Expansion & growth | at the MEININGER Hotel Group

MEININGER, the international hybrid hotel group, is pleased to announce that it has signed a contract for its first property in the trendy metropolis of Helsinki. After the Danish capital Copenhagen, MEININGER will open a hotel in Finland in the summer of 2022. The 194-room new building will be located in the newly emerging Wood City in Helsinki's Jätkäsaari district. The signing for the hotel in Finland is part of MEININGER'S growth plans to triple the portfolio of beds in the next five years, to create a Pan-European network with deeper penetration in multiple core markets.

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MEININGER strengthens its presence in the Nordic countries

Finland and its capital city have developed into a popular tourist magnet in recent years. Following record growth figures in 2017, the number of overnight stays by foreign travellers in 2018 has continued to rise further, reaching a new record of 6.8 million*. "In the ranking of the most popular Nordic holiday destinations, Finland has set new records year after year," says Hannes Spanring, CEO of MEININGER Hotels. "Although the number of overnight stays has increased by almost five per cent annually over the past eight years, the number of rooms on offer has not grown at the same rate. There is a particular need in the hostel, economy and budget segments. This is where we see enormous potential for MEININGER with our hybrid hotel model in the Finnish capital."

Sustainable top location

The new MEININGER Hotel will be built in the so-called Wood City in the southwest of Helsinki. The newly emerging quarter in the Jätkäsaari district will be completed by 2021 and is one of the Finnish capital's prestige projects in terms of materials and sustainability. Where there was once a large container port with warehouses, the urban development project is being built that is made entirely of wood and represents the latest in environmentally friendly construction technology. The buildings, up to eight stories high, are grouped around a green courtyard and will form Finland's largest wooden neighbourhood. "MEININGER Hotel Helsinki is part of Wood City, that cleverly combines Finnish timber construction, sustainable development and urban community. We are pleased to be part of this exceptional and environmental architectural project in the capital and to enrich the currently homogeneous accommodation offering, which consists mainly of three and four-star hotels and only a few hostels. The MEININGER Hotel Helsinki confirms our expansion plans in the Nordic region. In the near future, we are aiming to expand upon this by entering the market in Finland's neighbouring countries Sweden and Norway." says Spanring.

The MEININGER Hotel Helsinki will have 194 rooms and 648 beds distributed over seven floors with a total floor area of 7,900 sqm.

"The signed contract will initiate the final phase of the Wood City urban development project. Wood City has optimal traffic connections therefore being an excellent location for a hotel. It combines Finnish timber construction, sustainable development and urban community", added Juha Toimela, Executive Vice President of SRV, the Finnish project developer.

"Helsinki is equally popular with leisure and business travellers," continues Spanring. "With our hybrid concept, which combines the USPs of hotels and hostels, we can respond specifically to the needs of these two target groups. The MEININGER Hotel Helsinki will have double, triple and quadruple rooms, as well as spacious public areas. The lobby, game zone, bar and lounge areas will be designed to create a community character and will allow guests to relax and interact in a comfortable atmosphere."

With a tram station right outside the door and a subway station within walking distance, the new MEININGER Hotel is optimally connected to public transport and the port is also a short walk away. MEININGER guests can reach Helsinki's airport within half an hour, and the city centre is just a few minutes away, with its numerous attractions and sights such as the Linnanmäki Amusement Park, the Helsinki Cathedral, the Temppeliaukio Rock Church or Suomenlinna - one of the largest sea fortresses in the world. The Jätkäsaari district itself also offers many sights worth seeing, such as Helsinki's largest cultural centre - the Cable Factory. The vibrant Cable Factory has three museums, studios, dance and theatre spaces, as well as restaurants and bars..

Strong growth year

The MEININGER Hotel Group opened a total of six new hotels in 2019, most recently in Lyon on November 20th, 2019. Shortly before, on October 9th, it celebrated its market entry in France with the opening of the MEININGER Hotel Paris Porte de Vincennes. On August 6th, 2019 the company inaugurated its second hotel in Belgium with the MEININGER Hotel Bruxelles Gare du Midi. This was preceded by the opening of the MEININGER Hotel Heidelberg Hauptbahnhof on July 24th, the MEININGER Hotel München Olympiapark on March 25th and the MEININGER Budapest Great Market Hall on March 18th. Recently, MEININGER Hotels signed contracts for new market entries in Israel and Poland: The first hotel in the Middle East is expected to open in Tel Aviv in 2024. The MEININGER Hotel in Warsaw will be completed by the end of 2022.

*Source: Visit Finland

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At the beginning of October, MEININGER Hotels celebrated a milestone in its international growth and expansion strategy with the opening of the MEININGER Hotel Paris Porte de Vincennes and the associated entry into the French market. The MEININGER Hotel Lyon Centre Berthelot is the second hotel in France, realized in partnership with Covivio. The hotel group emphasizes its goal to become the market leader in the hybrid hotel segment in France.

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The opening of the MEININGER Hotel in Lyon takes place right in time for one of the most famous spectacles in the region, the "Fête des Lumières", which takes place from 5 to 8 December 2019. Every year, the famous Festival of Lights brings together light artists from all over the world in France's third largest city to outdo each other with brilliant light installations.

"The opening of the MEININGER Hotel Lyon Centre Berthelot is an important step towards our goal to operate more than 2,600 beds in the French market by the beginning of 2022," says Hannes Spanring, CEO of MEININGER Hotels. "Since October we have been operating our first hotel in France, the MEININGER Hotel Paris Porte de Vincennes, and we are delighted to have opened the country's second MEININGER Hotel after only two months and just in time for the "Fête des Lumières", one of the city's most important events attracting local and international guests," said Spanring, adding: "With our industry-unique hybrid hotel concept, we offer a completely new type of accommodation in France. This makes us a pioneer and serious new player in the market. Our goal is to grow massively in France in the coming years. Further MEININGER Hotels will open in Marseille and Bordeaux till the beginning of 2022. And we are looking into further destinations such as Strasbourg or Toulouse."

Plenty of room for light

Light plays a decisive role in the interior design of the seven-storey new building. Inspired by the Festival of Lights and by the Lyon-born Lumière brothers, the creators of the film, light is the defining design theme of the hotel. On all floors, extraordinary light installations characterize the concept developed by Axel Schoenert Architects and create a special atmosphere. The hotel has a total of 169 rooms with 590 beds and a gross floor area of over 5,360 square meters. 24-hour reception, lobby, breakfast area, outdoor terrace, bar and the MEININGER-typical guest kitchen and game zone are located on the ground floor. The underground car park also provides 78 parking spaces for hotel guests.

The project was realized with MEININGER's development partner Covivio, European market leader for hotel investments. "After Paris in October, this second French opening strengthens the European adventure that we conduct with MEININGER Hotels. Our role is to support them in their development in major European cities and to offer a new customer experience. The hotel market in Lyon where Covivio is already present is very dynamic and the MEININGER concept differs from the existing offer," adds Dominique Ozanne, Deputy CEO Covivio.

Perfect fit for the French business hub

Every year, the metropolis whose inner city is a UNESCO World Heritage Site attracts over five million visitors and is thus one of the most popular destinations for city breaks in France. But the capital of the Rhône Alpes region is also an international hub for trade and industry. Lyon is France's second most popular economic center after Paris. In the period from 2009 to 2014, 65 per cent of hotel stays were due to a business trip.

"Lyon is the country's second most important business hub after Paris," explains Doros Theodorou, CCO of MEININGER Hotels. "We therefore expect a larger segment of business guests in Lyon than in other MEININGER cities. Nevertheless, the MEININGER Hotel Lyon Centre Berthelot also offers multi-bed rooms as is typical for MEININGER. Our mix of the best of both worlds - hotel and hostel - is unique and a competitive advantage in the industry. Guests benefit from high comfort, low prices and a unique atmosphere with a clear focus on community," Theodorou continues.

The MEININGER Hotel Lyon Centre Berthelot is located in the 7th arrondissement, a young and creative district in close proximity to the Université Lumière Lyon. Located close to the river banks of the Rhône, the hotel is the ideal starting point to explore the many highlights of the city. Thanks to the metro and tram, which are only a few steps away from the hotel, the Lyon Cathedral or the Basilica of Notre-Dame de Fourvière can be reached quickly and also the Place des Jacobins as well as the Musée des Confluences and the Lyon Art Museum are in the immediate vicinity.

Signs are set for growth

This is the hotel group's sixth new opening this year. On 9 October 2019, the MEININGER Hotel Group celebrated its market entry in France with the opening of the MEININGER Hotel Paris Porte de Vincennes. On 6 August 2019, the company inaugurated its second hotel in Belgium, the MEININGER Hotel Bruxelles Gare du Midi. This was preceded by the opening of the MEININGER Hotel Heidelberg Hauptahnhof on 24 July, the MEININGER Hotel München Olympiapark on 25 March and the MEININGER Budapest Great Market Hall on 18 March.

Only recently, MEININGER Hotels signed contracts for new market entries in Israel and Poland: The first hotel in the Middle East is expected to open in Tel Aviv in the second half of 2024. The MEININGER Hotel in Warsaw will be completed by the end of 2022. In total, 15 secured hotel projects are under development. For 2021, the hotel group is planning market entries in the U.S., Iceland and Switzerland and plans to operate a total of 35,000 beds internationally by 2024.

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The hotel group MEININGER reaches a new milestone in its expansion: MEININGER Hotels has signed a contract for its first property in Tel Aviv, its market entry into Israel. The signing for the first hotel in the Middle East is part of the growth plans to operate over 35,000 beds worldwide by 2024. The hotel will be located in a 28-storey mixed-use building in Levanda St 53 and is expected to open second half of 2024. The project is being realized with an Israeli group of investors.

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In 2018, about 4 million tourists visited Israel, a record-breaking number resulting from a solid marketing strategy, the strengthening of infrastructures as well as the collaboration with foreign travel agencies and low-cost airlines. Tel Aviv has seen an 11 percent increase in visitor numbers last year alone and continuing increase in demand for accommodation over many years, especially in the budget segments. "The expansion into Israel opens up great potential for MEININGER Hotels in a completely new market," says Hannes Spanring, CEO of MEININGER Hotels. "We are the first internationally operating hospitality company to bring the hybrid hotel concept to the Middle East. Although the city's supply has grown immensely over the last 10 years, accommodation in the hostel, economy and budget segments is severely under-represented. As is typical for MEININGER Hotels, we expect high room occupancy rates in Tel Aviv of 90 percent and more."

MEININGER Hotel in 28-storey new building in Tel Aviv-Yafo

The MEININGER Hotel Tel Aviv will offer 210 rooms and 800 beds across the floors four to 15, with an exclusive lobby on the ground floor. "Tel Aviv is a city that is equally visited by business and city travellers," says Doros Theodorou, Chief Commercial Officer of MEININGER Hotels. "Our hybrid concept, which combines the best features of hotel and hostel, serves this mix of guests in the city very well. We will be offering two-, three-, four- and six-bed rooms. In Tel Aviv, we are bringing forward a MEININGER-typical hotel that combines the reliable service and high quality amenities of a hotel with the advantages of a hostel: these include a guest kitchen, a game zone and spacious public areas where guests meet and socialise."

Israel’s Minister of Tourism Yariv Levin said: “Within the framework of the Tourism Ministry's policy of reducing vacation costs in Israel and in order to encourage competition, we are working hard to introduce low-cost hospitality chains into Israel. I am pleased that our efforts are bearing fruit and I would like to congratulate MEININGER on its entry into Israel. This is a vote of confidence in Israeli tourism, following the record-breaking figures in incoming tourism. We are sure that this is just the beginning.”

Amir Halevi, Director-General of the Israel Ministry of Tourism, said: "I congratulate the international MEININGER chain on its entry into the Israeli tourism industry which is an expression of the Ministry of Tourism’s global efforts working with entrepreneurs and hotel chains. The introduction of the hotel giant, which has taken low-cost tourism as its mission, is another step in the long-term process spearheaded by the Ministry of Tourism in promoting budget tourism in Israel. This, as a result of the changing profile of today’s tourist and the need to facilitate accommodation options that “suit every budget”, thereby allowing for a wide range of tourists to enjoy and travel throughout Israel."

Top location near the Ha'Hagana railway station

The new MEININGER Hotel is located in the south-east of Tel Aviv, east of the Neve Sha'anan neighbourhood and in walking distance to the Rothschild Boulevard and the city centre. It is well connected to public transport: The Ha'Hagana railway station and the central bus station are within walking distance of less than 10 minutes. The international airport Ben Gurion is only 25 minutes away by car, direct trains from Ha'Hagana station run to the airport within 10 minutes, Jerusalem can be reached within 45 minutes. Guests of the MEININGER Hotel in Tel Aviv can also easily reach the Old City of Jaffa, the Tel Aviv beaches and other major attractions by foot or by bus. Several bus stops are less than 200 meters from the hotel. Popular neighbourhoods such as Nahalat Binyamin and Florentin, with many galleries, cafes, bars and restaurants, are also in the immediate vicinity of the hotel.

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