‘Neighbourhood lifestyle hotel’ chain expands into Belgium

The Pentahotels group is to open five hotels in Belgium this year as part of its expansion plans, writes Travel Daily Media's Amanda Greenwood. The group has signed contracts to take over the Mercure Brussels Centre Louise, Alliance Hotel Brussels Airport, Mercure Liège, Alliance Hotel Brussels Expo and Mercure Leuven Centre and rebrand them with the Pentahotel name. The announcement comes after the group announced it would open seven hotels in the UK, Czech Republic and Hong Kong, boosting its number of beds from 2,925 to 5,000. Two properties in China are also due to open, with the group, which was founded by five airlines including Lufthansa, planning to have 80 hotels by 2020, up from its current total of 11. “The Pentahotels’ ‘neighbourhood lifestyle hotel’ concept is resonating strongly with both customers and developers,” said Alastair Thomann, the group’s managing director for Europe. “Whether in Europe or Asia, the mix of stylish and contemporary design with informality, comfort and fun is proving a winning combination.”