A&O Hotels and Hostels

Last updated
a&o Hotels and Hostels
Company type GmbH
Industry Hostels, Hotels
Founded2000
FounderOliver Winter
HeadquartersBerlin
Number of locations
39 (2024)
Revenue€ 217,000,000 (2023)
Website aohostels.com

a&o Hotels and Hostels GmbH is a chain of hostels, headquartered in Berlin, that targets young travelers and backpackers, offering cheap group rooms and hotel rooms for two. The hostels are generally centrally located, mostly close to train stations. A&O has 39 subsidiaries in nine countries, making it the biggest privately owned hostel-chain in Europe. In 2023 it recorded about 6.1 million overnight stays and realised sales of €217 million. [1]

Contents

History

A&O Hostel in Berlin, the company's first property. AO Berlin Friedrichshain Front.JPG
A&O Hostel in Berlin, the company's first property.

Founder Oliver Winter had the idea of opening a hostel after several trips through Europe in the late 1990s. There were few hostels in urban areas in Germany at that time; hostels in Germany were mostly situated in suburban or rural areas and were run by the German Youth Hostel Association; this was a problem for foreign travellers, because only members of the organisation could stay there.

In the year 2000 Winter and his landlord Michael Kluge opened the first a&o Hostel in Berlin Friedrichshain with 164 beds. After a year they doubled the number of beds, and in the years 2002 and 2004, they opened new hostels in Berlin. In 2005 the company opened its first houses outside Berlin, in Prague, Hamburg and Munich. From then on the company established various subsidiaries every year, mostly in Germany, but also in bordering countries. [2]

In 2009 the company made headlines by winning a nearly 5-year-long Lawsuit against the DJH, the German Youth Hostel Association. In 2005 the DJH accused a&o of illegally using the word "Jugendherberge", the German term for youth hostel, which DJH had registered word as a brand in 1998. a&o objected and wanted the brand to be deleted, claiming that the word "Jugendherberge" is too common to be protected. Finally, in 2009 the Federal Patent Court of Germany decided that "Jugendherberge" should be deleted from the brand register. [3]

In 2017 the Investment company TPG Capital purchased the majority of the company shares. [4] Since a&o has been acquired by TPG, they massively reinforced their expansion plans. The company published a list of 25 cities in Europe, where new hostels shall be opened in the near future. Besides nine locations in A&O's core markets Germany and Austria, the list also contains cities in Ireland, Scotland, England, the Netherlands, France, Spain, Portugal, Italy, Hungary, Poland, Sweden and Switzerland. [5]

Properties

Current locations

As of 2024, A&O maintains one or more locations in 26 cities in 9 European countries. [6]

NameCountryOpened
Berlin FriedrichshainGermany2000
Berlin MitteGermany2004
Munich HauptbahnhofGermany2005
Hamburg Hammer KircheGermany2005
Munich HackerbrückeGermany2006
Hamburg HauptbahnhofGermany2007
Dresden HauptbahnhofGermany2007
Leipzig HauptbahnhofGermany2008
Vienna StadthalleAustria2008
Hamburg ReeperbahnGermany2009
Düsseldorf HauptbahnhofGermany2009
Cologne NeumarktGermany2009
Berlin HauptbahnhofGermany2010
Cologne DomGermany2011
Nuremberg HauptbahnhofGermany2011
Dortmund HauptbahnhofGermany2011
Hamburg CityGermany2012
Graz HauptbahnhofAustria2013
Vienna HauptbahnhofAustria2013
Frankfurt Galluswarte (Messe)Germany2013
Aachen HauptbahnhofGermany2014
WeimarGermany2014
Munich LaimGermany2014
Amsterdam Zuidoost (Bijlmer)Netherlands2015
Stuttgart CityGermany2015
Berlin KolumbusGermany2015
Cologne HauptbahnhofGermany2016
Salzburg HauptbahnhofAustria2016
Copenhagen NørrebroDenmark2017
Venice MestreItaly2017
Bremen HauptbahnhofGermany2017
Frankfurt OstendGermany2018
Prague RheaCzech Republic2018
Warsaw WolaPoland2020
Budapest City [7] Hungary2020
Copenhagen Sydhavn [8] Denmark2020
Edinburgh CityUnited Kingdom2021
Rotterdam CityNetherlands2022
Brighton Palace Pier [9] United Kingdom2024

Former locations

NameCountryOperated
Berlin ZooGermany2002-2012
Prague Holešovice (Franchise)Czech Republic2005-2012
Prague Metro StrizkovCzech Republic2012-2022
Karlsruhe HauptbahnhofGermany2012-2018
Salzburg Wolfgang's (Management contract)Austria2019-2023
Venice Mestre IIItaly2019-2022

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Hostel</span> Cheap, sociable lodging

A hostel is a form of low-cost, short-term shared sociable lodging where guests can rent a bed, usually a bunk bed in a dormitory sleeping 4–20 people, with shared use of a lounge and usually a kitchen. Rooms can be mixed or single-sex and have private or shared bathrooms. Private rooms may also be available. Hostels are popular forms of lodging for backpackers, however very few impose age limits, so hostels are an option for travellers of all ages and styles. The benefits of hostels include lower costs and opportunities to meet people from different places, find travel partners, and share travel experiences. Some hostels, such as in India or Hostelling International, cater to a niche market of travelers. Different hostels can be known for offering different experiences. For example, one hostel might feature in-house social gatherings such as movie nights or communal dinners, another might feature local tours, one might be known for its parties, and another might have a quieter place to relax in serenity, or be located on the beach. Newer hostels focus on a more trendy design, some of which are on par with boutique hotels. Some may cater to older digital nomads, global nomads, and perpetual travelers who prefer slightly more upmarket private rooms or a quieter atmosphere. Hostels may also differentiate themselves by being environmentally friendly ecohostels. In countries where wages are lower, the cost of staying at a hostel may be similar to staying in a budget hotel.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">TPG Inc.</span> American investment company

TPG Inc., previously known as Texas Pacific Group and TPG Capital, is an American private equity firm based in Fort Worth, Texas. TPG manages investment funds in growth capital, venture capital, public equity, and debt investments. The firm invests in a range of industries including consumer/retail, media and telecommunications, industrials, technology, travel, leisure, and health care. TPG became a public company in January 2022, trading on the NASDAQ under the ticker symbol “TPG”.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Prora</span> Building complex in Rügen, Germany

The Colossus of Prora, commonly known as simply "Prora", is a building complex in the municipality of Binz on the island of Rügen, Germany. It was built by Nazi Germany between 1936 and 1939 as part of the Strength Through Joy project. It consisted of eight identical buildings and was 4.5 km (2.8 mi) in length parallel to the beach, with the surviving structures stretching 3.0 km (1.9 mi).

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Ehrenbreitstein Fortress</span> Fortress in Koblenz, Germany

Ehrenbreitstein Fortress is a fortress in the German state of Rhineland-Palatinate, on the east bank of the Rhine where it is joined by the Moselle, overlooking the town of Koblenz.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Reemtsma</span> Tobacco company

Reemtsma Cigarettenfabriken GmbH is one of the biggest tobacco and cigarette manufacturing companies in Europe and a subsidiary of Imperial Brands. The company's headquarters is in Hamburg, Germany.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Finnentrop</span> Town in North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany

Finnentrop is a Gemeinde (municipality) in Olpe district in North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Babelsberg Studio</span> German film studio

Babelsberg Film Studio, located in Potsdam-Babelsberg outside Berlin, Germany, is the oldest large-scale film studio in the world, producing films since 1912. With a total area of about 460,000 square metres (5,000,000 sq ft) and a studio area of about 25,000 square metres (270,000 sq ft) it is one of Europe's large film studios.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Hotelship</span> Ship used as a portable hotel

A hotelship is a passenger ship which is used for a period as a hotel. A botel or boatel is a boat that serves as a hotel or hostel. Currently there are few permanent hotel ships. The word is a portmanteau of boat and hotel. Botels may range from small or larger purpose-built or converted boats or other watercraft, to converted ships. They may be permanently moored or grounded, or spend part of the year taking guests on tours. The most famous examples are the Queen Mary, in Long Beach; and the Queen Elizabeth 2, in Dubai. Both ships were originally part of Cunard line. During the 2022 World Cup, Qatar chartered three cruise ships to mitigate accommodation shortages.

Closed GmbH is a German fashion brand which has produced jeans and other clothes since 1978. Besides Germany, Closed products are available in its more than 35 stores that are mostly in Italy, France, the Netherlands, Belgium, Great Britain, Russia, and the USA.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Wooga</span> German game developer

Wooga is a German game software company based in Berlin that develops story-driven casual games for mobile devices, such as smartphones and tablets and social networks like Facebook. It has developed mobile games such as June's Journey, Pearl's Peril and Switchcraft. The company is part of the social games company Playtika. Their name comes from the words "World of Gaming".

Eu'Vend is organised every two years by Cologne Trade Fair (Koelnmesse) at the fairground in Cologne - Germany. The conceptual sponsor of the fair is the German Vending Association (bdv), international partner is the European Vending Association, Brussels. The show is open for trade visitors only. Last Eu'Vend took place from 19.-21. September 2013. The next show will be from 24.-26. September 2015 again. Since 2011 Eu'Vend takes place in conjunction with coffeena. In 2013 the Specialty Coffee Association of Europe was the official education partner of coffeena for the first time.

Ante Zelck is a German entrepreneur and hostel pioneer.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">German Youth Hostel Association</span> German non-profit organization

The German Youth Hostel Association or DJH is a non-profit registered organization. It was founded in 1919 to provide affordable and safe accommodation for travellers, especially schools, youth groups and individuals across Germany. Today, with 438 youth hostels, it caters to schools, youth groups and are also open to anyone else seeking an alternative to hotels like families, backpackers, business travellers, etc. Through the state (Bundesland) associations, it is the representative of the 438 youth hostels in Germany and thus the largest member of the international youth association, Hostelling International (HI). The headquarters has its seat in Detmold, it operates through 14 state associations and 178 local and county volunteer associations. It has about 2.38 million members.

Helpling GmbH & Co. KG is an online platform for cleaning services and household-related services with over 42 subsidiaries worldwide. The company was founded in 2014 by Benedikt Franke and Philip Huffmann. The Helpling Group is headquartered in Berlin, Germany.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Blankenheim Castle</span>

Blankenheim Castle is a schloss above the village of Blankenheim in the Eifel mountains of Germany. It was built as a hill castle around 1115 by Gerhard I and became the family seat of the House of Blankenheim. The lords of Blankenheim were elevated to the countship in 1380. The counts were related to the counts of Manderscheid and, from 1469, were named Manderscheid-Blankenheim. With the extinction of the lines of Manderscheid-Gerolstein and Manderscheid-Kail (1742) the County of Manderscheid became the largest independent territorial lordship in the Eifel.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Motel One</span> German low cost hotel chain

Motel One is a German hotel chain headquartered in Munich. It operates properties in eleven European countries as well as one hotel in New York City. Few of the company's hotels use their upscale subsidiary brand The Cloud One instead.

German youth language or Youth Communication describes the linguistic patterns and characteristics used by German adolescents. Speech patterns vary by age, era, and location. According to Helmut Glück (2005), the term is not strictly defined. Heinrich Löffler refers to Jugendsprache as a transitory non-standard language with attention to the time period. In German and West European philology, Jugendsprache is considered to be both a non-standard language and a sub-form of the standard language.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Sabine Sütterlin-Waack</span> German lawyer and politician

Sabine Sütterlin-Waack is a German lawyer and politician of the Christian Democratic Union (CDU). She currently serves as State Minister of the Interior, Municipal Affairs, Housing and Sports in the State of Schleswig-Holstein.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Nissan South Africa</span>

Nissan South Africa Pty Ltd is an automobile manufacturer based in Rosslyn, South Africa, and a subsidiary of Nissan.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Robin E. Haak</span> Tech Entrepreneur and Investor

Robin E. Haak is a German political scientist, tech entrepreneur and investor from Hanover, Germany.

References

  1. "Rekordbilanz: a&o Hostels verzeichnen im Jahr 2023 6,1 Millionen Übernachtungen, 2,7 Millionen Gäste und 217 Millionen Euro Umsatz". OTS.at (in German). Retrieved 2024-10-01.
  2. "A&O: The history of a&o". a&o Hotels und Hostels (in German). Retrieved 2017-10-18.
  3. Terhaag, Michael. "Marke "Jugendherberge" wird gelöscht - BPatG, Beschluss vom 26.01.2009, Az.: 25 W (pat) 8/06 : aufrecht.de". aufrecht.de (in German). Retrieved 2017-10-13.
  4. "HNN - TPG Real Estate buys A&O Hotels and Hostels". www.hotelnewsnow.com. Retrieved 2017-10-13.
  5. "A&O Hotels and Hostels - Image Brochure" (PDF). Archived from the original (PDF) on 2017-12-01. Retrieved 2017-11-29.
  6. aohostels.com retrieved 18 August 2024
  7. A&O Hostels planen in Budapest, Artikel der Allgemeinen Hotel- und Gastronomie-Zeitung vom 05. Oktober 2018
  8. a&o eröffnet zweites Hostel in Kopenhagen Archived 2018-10-10 at the Wayback Machine , Artikel der pegras vom 16. Juli 2018
  9. Collins, Marybeth (2024-08-08). "Historic Buildings Meet Modern Sustainability at a&o Hostels". Environment+Energy Leader. Retrieved 2024-08-08.

Commons-logo.svg Media related to A&O Hotels and Hostels at Wikimedia Commons