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MEININGER Hotels has today signed a contract for a new hotel in Liverpool, reinforcing its aim for further growth in the UK.

"Our new hotel property in Liverpool is an existing building that will be converted into a typical MEININGER Hotel according by spring 2021," says Thomas Hagemann, COO of MEININGER Hotels. "On a gross floor area of 36,049 sq ft (3,349 sq m), the result will be a state-of-the-art accommodation with 87 rooms and 277 beds spread over six floors, a lobby, reception, guest kitchen, bar, lounge, game zone as well as a breakfast area and luggage room.

“Our guests can also look forward to sufficient social spaces for shared community experiences as well as to our flexible room concept, which is unique in the industry. The MEININGER Hotel Liverpool will appeal to individual, group and business travellers with its room structure consisting of two, three and four-bed rooms."

The MEININGER Hotel Liverpool will be located on Union Court, right in the heart of the city. Most of the main cultural, architectural and gastronomic attractions of the city are within walking distance of the hotel: from the UNESCO world heritage buildings around the Royal Albert Dock, Liverpool One, the Tate Gallery or the Cavern Club. Thanks to the excellent public transport links via the nearby train and bus stations, both Anfield and Goodison Park are also within easy reach for football fans.

This will be the MEININGER Group’s second hotel in the UK after the opening of the MEININGER Hotel London Hyde Park in 2006. A MEININGER Hotel Manchester is also underway and expected to open at the end of 2021.

Hannes Spanring, CEO of MEININGER Hotels commented: “Together with openings planned for this year in Paris and Lyon as well as next year in Washington D.C., which will mark the respective market entries in France and the U.S., Liverpool is an important milestone in MEININGER Hotels’ goal to operate approximately 34,000 beds internationally by 2024.”

"There is no doubt that the UK capital is very popular with visitors, and we had a 94% occupancy rate last year at our Hyde Park hotel," he added. "But the UK is very rich in attractive destinations with enormous development potential elsewhere too. We are therefore delighted to have signed the contract for a new MEININGER Hotel in Liverpool.

“In Liverpool, the figures for overnight stays and hotel offerings have shown a sustained upward trend in recent years, and the forecasts are also very positive," Spanring continues. "The current range of rooms consists mainly of four-star and budget hotels, hostels account for only one percent of all accommodation in Liverpool to date. Our goal is to become the UK market leader in this segment with our unique hybrid hotel concept, which combines the service and comfort of international budget hotels with the exceptional amenities and flexible room structure of hostels."

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The MEININGER hotel group is celebrating a major milestone in its growth and expansion strategy, entering the French hotel market with its fifth opening this year: the MEININGER Hotel Paris Porte de Vincennes. The project is being brought forward with French development partner Covivio.

The opening marks the beginning of MEININGER’s strategy to become the market leader in French hybrid hotel market. Three more national hotel projects are currently under development in Lyon, Bordeaux and Marseille, which will combine MEININGER's typical service and comfort of an international budget hotel with exceptional facilities and a flexible room structure that is unique in the industry.

"France is the world's leading tourist destination and a very important market for us. In 2018, almost 90 million travellers from all over the world visited the country, drawn by its rich art and culture, long history, unique architecture and of course excellent cuisine. We are all the more delighted to have opened the first MEININGER Hotel in the French capital now," says Hannes Spanring, CEO of MEININGER Hotels.

He adds: "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 achieve massive growth in France in the coming years and increase our capacity to 885 rooms and 2,601 beds in the country by the end of 2021 alone."

Stylishly-elegant new building with comfort and service

The MEININGER Hotel Paris Porte de Vincennes will become one of the group's flagship properties, with 249 rooms, 946 beds in total, a gross floor area of 8,000 sqm and a diverse food and beverage offer. A 24-hour reception, lobby, lounge, breakfast room, outdoor terrace, bar and the MEININGER-typical guest kitchen and game zone will all be found on the ground floor.

The project is being brought forward in partnership with Covivio, a European leader in hotel investment and owner of the building on Boulevard Carnot. “We are very proud to support MEININGER in its first French hotel and as it grows across Europe. It offers a hybrid product that has never been seen in France with one concept for different types of customers. We are confident in the success of this new innovative offer in Paris,” comments Dominique Ozanne, Deputy CEO Covivio.

Architecturally, the new building bears the signature of Daniel Vaniche (DVVD Architectes) who designed a dynamic, multi-layered hotel building that offers state-of-the-art environmentally friendly design and is a vibrant addition to the surrounding area. The building’s rooms, facilities and installations are all designed to ensure a smooth day-to-day operation. The interior design, by Axel Schoenert Architect, is inspired by the French capital itself and refers to Parisian codes, the bohemian Paris and elements of nature which can be found throughout the decoration, colors and materials. The elegant, high quality furnishings create an inviting, cosy atmosphere, and on the ground floor guests can expect a stylish, light-flooded, spacious lounge.

Great connections across the city

Located in the 12th arrondissement close to the popular city park and recreation area Bois de Vincennes as well as the Paris Zoo, the MEININGER Hotel Paris Porte de Vincennes offers individual, group and business travellers a peaceful retreat in the bustling capital city. Numerous restaurants and cafés in the hotel surroundings invite you to stroll as well as the four-kilometre-long Coulée verte René-Dumont – an idyllic walking path connecting the Place de la Bastille with the 12th arrondissement. World-famous Parisian landmarks including the Eiffel Tower, Louvre, Arc de Triomphe, Notre Dame and Disneyland or are easily accessible thanks to excellent public transport links via the nearby tram station Alexandra David-Néel and the line 1 metro station Porte de Vincennes.

This is the hotel group’s fifth new opening this year. 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 Central Station on 24 July, the MEININGER Hotel München Olympiapark on 25 March and the MEININGER Budapest Great Market Hall on 18 March. The MEININGER Hotel Lyon Centre Berthelot, another operation in partnership with Covivio, will open its doors in December 2019.

The group is planning further openings globally, including market entry in the USA and elsewhere next year, and plans to operate a total of 34,000 beds internationally by 2024.

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At MEININGER Hotels, the signs continue to point to expansion: the hotel group signed a contract for its first property in Warsaw and is thus celebrating its official market entry in Poland. Together with openings planned for this year in Paris and Lyon as well as next year in Washington D.C., which will mark the respective market entries in France and the U.S., MEININGER Hotels is massively pushing its international growth strategy to manage around 34,000 beds by 2024. 

"Poland is an absolute growth market. Warsaw in particular has developed enormously in the wake of increased foreign investment and economic growth in recent years. Be it new roads, bridges and buildings, the expanded public transport system or Warsaw's largest and mosat important airport, Chopin, which had a total of 17.7 million passengers in 2018 and is thus increasingly becoming the most important hub in Eastern Europe. In terms of infrastructure, Warsaw is a top address in Europe," says Hannes Spanring, CEO of MEININGER Hotels.

This development is also noticeable in the tourism segment. Both arrivals and overnight stays have risen sharply by 46.9 percent and 53.2 percent respectively since 2012. The forecasts are also positive and assume that both business and leisure tourism in Warsaw will continue to grow in the coming years. "This is due on the one hand to the flourishing domestic tourism resulting from the sustained economic upswing in Poland, and on the other hand to the increasing foreign tourism, which is favoured by the increasing flight connections of European low-cost carriers to Warsaw. Since 2013, 26 new hotel properties have been built in Warsaw. However, the market is dominated by the mid- and upscale segment, and the budget and economy segment still has plenty of development potential in terms of international quality standards. With our unique hybrid hotel concept, which combines the service and comfort of international budget hotels with the exceptional facilities and flexible room structure of hostels, our goal is now to become the market leader in this segment in Poland," Spanring continued.

Existing building will be converted into a typical MEININGER Hotel                                                                                        

"The MEININGER Hotel Warsaw is an existing building. We will modernize the property from scratch, so that by the end of the year 2022 there will be 151 rooms with a total of 456 beds", says Doros Theodorou, CCO of MEININGER Hotels. "In addition, the newest addition to our portfolio will offer the MEININGER style and comfort, including a lobby, reception, guest kitchen, bar, lounge, game zone, breakfast area and luggage room, as well as five on-site parking spaces. Of course our guests can look forward to enough social spaces for shared community experiences as well as our unique, flexible room concept. The MEININGER Hotel Warsaw will appeal to individuals, groups and business travelers with its room structure consisting of double rooms, private multi-bed rooms as well as dormitories."

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The hotel group MEININGER Hotels strengthens its presence in the capital of Europe and inaugurates its second hotel in Belgium with today's opening of the MEININGER Hotel Bruxelles Gare du Midi. Within walking distance of the country's largest railway station, Gare du Midi, the new hotel building is located in the heart of the Belgian metropolis. 150 rooms with a total of 678 beds now welcome individual, group and business travellers. In addition to the MEININGER Hotel Bruxelles City Center, which opened in 2013, the hotel group now has two hotels in the Belgian metropolis. It is already the fourth hotel for the Benelux region: The group's largest hotel, the MEININGER Hotel Amsterdam City West, and the MEININGER Hotel Amsterdam Amstel, which opened last year, are both located in the Netherlands. The opening of the MEININGER Hotel Bruxelles Gare du Midi stands for the execution of the hotel group's accelerated growth strategy: MEININGER expects to grow its number of beds by 150 percent and operate 34,000 beds internationally by March 2024.

Delicious chocolate, the Atomium and of course Manneken Pis - Brussels has a lot to offer: From the UNESCO World Heritage Site Grote Markt to the Royal Museums of Fine Arts of Belgium to the European Parliament, Brussels is a vibrant, multicultural and international metropolis. "Brussels' colourful mix precisely reflects the philosophy of the MEININGER hotel group," says Hannes Spanring, CEO of MEININGER Hotels. "Brussels is a magnet for tourists, not only because it's the seat of the EU, but also because of its diverse art and cultural landscape. We also feel that here. In our first Brussels hotel, the MEININGER Hotel Bruxelles City Center, we were able to record an excellent occupancy rate of 96 percent last year," Spanring explains. "We are all the more pleased to celebrate our second opening in the city and have our accelerated growth strategy taking further momentum. Besides our strong opening pipeline with destinations like Zurich, Paris and Washington D.C. we're also reviewing more than 100 potential hotel projects in Europe alone."

Just a few minutes from the Gare du Midi train station, where long-distance trains from major European cities such as London, Paris or Amsterdam stop, the new hotel is in a prime city location. Tram and metro stations are within walking distance and the historic center of Grand-Place is just a short walk away. 6,700 square meters comprises the above-ground gross floor area of ​​the new building. Following the MEININGER hybrid concept, this house also has a flexible room structure: from double rooms to private multi-bed rooms to a bed in a dormitory, guests can choose their own style. Reception, lobby, lounge, breakfast room and bar as well as the typical MEININGER guest kitchen and game zone are located on the ground floor. There are also 30 on-site parking spaces. The interior design takes up Brussels' dynamic art scene. "With our interior design we would like to commemorate one of the most famous sons of the city, the painter and representative of surrealism René Magritte," adds Thomas Hagemann, COO of MEININGER Hotels. "Our interior design concept takes our guests on a journey through an illusionary world," continues Hagemann.

The MEININGER Hotel Bruxelles Gare du Midi was realized together with Nelson Canal.

For the hotel group, it is already the fourth new opening this year. Only two weeks ago, on 24 July, the company opened its first hotel in Baden-Wuerttemberg, the MEININGER Hotel Heidelberg Hauptbahnhof. On March 25, the MEININGER Hotel München Olympiapark, the second MEININGER Hotel in the Isar metropolis, opened its doors and a few days earlier, on March 18, the hotel group celebrated its premiere in Hungary with the MEININGER Budapest Great Market Hall. This year, two further MEININGER hotel openings in Europe - in Paris and Lyon - are also planned to mark MEININGER's entry into the French market.

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The hotel group MEININGER Hotels continues its expansion course and opens its first hotel in Baden-Württemberg, the MEININGER Hotel Heidelberg Hauptbahnhof. Adjacent to the newly developed Heidelberg district of Bahnstadt and only ten minutes from the main railway station, the hotel is an ideal starting point for exploring the romantic metropolis. 100 rooms with a total of 331 beds welcome individual, group and business travellers with immediate effect. Heidelberg will not remain the only location for the MEININGER Hotel Group in Baden-Württemberg: The opening of a MEININGER Hotel in Stuttgart is planned for 2021.

Millions of visitors every year cannot be wrong - Heidelberg is not only one of the most beautiful, but also one of the most popular travel destinations in Germany. With 1.5 million overnight stays in 2018, the city reported a record year for tourism and took the lead among destinations in Baden-Württemberg. All the more reason for the MEININGER Hotel Group to be pleased to welcome travellers to the city on the Neckar. The five-storey new building with a gross floor area of over 3,600 sqm is the first hotel of the hotel group in Baden-Württemberg. This means that the Berlin-based hotel group now has a total of 13 hotels in Germany.

"Whether it's a cultural weekend or a romantic break - with its picturesque shores, its historic old town and venerable university, Heidelberg is a true tourist magnet. With our location in the immediate vicinity of Heidelberg's youngest city district, Bahnstadt, and the main railway station, our guests are right in the middle of Heidelberg's colourful mix of history and lively diversity," says Hannes Spanring, CEO of MEININGER Hotels.

In the tradition of the university city - with the Ruprecht-Karls-University Heidelberg has the oldest university in Germany - the interior design follows the motto "Know-How": "Studying, research and knowledge have a long tradition in Heidelberg. True to the motto, the interior design of the hotel guarantees smart space solutions in the university city. Asymmetrical shapes, colour contrasts and a material mix of metal and wood turn apparent opposites into a harmonious whole," explains Spanring. The house is characterised by a particularly flexible room structure. "Travellers can choose between single and double rooms as well as private multi-bed rooms and a bed in a dormitory, allowing us to cater to the individual needs of our guests", continues Hannes Spanring. Like most MEININGER Hotels, the new building in Heidelberg also has a guest kitchen and public areas with plenty of room for social interaction. There are also 25 parking spaces available for guests.

Many places of interest are only a few minutes' drive from the MEININGER Hotel Heidelberg Hauptbahnhof by public transport. The city center can be reached within ten minutes by tram or bus, which are within walking distance of the hotel. The Heidelberg train station is located in the immediate vicinity of the new hotel. The youngest district of Heidelberg was built on the site of a former goods and marshalling yard and is one of the largest urban development projects in Germany. Cultural institutions, shops, a campus for research and science as well as generous open spaces and green spaces characterise the quarter.

The MEININGER Hotel Heidelberg Hauptbahnhof was realized together with the LIST Group. "We are pleased that we have successfully completed our first MEININGER hotel project. The cooperation of all parties has worked smoothly in the 13-month construction period. The result is a modern new building, which is extremely attractive for various guests due to the optimal composition of location, equipment and design," adds Michael Garstka, Managing Director of the project developer LIST Develop Commercial. The turnkey construction of the new building was the responsibility of the general contractor LIST Bau Rhein-Main, a specialist in the construction of hotels. The building is owned by PATRIZIA Immobilien AG, and the MEININGER Hotel Group is taking over operations under a 20-year lease.

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