Berlin-based digital hotel platform Numa Group has acquired Native Places, the short-stay business division of UK-based Native Holdings, for an undisclosed price.
The acquisition will add over 800 units to Numa’s property portfolio.
The news is another positive sign for the UK’s hotel market.
Separately, research by Savills showed dealmaking in the UK hotel sector hit the highest volume in a decade in the first half of 2023, up 35 per cent compared with the whole of 2023. There were £3.1bn of deals completed during the period.
“At NUMA, our mission is to redefine the hospitality landscape, tailoring it to the demands of contemporary consumers. We are at the forefront of digitising and elevating the entire travel experience, continuously seeking innovative ways to deepen the connection between our guests and their preferred urban destinations,” Christian Gaiser, CEO and Co-Founder of NUMA Group, said.
Numa Group manages £2bn in real estate assets and over 6,500 rooms and apartments across 34 European cities. It currently operates seven digital hotels in the UK, four of which are in London. The first UK site was launched only in March this year.
The company said the deal would take the number of units managed in Europe by the group to 7,300.
Its process automation reduces operational costs and optimises occupancy rates, which has helped the group expand faster than the industry average.
It is at the forefront of a trend to digitalize the hotel industry. Household names like Hilton and Iberostar are increasingly moving towards digital services to cut costs and streamline services, while start-ups like Numa and concept hotels are aiming to create a fully online experience.
Industry insights from Skift and other experts show that alternative accommodation, such as short-term rentals, accounted for 20 per cent of the travel market in 2022.
This segment has expanded at twice the rate of the broader market and is projected to continue its robust double-digit compound annual growth rate (CAGR).
Guy Nixon, the founder of Native Places and CEO of Native Residential, said: “I’m thrilled to see Native Places becoming part of a pan-European platform offering our corporate and leisure guests an exciting choice of serviced apartments across a growing European network. I couldn’t be prouder of the Native Places brand and portfolio of assets that we’ve built over the years.”