Central Europe is at the heart of the Ascott group's expansion on the continent. Already present in Vienna with four aparthotels under three of its brands - Citadines, lyf and Somerset - the world leader in long-stay hotels has just announced five new developments, strengthening its position as one of the city's leading hotel operators. Also in partnership with property developer VIE Trust, a second lyf brand hotel is expected to open by the end of 2026. After the Schönbrunn Palace district, the lifestyle brand will set up near Wien Hauptbahnhof station, with a 150-key establishment. The other as yet undisclosed projects will involve various brands, adding a total of 750 units to Ascott's portfolio in Vienna.
At the same time, the group will also be extending its offering in Spain, which until now has consisted of a single property, the Citadines Ramblas Barcelona. This time it is heading for Seville, with two properties - a 250-unit Lyf and a 120-unit Somerset - due to open at the end of 2028 as part of the Lagoon City complex, which is being prepared just ten minutes from the Andalusian capital's city centre. Built around an artificial lagoon with crystal-clear waters and an 18-hole golf course nearby, this complex will compensate for the lack of access to the sea, offering Sevillian residents a seaside leisure destination. But the destination will also have a business dimension, with a conference centre planned as part of the project by property developer Forty Management, a well-known partner of the Ascott group for the development of a luxury establishment in Bucharest under the Crest Collection brand.
The seven recently announced signings will take Ascott's European portfolio to 64 properties either operational or under development, and extend its network to 26 cities in 10 countries. Among the openings already scheduled for next year, the United Kingdom will see three lifestyle establishments With lyfs in Manchester, Glasgow and London with the Chelsea London lyf, within the Stamford Bridge football stadium. But the growth of the Singaporean group is not just about the lyf brand, or long-stay hotels for that matter. As part of its diversification to become "a major hospitality player", according to Philippe Mettey, VP Sales and Marketing Europe, Ascott has launched a more classic, upmarket hotel brand in Europe, The Unlimited Collection.
This new brand made its debut in autumn 2024 in Edinburgh, on Princes Street, with a 169-room hotel, the Mount Royal Edinburgh by The Unlimited Collection, and has since undergone other developments, in Dublin this summer with the Temple Bar Hotel, located in the lively district of the Irish capital, before moving to Leicester by the end of the year. This will involve the transformation of a historic Art Deco hotel, the Grand Hotel Leicester, with 104 rooms and the city's largest ballroom, seating 300 people, The Kings Hall, which, as its name suggests, has in its glorious past welcomed the King of England, the Queen Mother and Winston Churchill.
" Europe is the cornerstone of Ascott's global growth strategysaid Kevin Goh, Group Managing Director. Our expansion into Vienna, our entry into Seville and the growing presence of lyf and The Unlimited Collection in Europe reflect the growing demand from property owners and investors for trusted operators on a global scale. "Alongside this announced growth, the group is also continuing to rejuvenate its existing Citadines establishments in London, Berlin and Paris. As part of this, the Citadines République Paris will complete its transformation by the end of the year, at the same time as renovations begin on the Citadines Bastille Gare de Lyon in Paris and Part-Dieu in Lyon.
