A livecookintable® perspective for hospitality insiders
This year’s Hotelier des Jahres sent a clear signal across the German hospitality landscape: excellence is shifting from volume and visibility toward intentional leadership, operational restraint, and intelligent system design. With the recognition of Thies Sponholz of The Fontenay Hamburg and the Special Award for Ingrid Hartges, the industry celebrated two figures whose impact reaches far beyond their institutions.
For those of us designing the environments in which hospitality operates, from kitchens to service experiences, the evening in Mainz crystallised a direction many of us have sensed:
2026 belongs to operators who pair architectural clarity with operational fluidity.
Sponholz embodies this shift which is why, Jury comments repeatedly referenced his leise Exzellenz, his ability to distill the essence of luxury into focus, precision, and calm systems that empower teams rather than overwhelm them.
That philosophy resonates deeply with how we design modular service platforms: understated form, maximum adaptability, nothing loud, everything intentional.
A Night Where Operations Took Center Stage
As always, CHEFS CULINAR shaped the culinary narrative of the evening as Hauptpartner, delivering a technically flawless, high‑emotion food experience; a reminder that operational mastery often speaks louder than thematic concepts.
For us, collaborating on the live stations meant supporting a culinary team that thrives on rhythm, not spectacle. Hospitality leaders in the room could see it immediately:
when the back‑of‑house can operate front‑and‑center without friction, the entire guest experience lifts.
Leadership That Redefines Standards
Sponholz’s decade at The Fontenay has not been defined by grand gestures, but by consistency, team empowerment, and architectural discipline. These qualities matter now more than ever as top properties face talent shortages, volatile demand, and rising operational complexity.
On the other side of the spectrum, the Special Award honoring Ingrid Hartges underscored a truth hospitality professionals feel acutely: our industry stands or falls with the strength of its advocacy. Hartges’ decades of political and structural work for DEHOGA were not just acknowledged, but they were recognised as foundational to the sector’s stability.
What This Means for the Industry Going Forward
The 2026 edition of Hotelier des Jahres wasn’t simply a celebration; it was a strategic temperature check:
- Leadership is shifting toward clarity and responsibility, not theatrics.
- Operational systems and team enablement are becoming core differentiators of luxury.
- Advocacy remains essential in maintaining a viable environment for innovation.
- Culinary performance is increasingly defined by logistical excellence, not just creativity.
For livecookintable®, being part of this evening alongside partners like CHEFS CULINAR, wasn’t about visibility. It was about alignment. The event reflected exactly the movement we support: high‑performance hospitality built on modularity, efficiency, and design that respects both the craft and the team.
Closing Thought
Hospitality evolves in moments like this, not through trends, but through leadership that sets a new operational standard. 2026’s honorees reminded us that the future of the industry lies in systems that enable excellence, not noise.
And we’re here for that shift.
