A strategic location

The Hôtel Atlas Bruxelles enjoys a prime location in the heart of Brussels, a key city for business and leisure travellers. Close to the European institutions, the business districts and major tourist attractions such as Manneken Pis and the Stock Exchange, it is ideally located to attract a diverse clientele. The Dansaert district, renowned for its creative dynamism and upmarket boutiques, adds to the hotel's appeal. Close to Central Station and well connected to Brussels-Zaventem International Airport, the hotel is a focal point for travellers seeking comfort and a local experience.

Transformation and renovation: turning an asset into a luxury boutique hotel

EXTENDAM and VICARTEM are planning a complete renovation of the property to reposition it as an independent luxury boutique hotel. The value-add strategy adopted here aims to create unique destinations combining elegance and upmarket services. The project will include decorating and furnishing work to provide a modern and refined setting, while incorporating elements of local Brussels culture.

Expertise in the Belgian hotel market

One of the strengths of this acquisition is EXTENDAM and VICARTEM's solid knowledge of the Belgian market. Brussels, as a diplomatic and economic crossroads, with infrastructures such as the European Union and NATO, presents an exceptional opportunity for hotel development. The Brussels hotel market, with its 175 hotels and 17,600 rooms, is stable and offers significant growth potential. In 2023, it posted a 13.6% increase in RevPAR compared with 2019, demonstrating an encouraging post-pandemic rebound.

EXTENDAM, with its many strategic acquisitions in Europe, and VICARTEM, renowned for its expertise in hotel management and transformation, see the Hotel Atlas Brussels as a unique opportunity to meet the growing demand for upscale, personalised stays.

Romain Gowhari and Aymeric O'Mahony, representatives of Vicartem, said: ‘Brussels is constantly reinventing itself, attracting a diverse clientele. Hotel Atlas Brussels aims to reflect this cosmopolitan spirit, offering a perfect balance between comfort, elegance and local immersion.

A shared vision for the future of the hotel industry

A shared vision for the future of the hotel industry
The EXTENDAM and VICARTEM acquisitions are not limited to Brussels. They reflect a broader vision of the hotel industry, where the emphasis is on authenticity, personalisation and customer experience. In Nantes, the Hôtel Billie is a recent example of this strategy, having been transformed into a modern establishment rooted in the local culture. Bordeaux is another city where the duo have made a promising acquisition, now operating under the Tapestry Collection brand. These initiatives illustrate a shared desire to develop hotels that go beyond conventional standards, creating unique experiences for their guests.

The Brussels market attracts investors

‘The fast-changing Belgian market has always been attractive to us. Since the health crisis, the hotel sector there has fully regained its dynamism, with RevPAR forecast to grow by 13.6% between 2019 and 2023. Today, the Brussels hotel market has around 175 hotels and 17,600 rooms. The growth in its offer has been relatively stable compared with other major European cities. Thanks to the acquisition and value-added transformation of the Hôtel Atlas Bruxelles, we are adding to an independent boutique-hotel segment that is currently underdeveloped in the Belgian capital’. Inès de l'Aulnoit and Alexandre Guérin for EXTENDAM.

The balanced corporate leisure customer mix fuelled by the attractiveness of the destination is attracting investors. Borealis Hotel Group announced two openings in mid-September, Corinthia Hotels also set foot in the Belgian capital in September with the purchase of the Hôtel Astoria, and Atalante announced the purchase of 3 hotels in Brussels last July. Europe's second-largest capital still has a number of establishments in need of renovation to bring them up to market standards and generate profitability.