The investment volume achieved in 2016 totalled almost €1.2 billion with 46 transactions recorded in core CEE hotel investment markets. In comparison, 2015 reached just over €700 million with 45 transactions. Austria was the star performer with almost €800 million transacted, which made up 67% of the total investment volume. In other CEE markets volume was lower than in 2015 with a particular decline in Poland which more than halved in volume. The Czech Republic accounted for 18% of total CEE investment share; most of the investment took place in Prague which saw 7 transactions including the Hilton Old Town, Park Hotel and Chopin Hotel.
The CEE hotel industry reported growth across all key performance metrics. Increasing number of tourists have chosen CEE destinations, thus occupancy rates returned or even surpassed the pre-crisis levels, reaching 72% on average up from 69%. As the cost of visiting CEE has gone up along with the increasing hotel room rates, profits have been soaring. The average price per room reached €76.6 up from €73.6 in 2015. While the Eastern markets achieved double digit growth in terms of revenue per available room, the more mature markets of Central Europe including Prague and Warsaw saw growth of around 6%.
Money has been flowing in from Far East Asia, the Middle East, America as well as Europe. Hence the region has become truly international.
“In the last few years the region has seen important inflows of capital as wider groups of investors try to take advantage of the strong performance of the local hotel industry. Among the key factors driving performance are the continued strength of inbound international tourism into the CEE region, supported by Asian travellers as well as the re-focus of North African and Western European tourism. Moreover the willingness of banks to finance hotel acquisitions has significantly enticed high investor demand,” says David Nath, Head of CEE Hospitality Team at Cushman & Wakefield.
Banks’ appetite for lending is reflected in the return in hotel development activity with 2017 expected to deliver an additional 4,000 rooms across Central and Eastern European capital cities. The markets with the greatest development prospects are Warsaw and Budapest. Prague is an exception with a limited pipeline due to planning constraints and only a few sites suitable for hotel development.
“Although we expect growth to slow down slightly, during 2017, the investment market will remain robust compared to other more established markets in Western Europe. We will also see increasing capital invested in less mature hotel investment markets such as Bucharest and Sofia” says Frederic Le Fichoux, Head of Hotel Transactions - Continental Europe and adds “Average daily rate is expected to rise further, generating higher income returns for investors especially in more mature CEE markets, where the development pipeline is limited.”
In 2017, investors’ activity will be notable especially in Hungarian, Austrian and Romanian hotel investment markets, where significant assets are set to be put up for sale or about to be transacted.
The company PKB Inwest Budowa has announced that the retail chain Lidl Polska will be a tenant of the newly developed Retail Park in Garwolin. The investment will include the construction of 3 buildings with a total area of 11,045 sqm. GLA. One of
of them with an area of over 2,100 sqm will be occupied by a Lidl Polska shop.
Peek & Cloppenburg has chosen the Szczecin Galaxy shopping centre to make its debut in West Pomerania in Poland. The brand's only shop in this part of the country will be almost two thousand square metres in size.
The Enel-med clinic chain is opening two new outlets in Wrocław: 510 sqm in Sagittarius Business House and 1,374 sqm in the Infinity office building.
New appointments
Angelika Majkowska has taken up the position of HR director at Apsys Poland. Angelika, who has been with the company since 2013, will be responsible for complex HR policies in an organisation with a structure involving more than 19 teams in various locations.
Filip Krstičević is joining iO Partners in Zagreb as Regional Manager, focusing on leasing and land deals across the region. With a strong track record of acquiring land sites and developing residential and commercial properties in both Croatia and Australia, Filip is well placed to support international investors entering the Croatian market.
The Management Board of Globe Trade Centre S.A. has announced that on 18th of March, 2024 the company accepted Barbara Sikora's decision to resign from the company's authorities.
Peakside Capital Advisors has achieved two BREEAM IN-USE certifications at the "Very Good" level for over 50,000 square meters of warehouse-office space at Logistics Point Raszyn and Logistics Point Piaseczno. The attained rating results from the successful modernization of fully commercialized logistic centres near Warsaw.
Panattoni has acquired financing for the development of its latest development in Western Pomerania. The €20 million loan was granted by mBank. Panattoni Park Szczecin V will comprise 30,000 sqm of which around a third has already been leased to a client from the food and hospitality sector.
Immofinanz Group generated strong growth in rental income during the 2023 financial year. This development was based primarily on the full consolidation of S Immo, the purchase of retail properties, and solid growth in like-for-like rental income. However, due to revaluation effects, the company recorded a decline in net profit to €-229.5 million in 2023.
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