Sircle Collection

Berlin, Germany

Organisation and context

Sircle Collection is an international lifestyle hospitality group with several brands, including Sir Hotels and Max Brown. Ingmar joined during a period shaped by post-pandemic uncertainty, portfolio restructuring and strategic decisions concerning growth, disposals and brand focus.

The organisation was managing several challenges simultaneously: stabilising existing assets, opening new hotels, integrating acquisitions and carefully exiting selected properties through sale.

Role and position

Interim General Manager, Sir Nikolai Hamburg, 3 months

Type: Interim assignment followed by a permanent appointment as Regional Director of Operations / Regional Operations Lead, 3 years

Ingmar initially joined Sircle Collection to stabilise Sir Nikolai Hotel Hamburg following a turbulent period. After three months, he was offered a permanent regional operations role with responsibility for Germany, Austria and the Czech Republic.

Assignment and responsibilities

The combined role covered both daily operations and strategic portfolio interventions.

Stabilisation and operations

  • Interim stabilisation of Sir Nikolai Hotel Hamburg

  • Selection, appointment and support of General Managers

  • Embedding brand standards within existing teams

  • Restoring rhythm, structure and leadership at hotel level

Openings and transitions

  • Pre-opening of Sir Prague, Sircle Collection’s first management agreement

  • Acquisition and rebranding of Penta Hotel Vienna as Max Brown Vienna

  • Operational integration of Hotel Provocateur Berlin within an exceptionally short timeframe

Offboarding and asset exits

  • Full operational support for the sale of Sir Nikolai Hotel Hamburg to Fattal Hotel Group

  • Offboarding and sale of Max Brown Hotel Ku’damm Berlin to The Dean Hotel Group

  • Transfer of operations, contracts, teams and brand responsibilities

Across each transition, the priority was to protect business continuity, guide teams through uncertainty and secure a controlled transfer without avoidable operational disruption.

Impact and results

  • Stabilised Sir Nikolai Hamburg and subsequently supported its controlled sale

  • Completed two asset exits without material operational disruption

  • Opened a new management agreement in Prague

  • Delivered the rebranding and repositioning of an existing hotel concept

  • Maintained operational performance across several countries

  • Strengthened leadership and transferable operating structures

Relevance for owners

  • Direct experience with asset exits and hotel sale processes

  • Understanding of the tension between operating performance, brand interests and asset value

  • Ability to manage transfers while protecting value and reputation

  • Experience with governance and decision-making in international structures

Relevance for operators

  • Stabilising hotels during periods of uncertainty

  • Leading operations through sale processes and organisational change

  • Guiding teams through openings, rebrandings and exits

  • Operating under pressure while maintaining clarity and composure

Closing perspective

The Sircle Collection period brought together multiple dimensions of hospitality leadership: interim stabilisation, regional operating responsibility, new hotel openings, asset repositioning and controlled exits.

It is a defining OpenYourHotel case: leadership that can build, stabilise and transfer, with equal attention to people, performance and value.