MADRID—Room Mate Hotels has announced that it will add 11 new properties within the next two years to its existing portfolio of 18 hotels. New establishments will open in urban destinations around the world including Istanbul, Rotterdam, Milan, Rome and Bogota, with additional hotels added to Barcelona and New York.
The expansion comes on the heels of one of Room Mate Hotels’ most profitable years, setting occupancy records that averaged more than 80% brand-wide for 2013 and an increase in overall ADR by 2.10%. The brand also ended 2013 with the opening of Room Mate Aitana in Amsterdam, Room Mate’s first foray into The Netherlands and the largest property in the portfolio with 284 guestrooms and suites overlooking the IJ River in the city’s cultural center.
“This is a dynamic time for Room Mate as we are growing faster than ever before, expanding our brand to new and enticing areas of the world while also re-discovering some of our current locations from a new perspective,” stated Enrique “Kike” Sarasola, president and founder of Room Mate Hotels. “With such a fast-paced global economy, we believe this is the ideal time to expand our portfolio with new additions that offer guests access to key international cities in a friendly, approachable way.”
In late spring 2014, Room Mate will debut in Istanbul, the first out of three hotels in the pipeline for the city. The project has been commissioned to renowned designer Lázaro Rosa Violán and will have 61 rooms, an outdoor terrace and spa. A new, 230-room property in Rotterdam is also in development, which will feature a ground floor devoted to housing Spanish retail shops and products. Located in the city’s port district, this new property will be designed by Teresa Sapey, the architect behind Room Mate Pau in Barcelona.
Following the success of two openings in the past year in Florence, Room Mate will be expanding its footprint in Italy to include properties in Rome and Milan. Two properties are also slated to open in Bogota, and a second Room Mate hotel will join Room Mate Grace in New York City.
A renewed focus will also be on hotel development in Barcelona as the city is a key destination for the brand. Toward the end of 2014, Room Mate will open an 81-room property on Aragon Street near Paseo de Gracia, featuring both a terrace and pool and a property will follow near the Plaza de Urquinaona in Barcelona.
Further expansion is slated for destinations such as Paris and London as main capitals of the world and cities like Bilbao, San Sebastián and Seville in Spain.