Amsterdam budget hotel group eyes UK for rapid expansion

The budget hotel group intends to source commercial property to transform into low-cost, high quality accommodation, based on a patented “all-in-one” furniture pod and lounge.

Qbic, which launched its first and only hotel in Amsterdam’s World Trade Centre in 2007, believes its simple pod-like design allows it to complete property redevelopment within three months, by taking advantage of existing infrastructure and amenities.

It intends to capitalise on the relatively high number of redundant commercial buildings in the UK.

Paul Janmaat, managing partner of Qbic Hotels, said: “Up to 15 per cent of all office buildings in the UK are empty and in some cities even more are empty, and this situation is unlikely to change in the near future owing to the current economic environment.

“Our hotel concept is an effective solution for building owners who are looking for uses for their existing empty commercial property. We believe that there is a significant market for high-quality low cost hotels in the UK, and we are now actively searching for properties at the right locations in a number of regions, as we wish to expand as soon as possible.”

Further expansion​

Once Qbic has acquired ten sites, in the aforementioned locations and cities with a population of more than half a million, it will turn towards acquiring units in Manchester, Liverpool, Leeds and Edinburgh.

Janmaat added that Qbic’s “fresh and appealing” design, which features touches such as the Cubi furniture-pod and Q-lounge, would help it stand out in the rapidly-growing budget hotel market.

“We don’t believe that low-cost should mean low-value, our hotel design is all about quality and we believe that this will work well in the UK market,” he said.