Leonardo Hotels realigns development for the next phase of growth

Leonardo Hotels Central Europe is realigning its Development Department. An extended team structure and clearly defined areas of responsibility will deliver the right conditions to drive expansion in Europe as the company continues on its pathway of rapid growth. The emphasis will be on strengthening established core markets and on augmenting selected growth regions.

High project volume requires new structures  

The realignment has been necessitated by an above-average project volume. Leonardo Hotels Central Europe expects to add 28 new hotels to its portfolio in 2026 alone. This figure includes around 20 properties that have been acquired form the former Revo portfolio. Furthermore, many of the transactions completed this year will bring extensive integration, reconstruction or renovation projects in their wake over the coming months. Leonardo Hotels is currently expecting to make around 20 new acquisitions in 2027 too.

At the same time, the team is also overseeing some 30 projects from past years, such as conversions and renovations of existing buildings. In addition to this, several new construction projects have already reached an advanced stage and are set to launch next year. The high volume of parallel activities was one of the major reasons behind the reorganisation of the development team.

Focus on existing markets and targeted expansion

In geographical terms, the initial focus will be on established core regions such as Germany. The Leonardo Hotels Central Europe Business Unit encompasses more than 130 hotels, and around 80 of these are currently located there. More hotels will be added in Germany by the end of the year too.

At the same time, Leonardo Hotels is preparing to enter the Nordic and Scandinavian markets. Björn Anker Gullaksen has joined the development team as Director of Development for the Nordics and, in this role, is tasked with driving forward the expansion of the portfolio in Northern Europe. The focus is particularly on capital cities such as Stockholm, Copenhagen, Oslo, Helsinki and Reykjavik, with growth opportunities being pursued both through acquisitions and leases. Of particular interest are existing hotels that can be integrated relatively quickly into one of the seven brands.

Leonardo Hotels is currently operating eight hotels and one master apartment building in Italy. The aim is for this presence is to be further expanded in the coming years. To this end, Niccolò Pravettoni has been appointed to the position of Business Development Manager for Italy in order to reinforce the team. Mr. Pravettoni was most recently Head of Business Development with the Líbere Hospitality Group. His role at Leonardo Hotels will be to take responsibility for further expansion in Italy by collaborating with owners, asset managers and institutional investors. The main focus will be on the major cities, on selected secondary locations and on key leisure destinations.

Leonardo Hotels sees further potential in Czechia, Romania and Hungary and also in Poland, where the group is already represented and has now grown its presence to four hotels and a master apartment building. The intention going forwards is to pursue opportunities for expansion even more robustly, including in countries such as Slovakia or Slovenia. For this reason, plans are in place for locally based managers to be recruited to the development team at each of these destinations.

France too remains an important market that has been earmarked for expansion. Leonardo Hotels is therefore currently seeking a development manager in order to scale up its activities in the country. Once the portfolio has been extended to include a second property later this year, the goal will be to add more hotels in Paris and in other cities.

A future strategy with clear criteria

Development activities will continue to be geared towards well-positioned city hotels which enhance the existing portfolio in a meaningful way. These include both conventional business and conference hotels and other properties which offer potential for the further development of established concepts and brands. Future expansion of the leisure segment will be a simultaneous objective. This will involve scrutiny of different types of ventures ranging from new builds and conversions to existing hotels and turnkey projects.

Partnership IV is supporting the expansion of the hotel portfolio by providing additional investment capital. The total volume of the partnership is expected to be between 800 million and 1 billion euros. This means that funding will be available to grow established markets and to expand into new destinations.

New areas of responsibility in the development team

The strategic alignment is being supported by an extended management structure in the Development Department. Martin Stegner is joining Leonardo Hotels as Development Director and Deputy VP for Development. He will take charge of development activities in Central Europe as well as deputising for Jan Heringa, Vice President Development and Project Management Leonardo Hotels Central Europe. One particular focus of his remit will be the development and expansion of the serviced apartment brand Master in Central Europe. Martin Stegner was previously Chief Development Officer for NOVUM Hospitality and Revo Hospitality. He boasts many years of experience in the hospitality and transaction sector.

Robert Ruschke, who has been part of the development team since 2021, has been appointed Deputy Development Director Central Europe. In his new role, he will assume responsibility for the entire region in future whilst also concentrating on Germany, Austria and Switzerland and on the eastern European markets.

We are seeking to develop our portfolio further and to gain a foothold in new regions. This is not about growth for its own sake. We want to identify the right projects in the right locations and build appropriate partnerships over the long term. Our new development structure creates the prerequisites that will allow us to exploit opportunities and to tap into new potential in Europe.

Jan Heringa, Vice President Development and Project Management Leonardo Hotels Central Europe

The development team will be in attendance at the EXPO REAL in Munich from 5 to 7 October.