Sparkassen opens EUR 55m Bratislava hotel

Sparkassen Immobilien opened its Austria Trend Hotel Bratislava at the end of November following 14 months of construction. The project, offering 200 rooms, will involve an investment of EUR 55 mln for the Vienna-based property developer.

The property also represents the first hotel opened in Slovakia by the Austrian hotel operator Verkehrsbüro Group. 'The opening of the Austria Trend Hotel Bratislava marks our entry into the Slovakian market. With its unique postage-stamp facade, the hotel is a tourist landmark in Bratislava,' said Harald Nograsek, general director of Verkehrsbüro Group.

Located in the heart of the old town, the new four-star hotel offers roughly 200 rooms, fitness and conference facilities as well as 3,600 m² of office and retail space and 70 parking spaces. Sparkassen counts a number of hotel projects in its portfolio, including properties in Vienna, Prague, Budapest and Bucharest.

Verkehrsbüro Group has expanded its hotel portfolio with seven new establishments over the last two years, and currently manages a total of 32 Austria Trend Hotels & Resorts. 'We are planning to develop our CEE portfolio gradually over the coming years and want to expand further into Eastern Europe. We have already taken the first steps in this direction with the two Austria Trend Hotels in Bratislava and Ljubljana,' Nograsek said.

He added that the company is currently evaluating potential locations in neighbouring markets such as Prague and Budapest. 'We are definitely considering additional projects in Slovakia,' he continued.

Sparkassen has invested a total of EUR 150 mln in its development pipeline so far this year. The Vienna-based builder recently opened the Neutor 1010 building in Vienna, while its Serdika Center shopping centre in Sofia and the Sun Plaza mall in Bucharest are scheduled to open in early 2010.