The Belgian capital has suffered greatly from the consequences of the Covid 19 pandemic. A look back at three years which, although they have strongly shaken the Brussels hotel market, do not call into question the fundamentals of one of Europe's two capitals. Analysis of the performance data since 2019 and exchanges with Brussels hoteliers through their representatives of the BHA (Brussels Hotels Association), to better identify the underlying factors that have shaken the European city.
2019 a record year like the rest of Europe
With 59 days when hotels were more than 90% full (including 16 days with more than 97% occupancy), 89 days with more than 80% OR and finally 81 days with more than 70% OR, hoteliers in Brussels were riding the wave of events, the European agenda and corporate clients to fill their properties. That is to say, more than two thirds of the year with a occupancy rate that would make some other European cities green with envy, the city will only have spent 14 days below 50% occupancy in 2019. The Belgian capital ended the year with an average OR of 75.4%.
The performance profile demonstrated its business-oriented customer mix. Record occupancy rates were recorded on Monday 21 October 2019 (98%), Wednesday 26 June (98.2%), Wednesday 25 September (98.4%), Saturday 20 April (98.6%), Tuesday 15 October (98.6%), Tuesday 18 June (98.8%), Wednesday 20 November (98.9%) and Tuesday 19 November (99.1%).
The city was able to capitalise on the many institutions present in its vicinity and alongside the European Commission. For example, the record crowds on 19 and 20 November corresponded to a NATO Foreign Ministers' meeting held on 20 November and the European Commission's General Affairs Council held on 19 November. An extremely favourable political agenda for the Brussels hoteliers.
What was a strength of the Belgian capital turned out to be a weakness during the lockdown period when all outbound markets were blocked and travel was reduced to a minimum.
2020, a year of suffering and solidarity
The year 2020 had begun under the best of auspices with the months of January and February recording occupation rates of between 34.1% (Monday 4 January 2020) and 92.2% (Thursday 18 February 2020), the date of the...
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