News & Stories
The shrinking process for the hotel portfolio of the former Deutsche Hospitality (DH) will come to an end in 2027 and transition to healthy growth. This was announced by Dr. Stephan Hungeling in our interview on Wednesday. The Chief Transformation Officer is currently pushing synergies with the Chinese parent company H World Group. That is all part of his job.
Choice Hotels International was heading into 2025 betting that its next growth chapter would be written in EMEA. Of its roughly 7,500 hotels worldwide, about 1,400 sit outside the US and the company now calls international expansion, led by Europe, the Middle East and Africa, its biggest opportunity.
Norwegian budget brand Citybox Hotels was launched in 2006 and now has ten hotels with 1,880 rooms and more in the pipeline. All this is set to change as quickly and visibly as possible through expansion in Central Europe. Benelux, Germany and the United Kingdom are the first targets.
The Spanish hotel group Barceló is planning an extensive expansion in Europe. Over the next three years, 1.5 billion euros will be allocated. Raúl González, CEO EMEA, is currently restructuring the current portfolio, specifying the target markets and has found a JV partner for expansion. It’s ready to go.
Family offices are regarded as discreet, strategic investors. They manage the billion euro assets of entrepreneurial families and think in terms of generations, not quarters. But they also broaden their perspective: New asset classes, new regions and new topics such as sustainability are gaining in importance.
The desire for Branded Residences is growing. A business model that has existed globally for decades, mostly at luxury level. In Europe, private living now also falls into the lifestyle or premium category. Accor is now breaking Branded Residences down to midscale. Europe's wealthy young generation and Mixed Use make it possible.
Spanish Group Hotusa has finally re-paid back its Covid loan and moved fast to buy nine Silken hotels, signalling a new phase of confidence and control. With its own distribution engines, Restel and Keytel, the group now pushes a strategy focused on urban quality, higher margins, and smart international growth.
The Swedish Scandic Hotels are not among the sprinters when it comes to expansion. They are focusing on their region, the Nordics, on their own investment power and on just three own brands. Nevertheless, there is a lot to do in the background - a lot to focus on. The integration of 56 Dalata Hotels will be the biggest step to date. COO Laura Tarkka gives an overview.
One company, two brands, three apartment sizes and a kitchenette in every apartment. Everything is high-quality and high-end, and the new aparthotels are now making the ground floor more flexible. The Staycity Group now wants to grow rapidly, especially in Europe. CEO Tom Walsh on "half hotel, half apartment".
The platform that built its brand on homes is now betting big… on hotels. For months now, the Airbnb CEO has been letting the world know that they are recruiting "partners" among hotels. Airbnb's master plan is to become the platform where travel starts and ends. It's becoming something closer to a hotel booking site.