Hilton Hotels has signed two hotels in Austria for conversion to its Spark premium economy brand.
The two hotels belong to Verkehrsbuero Hospitality, and currently operate under the company’s Bassena brand. Bassena was launched in 2020, and to date just these two hotels have opened with its name above the door. Now, both will be converted to Spark instead. Spark by Hilton Vienna Donaustadt will have 198 rooms, while Spark by Hilton Vienna Messe Prater is larger at 243 rooms; both will relaunch later in 2024.
A new partner in Austria
Verkehrsbuero Hospitality operates 28 hotels and accommodation offers across Austria, and one in Slovenia. Its strength is in the Vienna market, where it has a total of 22 sites. Hotels include 15 Austria Trend hotels, a Radisson Blu in Salzburg, Radisson Individuals properties in Vienna and Linz, and the Hotel Astoria Wien. The multi-faceted group also operates two campsites, a hostel outside Vienna, and an events management business, Palais Events.
Speaking about the new partnership with Hilton, CEO Martin Winkler commented: “This collaboration marks a significant milestone for us, and to be part of the team bringing Spark by Hilton to Austria is incredibly exciting for us all, and we are eager to bring our shared vision to life upon opening both hotels.” Hilton has hinted that the Spark deal is part of a “wider agreement” with the company, suggesting further hotels may convert to Hilton brands in the future.
The signings signify further traction for the new brand, as it looks to expand across Europe, from its US origins. Already Spark has opened its first hotel in the UK, with a property in Romford, east of London, switching midyear. There has also been a first signing in Germany, with a hotel in Stuttgart switching to Spark. The 103 room property switched under a franchise agreement with Aspire Hotels GmbH.
The first Spark opened in September 2023 in Mystic, Connecticut, just eight months after the new brand concept was revealed. Today there are already more than 50 Sparks open, with a further 275 signed into the pipeline. And in September 2024, the first Canadian hotel opened, with Spark Toronto being launched.
Progress into a new market segment
For Hilton, Spark is a new venture into a market segment at a lower price point than its existing brand portfolio. The shift acknowledges that the group needs to engage with a younger demographic, encouraging them to not just use Hilton hotels, but to become members of the Hilton Honors loyalty programme.
From the outset, the brand was designed specifically to appeal to existing hotel owners who would appreciate converting their property to the Hilton system. A low cost, flexible set of brand standards makes the conversion process low cost and fast, ensuring a hotel owner sees a quick return on investment from their refurbishment.
