Italy, probably the largest single market for hotel rooms in Europe, still has plenty of room to grow for the major international hotel companies, especially in the midscale and economy markets.

This is one of the key findings in the brand new report into the Italian hotel chains market released today by Horwath HTL, Italy part of Horwath HTL, the world's largest and most experienced hotel, tourism and leisure brand.

The report, the first to look comprehensively into the Italian hotel market from an international and domestic chain perspective, has been written by respected industry professionals Giorgio Ribaudo and Zoran Bacic. Other key findings include:

  • In 2013, Italy had 1.235 chain hotels and over 146 brands. International chains accounted for 510 hotels and over 63.000 rooms, while domestic chains recorded 776 properties and over 82.400 rooms.
  • This stock of rooms explains an overall chain penetration of 12,7% in the 2013 Italian hotel market.
  • International and domestic chains are concentrated mostly in the Luxury and Upscale segments, where they account for about 16% and 28% respectively of the Italian stock.
  • Nearly 3 out of 4 chain rooms are in the Upscale tier.
  • Chains focus on big cities that are geared towards Arts & Business: Milan, Rome, Florence, Venice and Bologna are the top 5 locations, altogether totaling almost 170 international and over 200 domestic chain hotels.
  • While independent hotels have an average of 33 rooms, chain hotels are much greater, with an of average of 108 rooms, the Upscale supply standing at almost 123.

Zoran Bacic, Managing Partner of Horwath HTL, Italy said." The report is unique, because it gives real clarity to an incredibly complex market. Italy has a reputation of being a diverse and complex mix of small, traditional hotels that are family run and there is certainly a lot of truth in this. However, the industry landscape is changing quickly and we have identified areas that will be exploited by the major players over the coming few years as they look to expand away from the luxury segment and gain critical mass across all market segments. We will continue to update this valuable information annually and provide more transparency for investors, which will benefit the hotel market as a whole."

The report can be accessed here

About Horwath HTL

Horwath HTL is focused one hundred percent on hospitality, tourism, and leisure consulting. Our services cover every aspect of hotel real estate investment, tourism, and leisure development. Our clients choose Horwath HTL because we have earned a reputation for impartial advice that will often mean the difference between failure and success. Each client project is unique, and they rely on us to utilize the experience we have gained throughout our 100-year history to assist them in achieving their goals. Being a global firm with 52 offices in 40 countries, we have successfully carried out over 40,000 assignments for both public and private clients. As part of the Crowe Global network, a top-ten accounting, and financial services network, Horwath HTL is the number one choice for companies and financial institutions looking to invest and develop in the industry.

For more information, please visit www.horwathhtl.com.

James Chappell
Global Business Director
Horwath

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