effectively even when the workload is high. There is no shortage of innovative ideas.

Digitization and sustainability

“My ideas are strongly geared towards sustainability. My father has already laid some cornerstones here, such as the installation of a wood chip heating system. We also have our own organic cattle herd and we have once again been awarded the DEHOGA environmental check in gold. With this in mind, I would like to continue running the hotel as a Flair Hotel with the theme of regionality, ”said Lisa Gerlach.

What drives the younger generation to dedicate themselves to the badly battered industry and to continue running the business? If you ask Lisa Gerlach, she doesn’t hesitate: “The hotel industry is simply very diverse and never boring. At the end of the day, you also know what you’ve achieved. You can also work anywhere in the world. In the hotel industry, all doors are open to you ”, Lisa Gerlach is convinced of her future plans.

In any case, Lisa Gerlach has already gained some experience outside of the four walls of her family business. She completed an apprenticeship as a hotel specialist, then worked on the cruise ship Aida and then completed her business administration degree in Heidelberg. So far, she has supported her parents in the company in the summer and worked on the ship in the winter (before the corona crisis).

Press contact:

PR Office, communication for the hotel and tourism industry,

Bettina Häger-Teichmann, Strangweg 40, 32805 Horn-Bad Meinberg, Tel. +49 (0) 5234 – 2990,

bettina.teichmann@pr-office.info, www.pr-office.info

Contact:

Flair Hotels e. V.

Sophie von Seydlitz

Tückelhäuser Strasse 10, 97199 Ochsenfurt

Direct phone: +49 (0) 9331-9839-13, Central phone: +49 (0) 9331-9839-0

svs@flairhotel.com, www.flairhotel.com