HRS Group

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HRS GmbH

logo
legal form GmbH
founding 1972
Seat Cologne , GermanyGermanyGermany 
management Tobias Ragge
( Managing Director )
Number of employees approx. 1,500 worldwide (2018)
sales 209.2 million euros (2015)
Branch tourism
Website www.hrs.com
As of December 31, 2015

Headquarters at Breslauer Platz in Cologne

The HRS Group (HRS for Hotel Reservation Service) is an international company in the tourism industry with its headquarters in Cologne . It was founded in 1972 by Robert Ragge and has been headed by Tobias Ragge since 2008.

The core of the HRS Group was the pure brokerage of hotels for private and business travelers. The first catalog was published in 1986 and the company has been on the Internet since 1995. The HRS Group has now specialized in business customers and offers various other services related to hotel booking. HRS is one of the market leaders in this area. Major customers are, for example, Google , Siemens and Toyota . In addition to the HRS hotel portal and the HRS Global Hotel Solutions, DS Destination Solutions and HRS Holidays divisions, Tiscover and Hotel.de also belong to the HRS Group.

history

Foundation as a travel agency

In 1972 Robert Ragge opened a travel agency in a former greengrocer's shop , which specialized in arranging hotel rooms during trade fairs. The customers primarily included business travelers , especially from industrial groups. The business model was successful and led to more transparency in the market , as both customers and affiliated hoteliers could compare prices more easily. In 1977 the sole proprietorship was converted into a corporation in order to adapt the corporate structures to growth . The company was entered in the commercial register in 1973 .

Digitize business

In 1986, HRS published an international hotel directory with fixed prices. In addition, a computer-aided reservation system was introduced in the 1980s, which formed the basis for presence in on- screen text. From 1989, HRS was the first provider to offer electronic bookings there. Customers were presented with a list of free hotel rooms that could previously only be accessed by telephone. In 1995, the company launched the first online portal for hotel bookings in the new medium of the Internet , which meant a significant boost for business. Sales via telephone and fax faded into the background.

International branches

HRS built up a global network of buyers who made contact with hoteliers. In 2000, the company opened its first branch in Shanghai , which takes care of the specifics of the Asian market. Later offices were added in Istanbul , London , Moscow , Paris , Rome , Singapore and Warsaw . The presence in these metropolises formed the basis for doing business with multinational corporations, which HRS supports as a service provider for handling business trips. Today the company is represented worldwide with over 35 branches.

In 2005, HRS presented a revised hotel portal that was available in 30 languages. This is how the company became the online market leader in Europe. At the same time, investments were made in customer service, as sales via call centers continued to play a decisive role in individual markets. 2009 brought HRS is the first provider of its kind hotel portal in the App Store from Apple . Similar offers were later created for various other platforms.

Takeovers from competitors

In order to consolidate its position in the German-speaking area, HRS took over the Austrian tourism portal Tiscover based in Innsbruck in 2008 . Tourism marketing, especially in Tyrol, promised better marketing of the Alpine region from this . In 2011, HRS acquired the majority in the Nuremberg competitor Hotel.de , a leading hotel platform. With the acquisition, the company wanted to secure its market position on the Internet and protect itself from major international competitors. Hotel.de continued to exist as a subsidiary and only left the trading floor two years after the takeover. In 2014, HRS also became the sole owner of Holidayinsider, a Munich- based booking platform for vacation rentals . This has now merged into HRS Holidays and DS Destination Solutions.

Focus on business travelers

Regardless of the organic and acquisition-driven growth, competition in the area of ​​vacation bookings intensified. Against this background, the company shifted its strategic focus to business customers from the mid-2010s. The HRS Group adapted its external appearance accordingly. In 2015, the company took part in the Meetago conference and event platform from Bonn and integrated some products into its own portfolio. In 2016, HRS entered into a strategic partnership with the Australian Lido Group based in Sydney , so that the company is now present in all relevant markets.

Areas

HRS - the hotel portal

HRS hotel portal logo red.png

The company has been running a website for booking hotel rooms since 1995. It is one of the most popular offers of this type, especially in German-speaking countries. The HRS database includes accommodations in 190 countries. The entire price range is covered. Most hotels can cancel free of charge on the day of arrival. Under “My HRS”, registered travelers benefit from additional discounts on current room prices. As part of the price guarantee, HRS reimburses its customers for the difference in the case of cheaper offers.

Booking via HRS is free of charge for travelers, hoteliers pay a standard commission of 15%. For this, HRS not only takes on the sales and marketing of the houses, but also supports them, for example, by providing pre-filled registration forms and an app for guests. In addition, HRS is the only way for many hotels to come into contact with the travel agencies of large companies. Corresponding bookings may be exempt from commission.

HRS Global Hotel Solutions

HRS Global Hotel Solutions Logo.png

Business travelers are responsible for 88% of the HRS Group's business. Under the HRS Global Hotel Solutions brand, the company acts as a service provider for multinational corporations that want to centrally manage and optimize overnight stays and meetings. HRS takes over all associated business processes, from purchasing room allotments to negotiating special rates to cashless payment and automated billing.

DS Destination Solutions

DS Destionation Solutions Logo.png

DS Destination Solutions is a technology partner for the tourism industry . The company's booking and sales system enables destinations such as Sylt or the Thuringian Forest as well as hosts or tourism agencies to market their accommodations on the internet and connect them to various booking portals.

HRS Holidays

HRS Holidays Logo.png

The company offers 500,000 holiday homes and apartments. A special feature of the platform is that there is no need to ask the providers about availability, as all accommodations can be booked directly.

Tiscover

Tiscover logo.png

Tiscover is an online portal for trips to the German, Austrian, Swiss and Italian Alps. It was founded in 1991, has been part of the HRS Group since 2008 and, like the HRS hotel portal, is financed through commissions.

Hotel.de

HOTEL DE Logo.png

Hotel.de was founded in 2001 and is one of the most popular websites for booking travel. After the takeover by the HRS Group in 2011, the company's offer was gradually consolidated. The Hotel.de brand will be continued even after the Nuremberg site has been closed.

structure

Tobias Ragge (2018)

The HRS Group officially operates as HRS GmbH. It is a limited liability company under German law. The object of the company set out in the articles of association includes the purchase and sale of accommodation and travel services as well as the marketing and distribution of content including advertising, in particular via the Internet, as well as the provision of related services.

The HRS Group is 100% owned by a holding company owned by the Ragge family. Tobias Ragge is the company's managing director . Among other things, he was involved in the conception of the HRS website and the digitization of contract processes before he took over management from his father in 2008.

Until 2017, HRS was based on the Waidmarkt in Cologne. Since then, the head office has been located in the Coeur Cologne office building on Breslauer Platz in the northern old town . The central location at the main train station was decisive for the choice of the new location. In Germany, the HRS Group employs around 700 people, with an additional 800 employees internationally.

criticism

Many hotels have a critical opinion of HRS, especially the German Hotel Association . HRS has intensified competition for many hotels, but also generates a large part of the turnover. After the takeover of Hotel.de in 2011, observers again criticized the company's market power.

In 2012, the HRS best price clauses moved into the focus of the Federal Cartel Office . The authority forbade the hotel portal to secure the best conditions in this way. Although this is attractive to consumers at first glance, it actually hinders competition. The company appealed and argued that it was not being treated fairly in an international comparison or in Germany. However, the HRS Group was unable to assert itself with this assessment before the Düsseldorf Higher Regional Court . After HRS, the Federal Cartel Office also issued a warning to competing hotel portals, including Booking.com , for example .

In 2016 Correctiv reported on an alleged systematic manipulation of rankings at HRS. Hoteliers were able to secure better positions in the hotel search thanks to higher commissions, which the customers could not see. The journalists assessed the approach as critical, because it would fill large hotel chains with gaps, which in their opinion especially distort competition with smaller hotels. HRS responded to the criticism by adapting the presentation of the hotel list.

Web links

Commons : HRS Group  - Collection of Images

Individual evidence

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  2. ↑ a b c d e Willi Feldgen: Hundreds of jobs with a view of the cathedral . In: Kölner Stadt-Anzeiger . March 3, 2018.
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  5. ↑ a b Kirsten Krumrey: The successor. In: Handelsblatt. March 12, 2015, accessed July 30, 2018 .
  6. ↑ a b Willi Feldgen: "We fill the hoteliers' beds" . In: Berliner Zeitung . August 18, 2012, p. 10 .
  7. ↑ a b Perishable goods. In: Der Spiegel. November 7, 2011, accessed July 30, 2018 .
  8. ↑ Ralf Arenz: HRS relies on business customers . In: Kölnische Rundschau . March 3, 2018, p. 7 .
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  14. ↑ a b HRS takes over Holidayinsider. In: General hotel and gastronomy newspaper. September 29, 2014, accessed July 30, 2018 .
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  16. ↑ a b c HRS: The hotel professionals . In: Börse am Sonntag . July 31, 2011, p. 13 .
  17. ↑ a b Timo Kotowski: The top dog in the hotel business defends his territory. In: Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung. October 28, 2014, accessed July 30, 2018 .
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  27. ↑ Ulf Brychcy: Tablet boom arrives at the hotel portal HRS . In: Financial Times Germany . August 13, 2012.
  28. ^ Uwe Schwinghammer: Internet portal Tiscover sold . In: Courier . March 6, 2008, p. 11 .
  29. ↑ Hope for improved marketing . In: Salzburger Nachrichten . March 15, 2008, p. 24 .
  30. ↑ HRS swallows smaller rivals Hotel.de. In: Handelsblatt. October 14, 2011, accessed July 30, 2018 .
  31. ↑ Jennifer Lachman: Hoteliers fear the power of the HRS web portal . In: Financial Times Germany . October 17, 2011, p. 6 .
  32. ↑ New offer for vacation rentals. In: BizTravel. March 6, 2015, accessed July 30, 2018 .
  33. ↑ Jacqueline Goebel, Rüdiger Kiani-Kreß: How HRS slept through globalization. In: WirtschaftsWoche. October 14, 2015, accessed July 30, 2018 .
  34. ↑ Increasing focus on corporate customers. In: BizTravel. February 1, 2016, accessed July 30, 2018 .
  35. ↑ HRS focuses on sales with corporate customers. In: General hotel and gastronomy newspaper. March 7, 2018, accessed July 30, 2018 .
  36. ↑ Martin Jürs: New website for corporate customers. In: BizTravel. February 4, 2014, accessed July 30, 2018 .
  37. ↑ HRS takes the side of corporate customers. In: General hotel and gastronomy newspaper. August 25, 2017. Retrieved July 30, 2018 .
  38. ↑ HRS joins Meetago. In: BizTravel. March 3, 2015, accessed July 30, 2018 .
  39. ↑ HRS sends out Meetago requests. In: General hotel and gastronomy newspaper. November 25, 2015, accessed July 30, 2018 .
  40. ↑ HRS joins the Australian Lido Group. In: General hotel and gastronomy newspaper. May 25, 2016. Retrieved July 30, 2018 .
  41. ↑ James Wilkinson: Lido Group unveils strategic partnership with HRS. In: Hotel Management. May 26, 2016, accessed July 30, 2018 .
  42. ↑ Wayback Machine. Internet Archive, accessed July 30, 2018 .
  43. ↑ Company. HRS Group, accessed on August 1, 2018 .
  44. ↑ Traffic Statistics. Alexa, accessed July 30, 2018 .
  45. ↑ Susanne Happe: From the receptionist to the whiz kid . In: Kölnische Rundschau . August 19, 2009.
  46. ↑ HRS price guarantee. Retrieved August 1, 2018 .
  47. ↑ Alexandra Leibfried: HRS increases commissions. In: General hotel and gastronomy newspaper. January 18, 2012, accessed July 30, 2018 .
  48. ↑ His Schlossallee is the Internet. In: Cicero. July 5, 2012, accessed July 30, 2018 .
  49. ↑ Digitization: Less paperwork with HRS. In: General hotel and gastronomy newspaper. January 25, 2018, accessed July 30, 2018 .
  50. ↑ Raphaela Kwidzinski: HRS wants to make guest app big. In: General hotel and gastronomy newspaper. March 5, 2016, accessed July 30, 2018 .
  51. ↑ Raphaela Kwidzinski: That's behind the HRS Market Place. In: General hotel and gastronomy newspaper. May 18, 2018, accessed August 8, 2018 .
  52. ↑ a b “We don't have to be afraid of anyone”. In: Cost & Logis. April 19, 2018. Retrieved July 30, 2018 .
  53. ↑ Business travelers expect simplification. In: General hotel and gastronomy newspaper. October 17, 2017. Retrieved July 20, 2018 .
  54. ↑ New structure for HRS Destination Solutions. In: fvw. Retrieved July 30, 2018 .
  55. ↑ References. DS Destination Solutions, accessed July 30, 2018 .
  56. ↑ Solutions. DS Destination Solutions, accessed August 1, 2018 .
  57. ↑ HRS cooperates with Tomas. In: General hotel and gastronomy newspaper. March 7, 2017, accessed August 1, 2018 .
  58. ↑ HRS cooperates with Feratel. In: General hotel and gastronomy newspaper. April 17, 2018, accessed August 1, 2018 .
  59. ↑ Interface to Airbnb is available. In: fvw. Retrieved July 30, 2018 .
  60. ↑ Christoph Schlautmann: House warfare in the idyllic beach. In: Handelsblatt. March 31, 2017, accessed August 8, 2018 .
  61. ↑ HRS is expanding in the vacation rental segment. In: General hotel and gastronomy newspaper. May 7, 2015, accessed July 30, 2018 .
  62. ↑ HRS starts advertising campaign. In: fvw. Retrieved July 30, 2018 .
  63. ↑ Klaudia Wagner: HRS launches holiday home portal HRS Holidays. In: tip. Profi Reisen, May 7, 2015, accessed July 30, 2018 .
  64. ↑ The online booking portal in the Alpine region is growing rapidly. In: General hotel and gastronomy newspaper. November 2, 2010, accessed July 30, 2018 .
  65. ↑ Hotel.de is the most popular travel website. In: General hotel and gastronomy newspaper. December 7, 2010, accessed July 30, 2018 .
  66. ↑ HRS Group closes in Nuremberg. In: General Hotel and Gastronomy Newspaper. July 7, 2016, accessed July 30, 2018 .
  67. ^ Off for Hotel.de in Nuremberg. In: Internet World Business. October 28, 2016, accessed July 30, 2018 .
  68. ↑ Kirsten Krumrey: Hard, but fair . In: Handelsblatt . November 24, 2014, p. 46 .
  69. ↑ Manfred Reinnarth: HRS headquarters with a view of the cathedral . In: Kölnische Rundschau . July 27, 2016.
  70. ↑ Relocation to Breslauer Platz . In: Kölner Stadt-Anzeiger . July 27, 2016.
  71. ↑ Offices with a view of the cathedral and train station . In: Kölner Stadt-Anzeiger . January 9, 2018.
  72. ↑ Markus Göbel: Only half . In: WirtschaftsWoche . September 5, 2002, p. 72 .
  73. ↑ Matthias Eberle: Price pressure spoils hoteliers' business, Internet bookings intensify competition. In: Handelsblatt . October 12, 2005.
  74. ↑ Jennifer Lachman: Hoteliers fear the power of the HRS web portal . In: Financial Times Germany . October 17, 2011, p. 6 .
  75. ^ Nicolas Kredel, Jan Kresken: Cartel Office warns HRS about the best price clause. In: Legal Tribune Online. August 5, 2013, accessed July 30, 2018 .
  76. ↑ Cartel Office prohibits HRS best price clauses. In: Süddeutsche Zeitung. December 20, 2013, accessed July 30, 2018 .
  77. ↑ The fight for the best price clause. In: WirtschaftsWoche. February 8, 2017, accessed July 30, 2018 .
  78. ↑ Corinna Visser: "We are not treated fairly" . In: Der Tagesspiegel . February 24, 2014, p. 17 .
  79. ↑ Best price agreements by HRS are not permitted. In: Handelsblatt. January 9, 2015, accessed July 30, 2018 .
  80. ↑ The court declares best price clauses to be anti-competitive. In: Spiegel Online. January 9, 2015, accessed July 30, 2018 .
  81. ↑ Cartel Office takes action against Booking.com. In: Süddeutsche Zeitung. December 23, 2015, accessed July 30, 2018 .
  82. ↑ Leonie Weigner: How the hotel portal HRS manipulates its customers. In: Correctiv. September 21, 2016, accessed July 30, 2018 .
  83. ↑ Sarah Kramer, Leonie Weigner: Dirty fight for first places. In: Der Tagesspiegel. September 22, 2016, accessed July 30, 2018 .
  84. ↑ HRS wants to label "Ranking Booster". In: Tophotel. September 27, 2016, accessed August 1, 2018 .

Coordinates: 50 ° 55 ′ 56 ″  N , 6 ° 57 ′ 16 ″  E