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New a&o Hostel Opens in Brussels with 377 Rooms
a&o Hostels launches its second location in Belgium, boosting its offerings in the European market.
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 fulfills 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 over the next year with an expected investment of around seven million euros, expanding the hostel to 377 rooms.
Winter commented on the company’s strategy:
“Property takeovers are our favourite. They enable dynamic and healthy growth for a&o Hostels.”
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.