3rd August 2022– a&o Hostels has reported a strong 2022 so far, with bookings in the first half of year on par with pre-pandemic 2019 figures. Europe’s largest hostel chain has recorded over 2,500 daily calls to the reservation hotline as well as an 80% year-on-year increase in unique visitors to the a&o Hostels website from May to June.
a&o CEO and Founder Oliver Winter comments, “2022’s performance so far is due to our excellent team combined with an increase in consumer confidence to travel and is a positive indication of a promising second half of the year. Our occupancy rates for May 2022 averaged around 74%, rising to 85% in June, making the first half of this year one of our most successful to date. We are expecting the success to continue as we expect a summer occupancy rate of over 90% across our hostel portfolio.”
a&o has also reported double-digit growth in group and family bookings, compared to the same time in 2019. In a recent market study from German organisation Service Value and Bild Am Sonntag, guest families report to be highly satisfied with the budget group’s performance and service.
The company is on track to reach its estimated revenue of between 140 million and 160 million Euros this year, provided that no significant changes to travel restrictions arise in the second half of 2022. Oliver Winter continues, “the height of the pandemic was a difficult time across travel and hospitality, however at a&o we have found ways to successfully deal with the challenges.” Special safety and hygiene measures will continue at all locations and digital procedures will continue to expand, including mobile or self-check-in, digital breakfast check and digital room keys.
a&o continues to grow team and location portfolio
Alongside a strong increase in bookings, a&o has continued to grow its team in a range of positions from its real estate team to front of house. Prioritising convenient application via smartphone, no time limit employment contracts, and the online a&o training academy, are some of the ways the hostel chain is setting itself apart.
Oliver Winter comments, “we are pioneers when it comes to digitalisation and guest services so adapting the recruiting process to the needs of applicants in the same way was the natural and logical choice. We have solutions for hospitality’s shortage of staff and the feedback has been very positive – since the beginning of the year, we have signed over 400 new employment contracts.”
Since 2020, a&o has opened five new hostels in major cities including Warsaw, Budapest, Copenhagen, Edinburgh and Rotterdam, with its sights set on further expansion. The UK, Italy, Benelux, and the DACH region are high priorities for the a&o team as well as Ireland, France and Greece. a&o’s expansion is due to its active real estate team who prioritise acquiring existing properties to fold into the growing portfolio to significantly extend the life of the properties by converting and renovating them in line with a&o’s branding and ethos. For more information about a&o Hostels, visit: www.aohostels.com
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