GSH Hotels – Hotel management company and multi-brand operator
The hospitality industry with a vision
Where is the hospitality industry heading? Definitely forwards, towards places that are surprisingly different. As one of Germany’s leading hotel management companies, we have the courage and expertise to break new ground – professionally, creatively and with respect. This benefits the investors we support in the development and implementation of hotel projects. At the same time, we operate as a multi-brand operator, running hotels under both our own brands and internationally renowned hotel brands. The GSH Hotels portfolio currently comprises over 80 hotels.
A hotel management company that sets new standards
We are an innovative, growth-oriented hotel operator with a clear vision: to drive development, shape expansion and take hotel management to a new level. With successful in-house brands, strong partnerships with international hotel chains and in-depth industry expertise, we combine entrepreneurial thinking with operational excellence – thereby creating sustainable value for our partners.
Hotel Management Company
GSH Hotels, the forward-thinking hotel management company
With over 80 hotels in Germany, Austria, Switzerland and Italy, Gorgeous Smiling Hotels GmbH is one of Germany’s leading hotel management companies. Our portfolio includes various own brands such as elaya hotels, Arthotel ANA and rugs HOTEL, as well as renowned franchise partnerships with international brands such as Trademark Collection by Wyndham, Ramada Encore by Wyndham, Super 8 by Wyndham, Spark by Hilton, Hampton by Hilton, Holiday Inn, Holiday Inn Express and voco – an IHG Hotel. Our goals remain ambitious. Find out more in our ‘Mission, Vision, Values’ statement.
Gorgeous Smiling Hotels
Tailor-made management solutions with a strong team in Munich
Our approach is based on centralised services that can be operated with agility thanks to efficient structures and optimised processes. We also engage in regular dialogue with institutional and private investors, project developers, architects, industry experts, and brand and franchise providers. This allows us to keep an eye on the big picture whilst remaining focused on the crucial details. Our goals: growth and expansion. Our key players: AUCTUS Capital Partners GmbH and Heiko Grote as founder and CEO, as well as Andreas Erben as Managing Director and CEO of Gorgeous Smiling Hotels GmbH
Code of Conduct
Our understanding of responsible conduct
Our Code of Conduct serves as a guide to fair, professional and ethical conduct – towards guests, business partners and colleagues.
The Management
Heiko Grote
Founder and CEO
In 2011, Heiko Grote founded Gorgeous Smiling Hotels GmbH, thereby laying the foundations for the company as it stands today, which he leads as CEO of GSH Holding and Managing Director. Heiko Grote is living proof that the career ladder in the hospitality industry can be long, high and steep. As early as 1986, he planned his first joint hotel with Walter Stöcker: the Technikum Hotel Würzburg. A milestone representative of many other projects that the Grote and Stöcker team brought to life. 2010 marked the launch of the ‘Arthotel ANA’ hotel brand, which made a name for itself as a budget design hotel brand. In 2015, ANA Living was launched for long-stay accommodation, and the Schlosshotel Römischer Kaiser marked the first expansion into German-speaking countries outside Germany, with a location in Vienna. The ‘rugs’ hotel brand and further new openings were on Heiko Grote’s agenda for 2022 and 2023, alongside the strengthened positioning of ‘elaya hotels’.
The Management
Andreas Erben
Managing Director and CEO
With over 25 years’ experience in the property sector and more than a decade specialising in hotel property, Andreas Erben is one of the most experienced experts in hotel development in Germany, Austria and Switzerland. As Managing Director and Partner of the Aspire Hotel Group and Great2Stay GmbH, he shapes the expansion and strategic direction of both companies. Since October 2025, he has also been contributing his expertise as a manager at Gorgeous Smiling Hotels GmbH. His career began in 1990 at the Berliner Bank Group and took him via the Dresdner Bank Real Estate Group, Union Investment, Dr. Lübke GmbH, Colliers International Hotel GmbH and the Primestar Group to his own holding and investment companies. With a clear focus on sustainable project development in the 1- to 4-star segment, Andreas Erben is playing a key role in shaping the future of the hotel industry in the DACH region – always with vision, passion and entrepreneurial strength.