H1 earnings: At over 100m. euros, a&o Hostels significantly exceeds previous year's results

29.08.2023 - 08:56 / traveldailynews.com / Vicky Karantzavelou

The half-year sales – up 47 percent from the previous year – includes reaching over 2.84 million overnight guests, with a 72 percent room occupancy rate – and 20 million Euros invested in sustainability.

BERLIN0, GERMANY – With total sales reaching over 100 million euros, the Berlin based hostel chain, a&o Hostels, has announced its best half-year earnings in the company’s history, while exceeding last year’s results by 47 percent. The already strong months of May and June, with room occupancy rates over 80 percent, were joined by “an exceptionally strong start to the year,” confirms a&o Hostels CEO Oliver Winter. More than one million overnight stays in the first quarter ensured full occupancy, particularly in Berlin, Hamburg and Venice.

Winter identifies the reason for the consistent momentum from the start of the year primarily due to the continued pent-up demand from groups and school classes. Groups travel more flexibly and occupy properties in the spring – outside of the usual summer months – and tend to book multi-bedroom options with a&o.

Additionally, the momentum can be attributed to an increasingly budget-oriented demand, especially from families and young international guests—thus, the brand has seen strong growth in the categories of family rooms and dorms (shared rooms).

Lastly, Winter associates the steadily growing number of overnight guests (H1 2023: 2,840,000 / H1 2022: 2,340,000) as confirmation of the positive sentiment surrounding the company’s commitment to sustainability. “Guests actively demand sustainability, give positive feedback and make suggestions themselves,” Winter states. Whether it’s event organizers, schools or guests at the reception desks – the response to a&o’s sustainable efforts is “gratifying, motivating and very helpful.” a&o has registered a very high level of interest in sustainability issues, particularly among its younger demographic – as guests aged up to 30-years-old encompasses approximately 52 percent of the brand’s current guest share.

“We are also seeing a clear early booking trend,” explains Winter. In 2022, almost 50 percent of summer guests booked less than 24 hours before arrival; this year, the numbers are trending around 30 percent. In the family and group travel segments, the Berlin budget group was able to increase once again compared to the previous year – including at a&o Weimar, which boasts outdoor gardens, programming and activities enjoyed by travelers.

Further half-year figures at a glance:

a&o invests 20 million euros in sustainable renovations 

With around 3.73 kg of CO2 per overnight stay, a&o is undercutting the competition by up to 75 percent. “That’s not enough for us yet. If we want to enable sustainable travel and thus be