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%.
Performance change over 2016
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.
A 200-square-metre Office Shoes store offering branded women's, men's, and children's footwear has opened in the Forum Gdańsk shopping centre. This is the chain's first shop in Gdańsk.
IWG has leased 906 sqm for a new Regus space in VOX Technology Park in Timișoara.
Auchan will open a new 7,000 sqm hypermarket at the end of next year in Sun Plaza, the shopping mall owned by CPI Romania. This move is part of a broader strategy to reposition Sun Plaza, which will undergo a phased modernization process starting in June. The space was previously leased by Carrefour.
New appointments
CBRE Romania has announced the promotion of Ramona Hîrnea to the role of Head of Investor Retail Leasing for its national operations. With over 22 years of experience in commercial space leasing, Ramona brings a comprehensive perspective on the retail market, gained both from her position as a consultant for property owners and as a representative of tenants.
Marcin Janik has taken up the position of head of the southern Poland region at CBRE. He will be responsible for Silesia, Małopolska and the previously serviced Wrocław.
GTC Group has appointed Miklos Egri as Chief Operating Officer. The new manager will be responsible for the company's day-to-day operational and administrative management in the Central and Eastern European markets.
European commercial real estate investment volumes are forecast to grow by 13% in 2025, but Central and Eastern Europe (CEE) is expected to outperform this average, with a projected 32% year-on-year increase, reports Savills.
The Czech retail has been performing well, shows Shopping Centre Index from CBRE monitoring the the last year. The positive trend has been significantly contributed by the growth of real wages supporting higher customer confidence together with the low level of inflation.
Public real estate fund Meta Estate Trust has announced new investments of approximately €4 million in Bucharest's residential sector. The investments, made within the company’s trading business line, encompass four residential projects in two key areas of the city.
Property Forum is a leading event hub in the CEE real estate industry with over 10 years of experience. We organise conferences, business breakfasts and workshops focused on real estate, in London, Vienna, Warsaw, Budapest, Bucharest, Bratislava, Prague, Zagreb and Sofia, amongst other locations.
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