With almost 130 establishments today, and the promise of more than 200 in the very near future, the Citadines brand is buoyed by strong momentum around the world, with upcoming openings in 18 new key cities such as Liverpool, Marrakech, Tangiers and Kuwait City. Not to mention its development in key new urban centres in China such as Changshu, Dalian, Nanjing, Shenzhen and Tianjin.
Launched in France in 1984, then taken over by Singapore's Ascott group in 2004, the long-stay brand has gradually extended its network beyond Europe, making Asia-Pacific its stronghold, with 70 % of its aparthotels, compared with 20 % in Europe. This is complemented by a growing presence in the Middle East, Africa and Turkey. " Citadines is now Ascott's largest and one of its fastest growing brands, reflecting its global appeal to travellers. "said Bee Leng Tan, Ascott's Chief Commercial Officer.
The repositioning of the long-stay brand, which began three years ago, has played its part in this accelerated pace, with a new, more contemporary spirit, in line with the bleisure trend and the expectations of leisure customers. It's a move that has since led to the signing of more than 50 new establishments, and which is now taking shape in Europe, not only with new apparthotels in tune with the times, but also with the renovation and upgrading of its flagship establishments in Paris and London.
But this zeitgeist isn't the whole story, and other elements have been added to the mix, notably a model that facilitates rebranding. As in the traditional hotel business, conversion is fuelling the growth of the world leader in long-stay hotels. Nearly two-thirds of its openings this year have been based on the conversion of existing establishments, such as the Citadines City Centre Liverpool, which opened last June and was rebranded in just over three months. At the same time, a quarter of the new projects signed involve conversions.
A key growth driver, the brand's asset-light strategy is increasingly turning to franchising, with 15 establishments currently under this type of contract, including 4 in France. Relying on the growing interest of owners in the brand, the opening up to franchising has, for example, enabled the group to enter Morocco with the Citadines Almaz Casablanca, which opened at the beginning of 2025 under an agreement signed at the end of 2024. This accelerated process is also taking place in China, where Ascott launched its franchising activities this year, concluding with the signing of new locations in Shenzhen, Shanghai, Wuxi and Xi'an.
Putting all this together, Citadines expects to open 20 new establishments by the end of 2026, particularly in new destinations for the brand such as Africa, the Middle East and Turkey. Citadines is expected to open in Istanbul, Casablanca, Addis Ababa, Djibouti, Lagos and Al Khobar. A host of new Citadines have also been announced in Asia-Pacific, in Hobart in Australia, Phnom Penh in Cambodia, Manila and Davao in the Philippines, Yangon in Malaysia, Surabaya in Indonesia and, finally, Shanghai, Suzhou, Harbin and Guangzhou in China.
