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.
Premium office operator Hotspot has expanded its flexible workspace footprint within Bucharest's The Mark building by approximately 700 sqm to meet rising corporate demand. The expansion brings the total area of private office and coworking spaces at the Hotspot Workhub sites to approximately 2,552 sqm.
Stook Concept has leased a 3,600 sqm module within building C2 at the MLP Bucharest West logistics centre. The facility comprises approximately 3,500 sqm of warehouse space and 100 sqm of offices. The building is in its final construction phase, with handover scheduled for later this quarter. Colliers represented the tenant in the transaction.
DXC Technology has extended its lease agreement for office space in Warsaw’s Skyliner tower, securing its tenancy until 2032. The global IT services leader will continue to occupy nearly 4,600 sqm of office space distributed across three floors of the Karimpol Group’s flagship development.
New appointments
BNP Paribas Real Estate Poland has expanded its Industrial and Logistics Agency team with the appointments of Joanna Choromańska, formerly of JLL, and Bartosz Wilczyński, previously with CBRE. The new hires bring a combined 34 years of experience in sector sales, lease negotiations, and build-to-suit project delivery to support the division's ongoing growth.
Speedwell has expanded its industrial and logistics team with the appointment of Valentin Achim as Leasing and Property Manager for Industrial Developments. Achim brings extensive experience in coordinating commercial and operational activities within the logistics and industrial sectors. In his new role, he will oversee the development and expansion of the company's Spaceplus platform.
Colliers has appointed Kata Mazsaroff, Tamás Beck, and Miklós Ecsődi as Equity Partners in Hungary, effective 30 April 2026. Mazsaroff, who joined in 2007, rises to Managing Partner after overseeing a 200 per cent revenue increase since her 2022 appointment as Managing Director. Beck, with Colliers since 1994, has led the Industrial & Logistics division since 2005, facilitating transactions covering 1.9 million sqm of built space and 9.8 million sqm of land. Ecsődi, Head of Occupier Services and Office Agency since joining in 2011, has secured over 450,000 sqm in leases valued above €600 million.
As traditional real estate sectors mature, investors are increasingly looking to residential rental housing, co-living, student accommodation and data centres for growth. While demand drivers remain strong, these sectors are still evolving, with questions around regulation, financing, market liquidity and operational models shaping investment decisions. At Future of Real Estate 2026, industry leaders discussed where the biggest opportunities lie and what needs to happen for these asset classes to scale further in Poland and across CEE.
Companies and entrepreneurs looking to lease coworking spaces in Romania can now evaluate the best market options using multiple criteria including economic efficiency, workplace quality and technical specifications, according to a new guide developed by Beyond Space in partnership with Cushman & Wakefield Echinox.
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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