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.
Gaya Studios has 190 sqm in Green Gate office complex, in a deal brokered by Rustler Romania.
Kalenda, a Romanian furniture and home décor retailer with nationwide presence, is expanding its operations by leasing 2,500 sqm at Industra Park Iași, a logistics park owned and managed by Oresa Industra.
CurryLab, a new dining concept by the owners of IndianTaste, has signed a lease for more than 150 sqm on the ground floor of the NEFRYT residential building in Warsaw. The brand’s fourth location in the city is scheduled to open this summer at SOHO by Yareal.
New appointments
Krzysztof Wróblewski (MRICS) has been named Head of Portfolio Management CEE at Peakside Capital Advisors, responsible for overseeing investments and managing the real estate portfolio. He succeeds Christopher Smith in this role.
Garbe Industrial is reorganising its senior leadership team. CEO Christopher Garbe will now focus on strategic orientation and international activities. Jan Philipp Daun assumes leadership of the Development division alongside his existing Investment and Joint Venture responsibilities. Andrea Agrusow expands her remit to include Portfolio Management while retaining control of Commercial and Real Estate Management. Additionally, Michael Marcinek and Maik Zeranski will now jointly head the restructured Development unit as Management Board Members, succeeding Adrian Zellner.
CPI Property Group is strengthening its leasing structure with the appointment of Agnieszka Baczyńska as Head of Leasing. In her new role, she will be responsible for shaping and executing the leasing strategy across the group’s office and retail portfolio in Poland. At the same time, Izabela Potrykus has been appointed Leasing Office Director. Baczyńska brings more than 20 years of experience in the commercial real estate market. Prior to joining CPI Property Group in 2022, she served as International Leasing Director at Neinver Polska.
Industrial developer Panattoni will deliver a 46,000 sqm build-to-suit project for Nagel-Group in Poznań as part of Panattoni Park Poznań East III. The facility will serve as the food logistics company's key hub in Poland.
Zeitgeist Asset Management, specialising in development services and asset management for private and institutional investors, has completed changes to its ownership structure. As part of this transaction, the Family Office of Co-Founder Sebastian Junghänel sold its stake to Family Office Noack, concluding their long-term business partnership.
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