Hotel management group, Aimbridge EMEA has reported an average of 15% uplift in RevPAR across its UK portfolio against 2019, with certain locations doubling that performance at points during 2022.
The growth follows a strong year for the third-party management company which has seen multiple property signings and openings.
Key areas of RevPAR growth within the portfolio included airport properties and gateway cities such as Edinburgh, Birmingham and Newcastle, as the travel industry recovered from the impact of Covid-19 and inbound visits to the UK increased in response to the drop in the value of Pound Sterling. Domestic travel also remained strong in the wake of the pandemic.
During the year, Aimbridge EMEA, formerly known as Interstate Hotels & Resorts, signed and opened a number of new properties including Mercure Newport, Hilton London T5 Heathrow Airport, the ibis budget and Holiday Inn hotels at Manchester Airport and Holiday Inn Express Brussels.
Most recently, it was selected to operate the renowned luxury Belsfield Hotel in the Lake District, asserting the company’s presence within the independent hotel sector.
Part of the global Aimbridge Hospitality family, Aimbridge EMEA now manages more than 120 hotels throughout the EMEA region, including signed pipeline properties.
Carol Dodds, Senior Vice President – Commercial, at Aimbridge EMEA, (pictured) said, “It’s been a strong year, particularly for our airport hotels and across the gateway cities. We’ve signed new properties, including the 350-bed Hilton London T5 Hotel at Heathrow and the prestigious Belsfield Hotel at Lake Windermere in the Lake District.
“Our portfolio continues to grow and we exceed market share across the country. To see our RevPAR levels grow by more than 15 percent, which is tracking ahead of industry averages, signals really robust growth, well surpassing pre-Covid levels.
'This growth and the continuing expansion of our portfolio is particularly notable against the backdrop of a year where the industry has faced incredibly difficult headwinds.
“From supply chain challenges to energy price hikes and skills shortages, we’re continuing to help our owners navigate these tough times, using our clout as part of the global Aimbridge Hospitality family to minimise impact wherever possible.
“This has included initiatives such as introducing apprenticeship schemes to upskill workers and establishing global partnership deals with suppliers to keep overheads low.
“We’ll be continuing this work into 2023 with the aim of holding strong and maintaining positive growth for our properties, in spite of the many challenges that face the sector.”
Aimbridge EMEA expanded its team earlier this year, too, with several key appointments across the UK, Europe and the CIS.
The new hires joined Aimbridge in development and operational roles, cementing the company’s commitment to driving future growth across international territories.
David Anderson, Aimbridge EMEA’s divisional president, said, “The last 12 months have seen our team grow and our portfolio flourish, as we debuted the new Aimbridge EMEA brand and invested in talent to benefit our owners, through reinforced and strengthened services.
“We look forward to continuing to provide our owners with an unparalleled level of service into 2023 and beyond, across both the branded and independent hotel sectors, showcasing our expertise as we welcome more best in class hotels into the growing Aimbridge EMEA portfolio.”
The Aimbridge Hospitality global portfolio, inclusive of managed and pipeline properties, now stands at more than 1,500 hotels in over 20 countries.
Interstate Hotels & Resorts, which merged with Aimbridge Hospitality in 2019, moved under the Aimbridge corporate identity in October 2022.