Astrid Prüger Ascends to Managing Director at b’mine Hotels
b’mine Hotels has promoted Astrid Prüger to managing director, expanding the Berlin-based lifestyle hotel group’s leadership structure to position sales, marketing, and revenue management as equal strategic pillars alongside operational functions. The appointment elevates a marketing executive who has shaped the brand’s identity since 2019 into a co-leadership role with chief executive Matthias Beinlich.
The structural shift reflects evolving dynamics within Germany’s hospitality sector, where commercial strategy increasingly determines competitive advantage rather than remaining subordinate to operations. Prüger assumes responsibility for the entire commercial operation whilst Beinlich continues overseeing operational delivery, digital transformation, cost management, and strategic development.
Professional Trajectory
Prüger joined b’mine Hotels in 2019 as chief marketing officer, bringing cross-sector hospitality experience developed across Vienna and Berlin. An alumna of the Fachhochschule St Pölten with a qualification in media management, she began her career as brand manager and marketing manager at Arcotel Hotels and Resorts in Vienna from 2006 to 2009.
Her progression through Berlin’s hospitality landscape included marketing roles at Andel’s Hotel Berlin from 2011 to 2014, followed by nearly five years as marketing and communications manager at Ellington Hotel Berlin through 2018. This trajectory demonstrates consistent focus on brand development, positioning strategy, and stakeholder communication within design-focused properties.
During her tenure as chief marketing officer at b’mine Hotels, Prüger led strategic brand management, corporate positioning, and market entry for properties in Frankfurt and Düsseldorf. She orchestrated the rebranding of the Cologne location following acquisition, establishing coherent brand architecture across the growing portfolio. Her work has been recognised through multiple awards for the brand’s distinctive concept, including wins at the Automotive Brand Contest in 2019, the German Design Award in 2020, and the Arch Design Award in 2022.
Strategic Context of the Appointment
Founded in 2018, b’mine Hotels operates lifestyle properties distinguished by their patented CarLoft concept, which enables guests to park vehicles directly adjacent to rooms via CarLifts. The innovation addresses a specific market niche whilst creating memorable guest experiences that differentiate the brand in competitive urban markets.
The hotel group currently operates properties in Frankfurt and Düsseldorf under the b’mine brand, alongside a property in Cologne operating under the newly created secondary brand &Repeat. This two-brand architecture supports expansion through both new development and strategic acquisitions of existing properties, enabling growth targets of two to five hotels annually whilst maintaining distinct positioning for different property types.
Beinlich acknowledged the appointment signals recognition of inflection point requirements. The emphasis on clear task division positions commercial leadership at equal structural importance to operational excellence, reflecting broader industry trends where revenue optimisation, brand positioning, and market engagement determine success rather than serving merely as support functions.
Commercial Leadership Mandate
Prüger’s expanded responsibilities encompass sales strategy, marketing direction, and revenue management across the portfolio. This integration recognises that effective commercial performance requires aligned leadership rather than siloed functional management. By combining these disciplines under unified direction, b’mine Hotels positions itself to respond rapidly to market dynamics whilst maintaining brand consistency.
The appointment arrives as Germany’s hospitality sector navigates significant transformation driven by evolving guest expectations, technological advancement, and intensifying competition. Hotels increasingly compete not solely on location and amenities but on distinctive experiences, seamless digital integration, and brand authenticity that resonates with target audiences.
Revenue management has evolved from tactical rate adjustment towards strategic commercial planning that encompasses distribution strategy, market positioning, and value perception. Effective execution demands close coordination between marketing efforts that shape brand perception and revenue decisions that monetise that perception through optimal pricing and channel management.
The b’mine Brand Positioning
b’mine Hotels targets business travellers and urban tourists seeking design-led accommodations with distinctive features beyond standard hotel offerings. The CarLoft concept creates differentiation through architectural innovation rather than purely through service or aesthetic elements, providing memorable experiences that generate word-of-mouth marketing alongside functional benefits for specific guest segments.
Properties feature contemporary design by recognised firms including Geplan Design, with artistic elements from Berlin artist Pola Brändle creating distinctive visual identity. Rooftop restaurants offering Asian fusion cuisine, ground-floor bistros, and event spaces with city views position the hotels as lifestyle destinations rather than purely transactional accommodations.
The emphasis on digitalisation enables mobile check-in, smartphone room access, and streamlined guest services that appeal to technology-comfortable travellers whilst reducing operational friction. Electric vehicle charging infrastructure at all CarLoft parking spaces demonstrates commitment to sustainability alongside automotive enthusiasm, addressing dual audience interests.
Implementation Challenges and Opportunities
Successful commercial leadership within hospitality demands balancing multiple priorities that often create tension. Driving revenue through dynamic pricing must be tempered by brand positioning considerations that prevent perceived value erosion. Aggressive sales initiatives can conflict with capacity management requirements during peak periods when selectivity becomes more valuable than volume.
Maintaining brand consistency across multiple properties whilst respecting local market characteristics requires disciplined execution of central strategy combined with tactical flexibility. As the portfolio expands through both new development and acquisition, integrating diverse properties under coherent brand architecture whilst preserving what makes each location distinctive becomes increasingly complex.
The secondary &Repeat brand addresses this challenge by creating separate positioning for acquired properties that may not align with b’mine’s architectural concept whilst maintaining portfolio coherence. This approach enables growth through opportunity acquisition rather than limiting expansion solely to properties that can accommodate CarLift installation.
Industry Context
Germany’s hospitality market demonstrates robust growth trajectory, with forecasts suggesting significant expansion through the remainder of the decade driven by international tourism recovery, domestic leisure travel, and business activity. Urban properties particularly benefit from dual demand from corporate travellers and city tourists seeking distinctive experiences.
However, the sector faces headwinds including elevated operating costs, talent acquisition challenges, and intensifying competition from both traditional hotel operators and alternative accommodations. Success increasingly depends on differentiation through authentic brand positioning, operational excellence, and commercial acumen that maximises revenue whilst maintaining guest satisfaction.
The elevation of commercial leadership to equal structural importance with operational management reflects recognition that hotels succeed not solely through excellent service delivery but through effective positioning, distribution, and pricing that connects property offerings with appropriate market segments. Properties can deliver outstanding guest experiences yet fail commercially through poor positioning or inadequate revenue strategy.
Looking Forward
Prüger’s promotion signals b’mine Hotels’ commitment to professionalising commercial functions as the brand scales. Her familiarity with the organisation’s culture, established relationships with stakeholders, and demonstrated success in shaping brand perception position her to lead commercial strategy whilst maintaining continuity.
The clear division of responsibilities between Beinlich and Prüger creates accountability for distinct domains whilst enabling coordination on strategic priorities. This structure supports growth by preventing commercial and operational functions from competing for leadership attention whilst ensuring both receive appropriate executive focus.
For Germany’s independent hotel sector, the appointment exemplifies broader evolution towards recognising commercial strategy as core competency rather than ancillary function. As markets become more sophisticated and competition intensifies, hotels that elevate commercial leadership alongside operational excellence position themselves to capture opportunities that purely operations-focused properties miss.
