Journal

18 Jul Gekko Group and Travelcoup announce strategic partnership: Building a joint lifestyle and travel community

Frankfurt/Sarnen, July 18th, 2023. Gekko Group, one of Germany’s most innovative hotel and hospitality brands, and Travelcoup, Europe’s first provider of scheduled flights in the semi-private jet concept, are now working together strategically. The new partnership was announced today by Alex Urseanu and Micky Rosen, owners and founders of Gekko Group, and Niclas Seitz, CEO and founder of Travelcoup. The aim is to build a strong lifestyle and travel community through joint marketing activities, exclusive events and mutual customer benefits.

The Gekko Group is known for its innovative projects and has established itself as a leading brand in the hotel and gastronomy industry in Germany. Through the cooperation with Travelcoup, the Gekko Group aims to transfer its unique atmosphere and community spirit, which is lived in its hotels and restaurants, to semi-private air travel.

Travelcoup’s VIP scheduled flights offer the advantages and amenities of a private jet flight at a business class price. The new Travelcoup flight plan will start in July 2023 with five weekly connections from Munich and Zurich to Mallorca and Ibiza. The flights will be operated through Travelcoup’s own Embraer ERJ 145 jets, which have a unique semi-private configuration with only 22 seats. Additional destinations in the Mediterranean as well as further departure airports in Germany and Switzerland are planned. By the end of 2024, the Travelcoup fleet is expected to grow to five owned jets in the same configuration.

Niclas Seitz, CEO of Travelcoup, emphasised the importance of the partnership: “We are very pleased about the cooperation. With their extensive experience in the hotel and hospitality industry, Micky and Alex have identified a gap in the market for a unique travel experience where the journey to the destination is already an experience. Travelcoup’s vision is to provide travellers with an unforgettable VIP experience that is also affordable. With our own jets and our focus on excellent service and quality, we are creating a whole new class of travel and an exceptional community experience.”

Micky Rosen is enthusiastic about the partnership: “After 25 years of experience in the hotel and catering industry, it was the logical consequence for us to take it to the air. In Niclas Seitz and Travelcoup, we have found the ideal partner to take this step. We want to leverage the community from across our Gekko Group hotel and hospitality portfolio and make travel an exciting and social experience where travellers can network and connect while en route to their destination.”

Alex Urseanu, owner of Gekko Group, said, “I am delighted that we and Niclas Seitz have found each other. In our hotels, like-minded people meet; special encounters and friendships for life are found. We would now like to bring this special spirit and community idea to the skies, so to speak. The experience should already begin when you start your journey.

25 Apr Daniel Steindorf joins the group and helms the new lifestyle and retail brand No Rooms.

25 Apr TRINITII, our new family member

Frankfurt am Main, 2nd March 2023. The young and dynamic company TRINITII is now part of the Gekko Group. The new family addition is a colorful and trendy continuation of the essential Gekko Group philosophy: celebrating a lightness of being and the finer things in life within a like-minded community. In recent years, TRINITII has been able to establish itself as a trendsetter in the Frankfurt scene with its modern and young gastronomy concepts TRINITII West and TRINITII Mosel. With their projects, the siblings Nicky and Jesse Trost reinterpret a feel-good concept and bring together a dynamic community. With the addition of TRINITII to the Gekko Group, the portfolio continues to grow dynamically. New exciting projects are in the planning stage. “We are very honored to be part of the Gekko Group Family and we see Micky and Alex as great role models. There are indeed many parallels in our history. In the beginning, we were also called crazy when we opened our first outlet in Moselstraße in the Bahnhofsviertel. But we were just as undeterred as Micky and Alex were back then,” says Nicky Trost of TRINITII.

Both companies complement each other perfectly. Gekko Group has the decades of experience in Frankfurt’s gastro & hospitality scene and TRINITII brings an authentic and refreshing new take on passionate celebration of life without compromise. “In TRINITII we recognized ourselves. Nicky and Jesse’s heart projects are a great match and fit. We follow our heart with this one too,” said Gekko Group owners Micky Rosen and Alex Urseanu. “It’s delightful to see how our portfolio has become a lot more colorful. A very nice match that just exudes really good humor. Welcome to the Family! Lechaim

25 Apr A new season for Jimmy’s Bar

Frankfurt am Main, 13th December 2022. Gekko Group will reopen Jimmy’s Bar as the new operator. Today, marks the beginning of a new season for the renowned bar, which is a historic and traditional asset of the city of Frankfurt. The well-known, exclusive and dignified flair of Jimmy's Bar will be brought back to life in good tradition.

At the end of 2020 the Grandhotel Hessischer Hof closed as an effect of the pandemic and with it the Jimmy’s Bar as well. On December 3rd 2022 the legendary hotel was sold by the Hessian House Foundation to Peakside Capital. The real estate investment manager plans a reopening after renovation as a 5-star hotel under a new operator. Jimmy’s Bar is also part of the repositioning. Until that happens, Jimmy’s Bar will be temporarily operated by the Gekko Group. The bar has a significant cult status. Helmut Schmidt, Udo Lindenberg, the Rolling Stones and ACDC have all made appearances there over the past 60 years. Gekko Group is pleased to start a new season with this legend of Frankfurt’s nightlife. Jimmy’s Bar is located in the former Grandhotel Hessischer Hof, Friedrich-Ebert-Anlage 40 in Frankfurt and will prospectively open Tuesdays to Saturdays, from 6:00pm to 02:00am.

05 Oct We are ready to level up – An outlook on new projects and properties

The portfolio, currently consisting of various hotel brands, boarding house concepts and five restaurants (e.g. Roomers, moriki, Gekko House, Chicago Williams, etc.) in four cities, is expected to continue to grow. In doing so, the experienced focus falls on old and new target groups and markets that go beyond the hotel’s own national borders and also include luxury destinations.

The next milestone, just in time for the group’s 20th anniversary, will be the opening of the second Roomers in Frankfurt. The Roomers ParkView will set new standards in all areas of the hotel, and will for example feature the bar on the 17th floor and the spa on the 18th floor. The ParkView will be another design highlight by the renowned architect and good friend Piero Lissoni.

“We are always ready for new projects. But we don’t want to expand by hook or by crook, the property has to fit the concept.” The entrepreneurial duo Rosen and Urseanu are open and excited about new real estate offers. The next chapters can begin.

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22 Mar One Love

The Gekko Group exists since 2003. We grew during this time; not only regarding business, but above all a personal and interpersonal growth.

It has always been clear to us that Gekko has a very special vibe and cohesion, but we have to say that we have been incredibly overwhelmed by the past few days. Since the beginning of the week, we have had to tell our more than 1,000 employees that – despite their unreserved commitment, an indescribable passion and love – they have to go into short-time work. In some cases we even had to terminate the contracts.

There were many tears – as for all of us it is a farewell for a temporarily period.

“Friends are the family you choose.”

We have become a real family. And yet we are all in the same boat and no one doubts that we will come out of this special time even stronger. Therefore we would like to thank our Gekko Family from the bottom of our hearts.

And we would also like to thank our loyal guests and long-term partners. We are very touched by how much help we have been offered and every word has once again motivated us to look positively into the future.

Vodka and a smile may not be the solution, but never hurt.
Lechaim means “to life”. And that’s always the point.

See you soon and stronger than before,

Alex and Micky

19 Aug Gekko X lululemon

Frankfurt am Main, Berlin, 19th August 2019. Good Moodras everywhere: Yoga is much more than a pure movement to mobilize the body. Yoga means to grow beyond yourself and to learn how to develop balance and peace – whenever you have time and desire for the relaxing asanas.

We are very happy about the cooperation with the Pioneer Brand lululemon to offer own yoga mats in all Roomers houses as well as the Provocateur from now on. The cult brand as the “realm of the moodras” has been working for over 20 years on the perfect sportswear and the best mats and has created a large international fanbase of yogis. At lululemon, social and ecological sustainability play an important role in development and production:

” Across all areas of our business, we’re working to elevate the world by making our vision a reality. We focus on responsible supply chain and our company’s environmental footprint.”

The Gekko Special Edition by lululemon is a Reversible Big Mat made of natural rubber. The mat is included in all suites and is also available in every gym and can as well be borrowed free of charge from our host teams.

-> LULULEMON

17 May Gekko X Lola James Harper

Frankfurt am Main, Badem-Baden, Munich, 17th May 2019. „Keep room for love“ – with this shoutout, Rami Mekdachi, founder of the brand Lola James Harper, expresses his interpretation of the Roomers brand. About himself and his work Rami states:

“Lola James Harper is a unique lifestyle brand and concept that translates the most cherished moments, places and friendships into pictures, fragrance, design, music and film. It’s a way of life, capturing and sharing life’s greatest memories from around the world, inspiring togetherness, slow life, playfulness, and trust in the present.”

His creation of the Roomers scented candle combines mellow nuances of Opoponax, the resin of the sweet myrrh tree, as well as vanilla and amber. Warmth, coziness and comfort are the points of all Roomer houses that Rami associates with these essences in the scented candle. The # 22 not only represents the collaboration of cooperation, but rather the being together, the experience of creating something creative together. At this level, the candle was developed as an amenity that could not better represent Roomers.

About the cooperation, the founders of both brands say:

“It was a sunny September morning in Paris.  We met in our Lola James Harper living room + art gallery at Le Bon Marché Rive Gauche.   It was the first time we had to share and we began to talk about how we created our worlds with our friends.  An appointment that should have been one hour lasted much longer and we started to dream up ideas at our friends Da Rosa’s terrase in Saint Germain.  What touches me when Micky talks about his hotels is his love for gathering people in a place that is well designed and for people who enjoy being in a cozy and energetic place. Because he is versatile he creates different homes and places for different people.  I didn’t have the chance to meet his lifetime friend Alex but he spoke of him so warmly that I could believe what a great guy he is. “ 

– Rami Mekdachi, Founder Lola James Harper

‘’We are happy that we found the right partner in Rami for our collaborative scent since it’s very important for us to create emotions and a full brand experience for our guests. A fragrance which perfectly describes our personality and values.  Inspired by our ambiance and design at Roomers, Rami has created his interpretation of it and been spot on – we were impressed by his working process on the scent.  Lola James Harper shares the same spirit and mind that we live by – a love for life and the passion to share it’’

– Micky Rosen & Alex Urseanu, Founder Gekko Group

→ LOLA JAMES HARPER

14 Aug A SECOND ROOMERS FOR FRANKFURT

Frankfurt am Main, 14. August 2018. With the first Roomers in Frankfurt, we made a lasting impact on Germany’s hotel industry. Now we look forward to a second Roomers hotel in our hometown, the Roomers ParkView! With 136 rooms and suites, it is expected to open in Frankfurt’s Westend at the end of 2023, overlooking the Grüneburgpark and Frankfurt’s skyline. The hotel will focus on suites and a special food & beverage concept will, as usual, be the focus of Roomers ParkView. The 19th-floor bar will overlook the skyline, and the 18th floor will be home to an exclusive Roomers Spa. As in Roomers in Baden-Baden, we were able to win the Milanese star designer and our longtime friend Piero Lissoni for the interior design.

The total project comprises two buildings, the hotel tower will comprise 19 floors and another tower 26 floors. This is where high-class apartments are built, which also can take advantage of Roomer’s service. Project developer and landlord is a joint venture of RFR Group and Hines. With Aby Rosen and Michael Fuchs, Alex and Micky are already working together successfully in the first Roomers. The project developers and we were accompanied in the negotiations by the law firms HauckSchuchardt and Hogan Lovells.

Picture / © HaP Frankfurt GmbH & CO. KG und RFR

30 Jan Hoteliers of the Year 2018

Frankfurt am Main, 30th January 2018. We did it – Alex Urseanu and Micky Rosen are Hoteliers of the Year! During a big gala night in Berlin on Monday, 29th of January 2018, they were awarded with the most important prize in hotel industry. The jury chairman Rolf Westermann, editor-in-chief of the AHGZ -General Hotel and Gastronomy Newspaper, justifies the decision for the “Hoteliers of the Year 2018” as follows:

24 Oct Rolling Pin Awards 2018

Frankfurt am Main, 24th October 2017. Micky Rosen and Alex Urseanu were awarded as the “Gastronomes of the Year” by the renowned magazine Rolling Pin. In total there were 14 different categories. With more than 9800 votings, they are not only one of the most sought-after awards, but also the most recognized awards for the German gastronomy and hotel industry. The two Gekko visionaries are extremely proud of this recognition, which they also dedicate to their employees of the Gekko family.

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