Region overview: Europe to welcome 300,000 new hotel rooms [Construction Report]
Europe’s hotel market looks promising with close to 300,000 new rooms in the pipeline. (Picture: Oscar Nord / Unsplash)
TOPHOTELPROJECTS sheds light on Europe’s hotel project pipeline and explores which upcoming properties are worth keeping an eye on.
With hotels finally reopening after the Covid19 crisis and demand picking up again around the world, confidence is rising that the hotel industry could soon return to its pre-crisis growth trajectory.
As of late May, 1,675 hotels are in the pipeline, adding another 292,924 rooms to Europe’s hotel offering.
We take an exclusive peek at the TOPHOTELCONSTRUCTION database to find out where new properties will launch and which ones are particularly noteworthy.
European hotel market primed for growth
According to the database, 455 hotels are scheduled to open in 2020, bringing 72,141 new rooms. Another 440 properties will launch in 2021, moreover, adding further 72,170 rooms. Looking further ahead, 2022 will see 219 hotel openings with 41,621 rooms, while 561 more projects with incredible 106,992 rooms are in the pipeline for 2023 and beyond.
Of these 1,675 hotel development projects on the horizon, 1,200 are in the 4-star sector, while 475 fall in the 5-star category.
Europe’s top 10 nations for hotel development
The UK and Germany lead the list of fastest growing countries with 392 (or 58,539 rooms) and 353 new hotels (or 55,817 rooms) respectively. France follows in a distant third place with 96 new hotels, accounting for 17,528 additional rooms.
Elsewhere, Spain, Italy and Switzerland will launch 80, 69 and 65 properties respectively, while Russia and Ireland will both get 64 new hotels. Poland and Austria conclude the list with 61 and 57 openings each.
Unsurprisingly, London tops the list of Europe’s top 5 urban growth markets with 100 new hotels and 18,061 rooms. Dublin follows with 43 openings, then Paris, Liverpool and Hamburg come next with pipelines of 32, 25, 24 properties respectively.
Europe Hotel Construction Report
Europe’s 10 fastest growing hotel brands
Hilton is expanding aggressively in Europe, and consequently four of its brands are represented in the list of Europe’s top 10 fastest growing hotel brands.
Hampton by Hilton and Hilton Garden Inn occupy the first two places, with 51 hotels bringing 8,268 rooms and 28 properties adding 4,489 rooms respectively. Holiday Inn Hotels & Resorts will celebrate 22 launches with 5,502 rooms while Courtyard by Marriott will 21 hotels open, adding 3,779 rooms to the brand’s portfolio.
Another brand worth highlighting is Radisson Blu Hotels & Resorts, which has 20 hotels in its pipeline, followed by DoubleTree by Hilton and Scandic hotels with 18 upcoming openings each. InterContinental Hotel Group’s Hotel Indigo, Radisson Red and Hilton Hotels & Resorts round out the list with 17, 16 and 15 properties each.
Noteworthy properties opening in Europe
The Dubrovnik Pearl Hotels development is currently the largest project in Europe’s hotel pipeline. Within a few years, 5,000 rooms spread out across a combination of hotels, resorts, condos and villas will welcome guests to a major new lifestyle destination. Apart from accommodation, the mega-project will feature a marina, a golf course, high-end boutiques, art galleries and museums.
In Ukraine, another mammoth project is underway. The 3,500-room Balaklava Green Resort will include hotels, sanatoriums, motels and camping sites. Planned features such as an Olympic-sized swimming pool, an amphitheatre, cinemas and a history museum are only a small part of what this ambitious resort will ultimately offer; other eye-catching facilities include tennis courts, spas and horse stables, as well as retail areas with restaurants and cafes.
Meanwhile, Oaktree Capital Management’s Greek joint venture snapped up the Costa del Sol Princess Resort in Andalucía in 2018, and plans to invest a total of €150 million into the acquisition and redevelopment of the property. Set on a beachfront site in Estepona by Marbella, Ikos Andalusia will provide luxury rooms, suites and leisure facilities on 70,000 sq m of landscaped gardens. In addition, the hotel will house eight restaurants, sports and theatre facilities, a spa, indoor and outdoor heated pools, plus an Ikos Deluxe accommodation area.
Lastly, the 409-room Mandarin Oriental Etiler will welcome guests to a luxurious abode in Istanbul’s upmarket Etiler neighbourhood by Q1 2022. The hotel will have three restaurants and bars, and a selection of adaptable meeting spaces with outdoor areas and terraces, ideal for hosting both business and leisure events. There will also be a pool, a fitness centre and a spa offering the group’s award-winning signature wellness programmes, alongside locally inspired treatments.
