EasyHotel
 | This article contains promotional content. (July 2021) |
| File:EasyHotel.svg | |
| Industry | Hotels |
|---|---|
| Founded | January 19, 2004 |
| Founder | Stelios Haji-Ioannou |
| Headquarters | London, United Kingdom |
Number of locations | 42 |
Area served | Europe[1] |
Key people | Karim Malak (CEO) |
| Website | www |
EasyHotel (styled as easyHotel) is an international budget hotel chain headquartered in London with branches in ten European countries.[1]
History
Originally founded by Stelios Haji-Ioannou through the easyGroup, easyHotel was incorporated in 2004 and opened its first hotel in South Kensington, London in 2005. Whilst easyHotel owned its first hotel in South Kensington (which was subsequently sold and franchised in 2007), its growth strategy in its early years was to expand via franchise contracts.[citation needed]
In 2007, Easygroup signed with Dubai-state-owned Istithmar Hotels for them to invest 400 million USD in five years to build 38/3800 Easy hotels/rooms in Africa, the Middle East and parts of Asia. However, only a sole hotel in Dubai opened in 2010 which since closed.[2][1] Later in 2007, easyHotel also signed a master franchise agreement with Germany-based Igen Hotels, planning 60 franchised EHs in Europe (outside the UK) in three years, of which about 10 were expected in Germany.[2]
2007 saw the first three international franchise hotels open in Basel, Budapest and Zurich along with two further hotels in London, at Earl’s Court and Victoria. 2008 marked easyHotel’s expansion with the opening of hotels near Luton and Heathrow airports as well as in London Paddington. Between 2010 and 2014, the Company continued to expand its portfolio through franchise partnerships with new openings in Scotland, Germany and The Netherlands. The group also acquired two London based hotels in Old Street (2012) and Croydon (2014).[citation needed]
In June 2014, the Company floated on the London Stock Exchange raising £24.5m to fund further growth and expansion. In August 2019 directors of the company backed a £139 million bid for the company in August despite opposition from founder Sir Stelios Haji-Ioannou. The bidding consortium is made up of Luxembourg-based ICAMAP and Ivanhoé Cambridge of Canada. Ivanhoe is owned by Quebec’s pension company, CDPQ (Caisse de depot et placement du Quebec).[2]
Operations
As of October 2022, easyHotel has corporately owned and franchised branches in the United Kingdom (21, of which 7 are in London), the Netherlands (7), Switzerland (4), Germany (2), France (2), Spain (2), Belgium (1), Hungary (1), Portugal (1) and Bulgaria (1). The formerly operated sole hotel in Dubai no longer exists.[1]
References
External links
Media related to EasyHotel at Wikimedia Commons
