Sircle Collection

Berlin, Germany

Organization & context

Sircle Collection is an international lifestyle hotel group with multiple brands, including Sir Hotels and Max Brown. The period during which Ingmar was deployed was characterized by post-COVID uncertainty, portfolio restructuring, and strategic choices regarding growth, sales, and brand focus.

The organisation several simultaneous challenges: stabilizing existing assets, opening new hotels, integrating acquisitions, and the controlled divestment of assets through sales.

Role & position

Interim General Manager Sir Nikolai Hamburg (3 months)
Type: Interim assignment followed by permanent appointment as Regional Director of Operations / Regional Operations Lead (3 years)

Ingmar started at Sircle Collection with an interim assignment at Sir Nikolai Hotel in Hamburg, where he was tasked with operational the hotel operational after a turbulent period. After three months of interim stabilization, he was offered a permanent position as Director of Operations, with regional responsibility for Germany, Austria, and the Czech Republic.

Assignment & responsibilities

Within this combined role, Ingmar was responsible for both daily operations strategic portfolio interventions, including:

Stabilization & operations

  • Interim stabilization of Sir Nikolai Hotel Hamburg

  • Coaching and appointment of General Managers

  • Ensuring brand standards within existing teams

  • Restoring rhythm, structure, and leadership the hotel level

Openings & transitions

  • Pre-opening of Sir Prague, Sircle Collection's first management contract

  • Rebranding and acquisition of Penta Hotel Vienna to Max Brown Vienna

  • Operational integration of Hotel Provocateur Berlin within an extremely short period of time

Offboarding & sales (asset exit)

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

  • Supporting the offboarding and sale of Max Brown Hotel Ku’damm Berlin to The Dean Hotel Group

  • Transfer of operations, contracts, teams, and brand responsibilities

In all processes, the responsibility lay with protecting continuity, guiding teams through change, and ensuring a controlled transfer without negative business impact.

Impact & results

  • Successful stabilization of Sir Nikolai Hamburg followed by controlled sale

  • Two complete offboardings (asset exits) without operational disruption

  • Successful launch of a new management contract in Prague

  • Effective rebranding and repositioning of an existing hotel concept

  • Consistent operational performance multiple countries

  • Strengthening leadership transferable structures within the organisation

Relevance for Owners

  • Demonstrable experience with asset exits and sales processes

  • Understanding the tension between exploitation, brand value, and sales value

  • Guidance on transfers without loss of value or damage to reputation

  • Experience with governance and desicion-making international structures

Relevance for Operators

  • Stabilizing hotels in crisis phase

  • Leading during sales and uncertainty

  • Guiding teams through opening, rebranding, and exit

  • Operating under high pressure while maintaining calm clarity

Positioning closure

The Sircle Collection period brought together all facets of hospitality: interim stabilization, permanent operational responsibility, opening of new hotels, repositioning of existing assets, and controlled exits.

This combination makes this project a core case within OpenYourHotel: leadership both builds and dismantles, with an eye for people, operations value.