The embodiment of lifestyle hotels at affordable prices, Ruby Hotels is stepping up its expansion in Europe. Launched in Germany at the end of the last decade, the brand began by conquering the major cities on the other side of the Rhine, before rapidly moving on to London, Vienna and more recently Amsterdam, Geneva and Zurich. Travellers will soon be able to discover its 'Lean Luxury' philosophy in France - luxury stripped of the superfluous to guarantee affordable rates.
The brand is announced in Marseille by the end of 2025 and is preparing to move into a former office building on Boulevard des Dames. " France has always been a priority for Ruby and we are delighted that Marseille is the first French destination for our brand." said Julian Mörs, Ruby Group Development Director.
Just a three-minute walk from Joliette metro station, its location is ideal for both leisure and business travel, thanks to its proximity to the city centre. close to the Euroméditerranée business district as well as with the Old Port and the centre of the city. Developed by BNP Paribas Real Estate, the hotel will have 237 rooms, a lively bar and a coworking space, topped by a 300 m² roof terrace overlooking the sea and the Bonne Mère.
Offices reinvented
While the group founded by Michael Struck is organising part of its offer around coworking with its Ruby Workspaces - in combination with its hotels or as stand-alones - the brand's concept is naturally adapted to the transformation of former offices into hotels. This is the case in Marseille, it will also be in Rome. Ruby Hotels plans to set up in the Italian capital by 2025, as always in a city centre location.
" We are delighted to have identified a suitable property in the heart of Rome, which we can convert into a modern hotel building with Ruby Hotels." said Torsten Kuttig, Director of Hotel Development at ECE Work & Live, an investor in the project. Located on Via Agostino Depretis, not far from the Forum and Piazza Navona, with the Repubblica metro station and Termini central station nearby, this former office building with its historic façade will soon be transformed to house 165 rooms, a bar and a café.all overlooked by a flat roof.
This opening in Rome will not be the group's first in Italy, as Ruby Hotels will soon be opening in Florence, in Piazza della Liberta. In addition to Southern Europe, the British Isles are also the focus of this expansion. Among its twenty or so hotels, the brand already has two and soon three hotels in London. At the end of last year, it also announced a first office in Edinburghon the Scottish capital's main thoroughfare, Princess Street. Expected to open in 2025, this new 300-room hotel will be the result of the conversion of three interconnected existing buildings, topped by a roof terrace with uninterrupted views of Edinburgh Castle.
But before moving to Scotland, Ruby Hotels has already set its sights on Ireland and Dublin. Scheduled to open in the 1st quarter of 2024, the Ruby Molly will open its doors in the heart of the city, close to the Irish capital's historic Fruit and Vegetable Market, which is currently being renovated. The façade of the brand-new hotel will feature the Fruit Market's characteristic red and yellow brickwork and tall windows. The hotel will have 272 rooms - the higher ones with terraces - and, on the ground floor, a space of over 500 m2 incorporating a bar, café and lounge.
