Europe’s hostel chain has opened its 42nd European hostel, located in Belgium’s capital, Brussels. The centrally located hostel currently has 296 rooms, 45 parking spaces and a total area of 20,000 square metres. The acquisition of the former ‘The President Brussels Hotel’ on Boulevard du Roi Albert follows the opening of a&o Antwerpen Centraal in October 2024.
Founder and CEO Oliver Winter said “Opening two exceptional locations in Belgium within a few weeks is really unusual. First Antwerp and now Brussels, this fulfils our growth targets in Belgium.” The opening of a&o Brussels Centrum increases the total number of beds globally to over 30,000.
Renovation and modernisation of the hostel is being planned in stages over the next year and a&o expects to invest around seven million euros on this project, expanding the hostel to 377 rooms.
“Property takeovers are our favourite”
Founder and CEO Oliver Winter said, “Property takeovers are our favourite, they enable dynamic and healthy growth for a&o Hostels.” Conversions are also a focus when it comes to further growth for the business. In February 2025, the a&o Firenze Campo di Marte will be the second a&o hostel to open in Italy, with 121 rooms in a former municipal administration building.
Preliminary results for 2024
In 2024, it is projected that there were around 2.7 million guests with around 6.2 million overnight stays. a&o is projected to expand even further in 2025, with potential a&o locations including London, Manchester, Paris, Madrid and Lisbon.
