IFA Hotels: company history
1982: IFA Hotel & Touristik is founded as a promoter of hotels and apartments in Spain.
1984: Entry into the Austrian market with the acquisition of the IFA Hotel Alpenhof Wildental in Mittelberg, Kleinwalsertal. A management contract is signed for the holiday resort in Hirschegg.
1988 Entry into the Turkish market with the minority acquisition of the IFA Beach Hotel Tekirova on the Turkish Riviera.
1992 Major expansion of activities in Germany First appearance as a clinic operator Acquisition of 88.3% of the limited liability capital of SBK I Südstrand Burgtiefe Betreuungsgesellschaft mbH & Co., Erste Beteiligungs-Kommanditgesellschaft, Burg auf Fehmarn, with the hotel properties IFA Ferien-Centrum Südstrand, Burg auf Fehmarn IFA Ferienpark Rügen, Binz auf Rügen IFA Ferienpark Usedom, Kölpingsee/Usedom as well as the participations in the Fehmarn children's rehabilitation centre and SBK III Südstrand Burgtiefe Betreuungsgesellschaft mbH & Co.
1993 Expansion of commitment in Germany Expansion of clinic activities Acquisition of the following hotel properties: Grand Hotel Graal Müritz (Baltic Sea), a further property in Binz on Rügen and the Hotel Rennsteigblick in Finsterbergen (Thuringia) Opening of the Usedom children's rehabilitation centre.
1994 Expansion of the German portfolio. Acquisition of the IFA Ferienpark Hohe Reuth holiday park in Schöneck/Vogtland.
1995 Going Public Strengthening of position as clinic operator Going public in July 1995 under the securities identification number 613120 in Frankfurt am Main and in Düsseldorf in the official market, issue price: 30.00 DM Opening of the Bernsteinklinik Binz on Rügen.
1997 Entry into the Italian market. Acquisition of the Terme di Galzignano property with four hotels on a total of 300,000 m2 near Abano.
1999 IFA gets a new major shareholder. Strengthening of its position in the Spanish market. The Spanish Lopesán Touristik S.A., Las Palmas, acquires 50.1% of IFA's share capital.
2000 Thomas Cook becomes a new partner of IFA. Start of portfolio rationalisation. Thomas Cook acquires a 40% stake in the Lopesan subsidiary Creativ Hotel Buenaventura S.A., Gran Canaria. Termination of the lease with the holiday hotel in Hirscheg
2001 Continuation of portfolio streamlining. Sale of the Turkish involvement/stake in the Beach Hotel in Tekirova as a consistent step in focusing on core regions.
2002 Continuation of portfolio streamlining. Sale of IFA Berg-Hotelgesellschaft mbH, Finsterbergen, owner of the IFA Hotel Rennsteigblick in Finsterbergen.
2003 Entry into the Eastern European market. Sale of the property in Valdelaguila. Takeover of the management of the IFA Hotel Bellevue on the Black Sea coast. With the sale of the property in Valdelaguila, IFA continues its consistent portfolio streamlining.
2004 Expansion into the Caribbean market IFA Beach Resort Nessebar new in management Sale of IFA Hotel Lloret on the Costa Brava Alpenhof Wildental in new splendour Purchase of the hotel complex Villas Bávaro, Punta Cana, Dominican Republic, with a capacity of 652 rooms. IFA takes over management of IFA Beach Resort Nessebar, initially the Hotel Bay and the Hotel Mare with a total capacity of 621 rooms. Expansion of the resort to 939 rooms in 2005. Sale of the IFA Hotel Lloret as part of the portfolio rationalisation. The IFA Wellnesshotel Alpenhof Wildental underwent a comprehensive rejuvenation programme in November and December 2004, including a generously laid out wellness, fitness and health area.
2005 Modernisation of the IFA Hotel FARO, Gran Canaria. The IFA Hotel FARO was completely modernised and upgraded during a nine-month construction period.
2006: A management contract was signed for the Wellnesshotel Ostseebad Kühlungsborn and the ‘IFA Wellness Resort Hafendorf Rheinsberg’ 2007 at the Mecklenburg Lake District with a capacity of 150 hotel rooms and up to 24 island suites. The number of IFA beds in Germany will thus increase to 4,100 in the medium term.
2007: Extensive renovation and modernisation of the IFA Graal-Müritz Hotel**** in a nine-month construction period. Complete modernisation of the IFA Villas Bávaro Resort**** in the Dominican Republic.
2007: Decision taken at the end of the year to discontinue operation of the management-operated IFA Nessebar Beach Hotel**** and withdrawal from the Bulgarian location.
2008 Closure of the Amber Clinic in Binz on Rügen at the end of the year due to low profitability and a high need for investment.
2009 Closure and subsequent sale of the Terme di Galzignano, S.p.A. and withdrawal from the Italian location.
2021 On 15 February 2021, the Duisburg District Court entered the change of name of IFA Hotel & Touristik AG to LS Invest AG, as decided by the Annual General Meeting on 16 July 2020, in the commercial register. The change of name from IFA Hotel & Touristik AG to LS Invest AG is thus complete.
