International hotel operator company Aimbridge Hospitality EMEA, in partnership with European Village, will manage the international hotel chain Wyndham Grand Residences in Gonio.
In an interview with the TV-program "Business Weekly", the company's Regional Vice President for Eastern Europe, Armin Eberhard, talks about the competitive advantages that cooperation with Aimbridge gives to the private sector.
“Aimbridge Hospitality EMEA entered Georgia in 2023 with the signing of the management agreement for the Alliance Palace Aparthotel owned by Alliance Group, one of the largest developers in Georgia.
By leveraging the strengths and expertise of both Alliance Group and Aimbridge Hospitality EMEA, the partnership is revolutionizing the hospitality landscape of Georgia, creating quality for visitors and enhancing value for investors and developers.
In addition, Aimbridge Hospitality EMEA was named operator of the Wyndham Grand Residences Batumi Gonio project, expanding our presence in the region.
The agreement will see Aimbridge EMEA manage the hotel complex, which comprises several hotels with accommodation from studios to townhouses” , - Armin Eberhard said.
According to him, in preparation for future operations in Georgia, Aimbridge EMEA is also supporting developers and their projects with Technical Service Advisory, including engineering design reviews and close cooperation with project teams, contractors, architects and MEP experts.
“Aimbridge EMEA’s approach when entering a new country is to establish a local presence, assembling expertise in all key areas, such as operations, finance, commercial and revenue management, as well as IT solutions. This allows direct and immediate access to our expertise for our partners and clients in market, supporting construction projects and the hotel teams on site.”, - Armin Eberhard noted.
As of him, Aimbridge's competitive advantages are strong track record of up to 10 new openings and transitions per annum, along with relevant technical knowledge and operational expertise for timely and brand compliant transitions.
“Our most recent new openings and transitions in 2023 include an independent aparthotel in Georgia, an upscale resort in Spain, a hotel in the Netherlands (IHG) as well as serviced apartments in Belgium (Accor).
Unrivalled global reach, coupled with a local approach through dedicated regional VP of Operations, for direct owner contact.
Expert regional and corporate support team, allowing for optimised market penetration and bespoke support for all types of hotels.
Scale of group allowing for best-in-class systems such as finance.
Highly experienced operators of Hilton, Accor, Hyatt, IHG and Marriott franchised hotels and resorts.
Fully brand agnostic operator with close relationships with all major franchisors, currently over 80 sub-brands under our management across the group”, - Armin Eberhard noted.
According to him, Aimbridge is the preeminent white label operator, managing over 1,000 hotels across all chain scales and 80+ brands.
“Aimbridge EMEA seeks to establish its presence in the Eastern European market as the region has untapped potential.
The country is sporting a group of strong development entrepreneurs, pushing the boundaries of hospitality to new heights in Georgia.
Interest in the world is growing for the new destination, and strong partnerships and experience are required to keep up with the speed of hospitality development and demand generation.
Georgia offers a European style of business, the country has opened up to international travelers, easing entry requirements for many nations. This creates and enhances job opportunities in the regions and cities and business opportunities for individual and institutional investors, both national and international”, Armin Eberhard said.
Aimbridge Hospitality's journey began over 60 years ago with the founding of Interstate Hotels & Resorts in the U.S. Starting with a single motel in Pennsylvania in 1960, the company expanded to operate Howard Johnson hotels and formed a long-term partnership with Marriott in the 1970s. By the end of that decade, they managed 25 hotels and had diversified into project management and design services.
In the 1990s, the company launched a select-service division, went public, and later returned to private ownership. By the decade's end, they managed 230 hotels, including the Roosevelt Hotel in New York City.
The 2000s saw international expansion into Moscow, London, Mexico, India, Belgium, and Ireland.
From 2011 to 2018, the company grew geographically and in portfolio size, acquiring management companies in the U.S., expanding into China, entering the Netherlands and significantly increasing their presence in the UK. They also entered the Caucasus and CIS regions, opening properties in Belarus, Kazakhstan, Uzbekistan and in Yerevan, Armenia.
In 2018, they grew further in Western Europe with their first property in France.
The following year, Aimbridge Hospitality and Interstate Hotels & Resorts merged, becoming the global leader in third-party hotel management with properties in 20 countries.
In 2021, the Central American market was added with the acquisition of a management portfolio in Mexico, and in 2022, they opened an office in Batumi, Georgia, to cover the Eastern Europe region.
