The prestigious industry prize for Hotelier des Jahres (hotelier of the year) from the German hotel and restaurant industry newspaper ahgz was awarded yesterday evening at the InterContinental hotel in Berlin. Around 1,000 guests attended the event, which brings together leading figures of the hotel industry to honour the year’s outstanding performers. Karl J. Pojer, CEO of Hapag-Lloyd Cruises and chairman of the CLIA Deutschland Leadership Council, received the Special Award, which recognises those who have made a special contribution with their success and innovation. Karl J. Pojer has succeeded in positioning Hapag-Lloyd Cruises significantly in the marketplace with a focus on luxury and expedition and has enhanced the company’s profile.
The newspaper ahgz has been rewarding outstanding performance in the hotel industry since 1990. This year’s jury was made up of eleven renowned industry experts. Speaking about the decision to give the Special Award to Karl J. Pojer, the jury’s chairman and editor-in-chief of ahgz, Rolf Westermann, said: “Cruise tourism is booming and it is one of the most innovative and creative sectors in tourism. Hapag-Lloyd Cruises has found a niche with the absolute luxury of these floating hotels and is the leader for expedition cruises on the German-speaking market. MS EUROPA and MS EUROPA 2 cater for a maximum of 500 people and these ships are regularly awarded top ratings due to their high standards. The natural-born hotelier and current CEO of Hapag-Lloyd Cruises, Karl J. Pojer, has been leading the company since May 2013 and is also committed to low-impact cruises. The fleet will stop using heavy fuel oil from July 2020 and will run on marine gas oil with a maximum sulphur content of 0.1 %. The new expedition ships are capable of using cold ironing and are equipped with SCR catalytic converters, which reduce nitrogen oxide emissions by around 95 %.”
“I am incredibly proud to accept this prize. 2019 was the most successful year in Hapag-Lloyd Cruises’ history. The award is the icing on the cake and an honour that I would like to dedicate to my brilliant crew both on board and ashore. The teamwork and our shared commitment to outstanding quality are and have been essential to our success. This proves that my motto is right: travel is the closest thing to paradise,” said Karl J. Pojer.
Thomas, Michael and Ann-Kathrin Mack, co-partners of Europa-Park in Rust, Germany, were awarded the industry prize for Hotelier des Jahres. The gala evening was hosted by newsreader, journalist and presenter Judith Rakers.
In the German-speaking area, Hapag-Lloyd Cruises is known to be the leading cruise brand in the luxury and expedition sector. Small, individual, and outstanding in their class: the fleet includes the world's best luxury ships. the EUROPA and the EUROPA 2, which are the only ships to be awarded the top rating of 5-star plus by the Berlitz Cruise Guide, as well as the HANSEATIC nature and the HANSEATIC inspiration, the first two of the new expedition class which consists of three ships. The new HANSEATIC spirit completed the fleet, when she joined in summer 2021, and continues the modernization process of the expedition fleet. The adventure trips on the luxurious ALBERT BALLIN private jet, a particularly exclusive type of travel, complements the portfolio.