Applied to:
This award is designed to honor an exceptional manager of an upscale or midscale property who has made a significant impact on their profession. The winner will be selected based on their outstanding managerial skills, demonstrated through the successful business performance of their property, as well as their ability to maintain a high level of guest recognition and service quality. Additionally, the winner must have a proven track record in talent management and have received professional recognition by their peers. Finally, the winner should have a strong commitment to the associative life, demonstrating their involvement in various industry associations and organizations.
The project:
At nhow Berlin, Janina Bachmann-Graffunder leads with energy, empathy, and precision. A hospitality professional for over 25 years within Minor Hotels, she has turned the city’s most vibrant lifestyle hotel into a benchmark for quality, creativity, and people-focused leadership.
Since taking the helm in 2022, Janina has driven steady progress across every indicator: guest satisfaction (OSAT) reached 8.9, GRI rose to 90.5, and NPS increased by 24 points. Her focus on empowerment, well-being, and training has strengthened engagement and reduced turnover. Projects like the nhow Gaming Studio and dance nhow, change nhow initiative have positioned the hotel as a cultural hub for Berlin.
Combining operational excellence with emotional intelligence, Janina represents a new generation of hospitality leadership defined by resilience, inspiration, and vision.
The Hospitality Awards celebrate innovation and excellence and highlight the most creative initiatives in a sector that is constantly and rapidly changing hospitality.