B&B Hotels starts passionate realignment: focus on guests!

B&B Hotels starts passionate realignment: focus on guests!

In an exciting turning point for the hotel industry, hotel group B&B Hotels is coming forward with fresh plans. Under the leadership of CEO Arno Schwalie, a strategic realignment is initiated, which pursues no less goals for the company than a stronger positioning as a leading hospitality brand. The focus is shifting away from purely development-driven expansion towards a targeted brand profile that is intended to better meet the needs of guests. This new strategy was presented at a general meeting in Vienna, which underlines the importance of the domestic market. As gloobi.de reports, Schwalie announced the realignment of the business model in December 2024.

The company was founded in 1990 and currently operates 900 hotels in 17 countries, positioning itself as a market leader in the value for money segment. With the upcoming realignment, B&B Hotels will be perceived not just as a real estate developer, but as a full-fledged hospitality provider. Schwalie says the company aims to take a “people first” approach that focuses on operational excellence, a distinctive guest experience and sustainable growth. This is visible in a change in values ​​that puts a greater focus on the needs of guests, hoteliers and employees, as highlighted by tophotel.de.

New management and strategic direction

A newly formed management team is being formed to manage the key areas of operations, brand management, sales and purchasing more efficiently. This change is aimed not only at improving internal processes, but also at specifically expanding the guest experience. As part of this transformation, operational excellence and a clear positioning of the brand for different target groups are to be developed. An ambitious goal of the company is to expand its direct-to-consumer business with a plan to increase B&B loyalty program (B&me) membership to 500,000. From autumn 2025, a national image campaign will be launched to communicate the brand's advantages to end consumers, which gloobi.de also notes.

As part of this realignment, B&B Hotels aims to open more than 25 new hotels this year and to operate a total of 500 hotels in the Central & Northern Europe region by 2030. The main focus here is on high-quality growth and guest satisfaction. To achieve this, there will also be a complete overhaul of the “Ground Floor Areas” to ensure a consistent brand experience for guests, as tophotel.de reports.

A look at trends in the hospitality industry

The industry is in constant change, which fits the realignment of B&B Hotels well into the picture. The current “Hospitality Outlook 2025” from EHL Hospitality Business School identifies several key factors that will shape the hospitality industry in the coming years. One trend that is emerging is the increasing use of artificial intelligence to automate routine tasks, which should create more space for human interactions between guests and staff. The topic of sustainability is also playing an increasingly important role and will be essential for differentiation in the hospitality industry. These aspects are also increasingly being taken up by many companies in the industry, including B&B Hotels, in their strategies to provide better service and strengthen customer loyalty, according to hotelinside.ch.

The transformation of B&B Hotels could not only permanently change the course of the company, but also the entire perception of the brand. At a time when the market is demanding innovation, the company appears to be on the right track to meet the challenges of the industry and set new standards. It remains to be seen how this strategy will develop and what impact it will have on the resulting community of guests and members.