A&o: 3 million overnight stays and occupancy rate rises to 75%
“The first half of 2024 is the one that recorded the best performance ever, in almost 25 years of history of our group” – Says Oliver Winter. 2.98 million overnight stays, 5% more than the previous year, an average room occupancy of 75% and two further new openings by the end of the year. “We are on the right track,” says the founder and CEO of a&o, in light of the half-year results.
The largest private hostel chain in Europe currently has 38 properties, in 25 cities, in 9 European countries and continues to grow: albeit with some delay, a&o Florence Campo di Marte will open at the end of the year and another property in the UK will be added to the a&o portfolio this summer.
With a total turnover of over 111 million euros, Berlin hostel chain a&o surpassed the previous year’s result by 10 percentthus recording in this first half of 2024 the highest result in the company’s history. The best performing months, with room occupancy above 80%were May and June. A result that was anticipated in the first quarter when the recorded overnight stays were around 1.4 million. The most popular hotels in Germany were a&o Berlin Mitte, a&o Hamburg City and a&o Berlin Hauptbahnhof; internationally, a&o Prague Rhea, a&o Vienna Hauptbahnhof and a&o Venice Mestre.
Half-yearly data summary:
• Top 3 destinations: the most requested markets by a&o customers are Germany, Poland and the United Kingdom
• 54% of domestic guests (2023: 66%)
• Over 200,000 calls to the service center and over 180,000 bot messages
• 75% room occupancy (2023: 72%)
• Average room occupancy: 80% in May and 82% in June
• Summer occupancy expected up to 90%
European Championships, Taylor Swift and Coldplay: Event Travel Is Becoming More Important
Mega events, maximum fills. Whether it’s football or concerts, a&o’s facilities have reached peak occupancy rates of 100%. on match days and around 90 percent throughout the entire European Championship, which ensured “extraordinary demand” for a&o. Performances by Taylor Swift and Coldplay also left very few beds free. “The number of event travellers is constantly increasing,” confirms Winter, “regardless of the day of the week, concerts and sporting events are popular attractions and bookings for these events are made well in advance.” It is worth noting that a&o club membership offers significant discounts even during peak periods: regular a&o customers benefit from price reductions of up to 25 percent.
77% less since 2015: a&o further reduces CO2e emissions
a&o managed to further reduce its CO2e emissions by 410 grams per overnight stay last year, reaching the calculated average value of 3.32 kilograms (2022: 3.73 kg). This corresponds to a reduction of more than 77 percent since the start of measurements in 2015. “The numbers are really good,” comments Oliver Winter, “but there is still a lot to do,” he says in a&o’s second sustainability report. a&o’s goal is to be Net Zero by 2025. “In the future, the travel experience will go far beyond accommodation and catering,” Winter is convinced, “it will increasingly be about engagement, interaction and awareness.”
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