Independent Hotel Show descends on Brussels

On 28 November 2023, the first-ever Belgian Hotelier Networking Event of the Independent Hotel Show took place in our country. Hospitality partners gathered in Brussels for a packed programme around tourism and the hotel industry. The aim? To share knowledge, inspire each other and network in and around some beautiful hotels in our capital city.

The Belgian Hotelier Networking Event was organised by the Independent Hotel Show. Previously, similar networking events were set up in the Netherlands and the UK, among others. Now it is also our country's turn. Hoteliers and hospitality partners gathered in Brussels for an exciting afternoon of inspiration. It kicked off at The Hoxton. The hotel opened its doors just before summer 2023, in the fully renovated Victoria Tower.

Attendees were welcomed by general manager Chaim Scheepers and shown around some of the total 198 rooms, the coworking concept Working From, the rooftop bar Tope with panoramic views, ... "The Hoxton always takes a slightly different approach," Chaim explains during the tour. "We were the first to open a hotel in Shoreditch, a slightly rougher area of London. There, we were inspired by the diversity we saw around us and, among other things, the hotel helped to upgrade the area. We are now applying that same vision in Brussels. We don't want to be the most luxurious or the hippest, but we do want to be accessible and open-minded. That's why we don't distinguish ourselves by stars and have seven types of hotel rooms for every type of stay. From cosy and cosy to spacious."

This is reflected in how the Victoria Tower's interior has been tackled. Essentially, only the concrete columns have remained. "This is the former headquarters of IBM. In the 1970s, the brand was as hip as Apple is today. Belgium wanted to bring the US company to Brussels at all costs and gave permission to build an office tower in the city centre," Chaim says. "That seventies atmosphere is reflected in our interior with wooden furniture, velvet details and organic shapes. A lot of the furniture was made especially for the hotel, while other pieces we found at markets in the Marolles."

After The Hoxton, a short walk followed to Martelarenplein to visit the five-star Juliana Hotel. This luxurious abode is conceived as a boutique hotel with contemporary furnishings using warm materials inspired by neoclassical art. The many mosaics specially created for the hotel reinforce that vision. Guests can choose from five types of accommodation, including 33 rooms and 10 suites. Each exudes elegance and class. A calm, friendly atmosphere sets the tone throughout the hotel. Those who come to relax can go to the hotel's inner garden or to the underground floor where an indoor pool, wellness, sauna and fitness are located. The walls are once again covered in mosaics inspired by Le Corbusier and complemented by murano glass.

Two hotels, two completely different concepts. The Independent Hotel Show aims to introduce the hotel and hospitality sector to new products, technology, services, design, ... and thus certainly also to the possibilities in a metropolis like Brussels. In addition, the organisation focuses on knowledge sharing. This takes place at the annual boutique fairs in Amsterdam and London, but also through webinars, podcasts and at networking afternoons like this one. After visiting the Juliana Hotel, the walk led on to the Brussels Stock Exchange for three presentations offering insights into trends within the hotel industry and in Brussels as a tourist destination.

First up was John Martin of Martin's Hotels to talk about design trends in the hotel sector. As a family-run business, Martin's Hotel believes it is important that those warm values reflect in the hotels they build and operate. "Those who build hotels and those who work and stay in them have very different interests," says John. "You have to reconcile the interior with the business interests of operators. So we developed methodologies internally to crystallise visions and desires of all parties into an experience that matches what guests expect. That starts with removing all possible pain points. In these busy times, hotels are a safe world. Hospitality is an industry with people who care for each other on the one hand and storytellers on the other. Your brand's identity should be visible but aligned with a hotel's vision. Technology supports and infrastructure should not be forgotten either. We need a stairwell, parking, ... and it has to match that vision. People book an experience. They want to be able to feel that human touch."

Céline Batteauw is industry coordinator at Visit Brussels and came to explain the transition from Brussels as a traditional destination to the capital as a sustainable tourist attraction. "Sustainable also means inclusive. We want to be a place where everyone feels at home. That is why we are committed to spreading tourists geographically. They must not end up only in the city centre, because we want to attract visitors while maintaining a balance so that the streets and sights do not become too crowded," she says. "We are aiming for 11 million bookings of more than two nights by 2028 and want to label by more than half of all available hotel rooms as sustainable partners. Above all, we see that Brussels is a destination that is gaining in popularity, partly through thoughtful use of city marketing."

The figures proved Céline's point and were further confirmed by the third speaker Adrien Lancotte, senior analyst at MKG Consulting. He revealed the projections for the Belgian hotel sector in 2024 when. "After COVID-19, Belgium is experiencing a slower tourism recovery than other European countries," he said. "Nevertheless, you are doing better than Germany and the Netherlands, recording 11 per cent more revenue than before covid. The recovery is recent, but characterised by strong momentum, especially in the first quarter. In other European countries, the good figures are more situated in the third quarter." Still, the good figures need some nuance. For instance, there are almost 20 per cent more expenses due to inflation, 17 per cent more personnel costs and gas and electricity take up 88 and 70 per cent more space of the budget respectively. "We see this in other countries too, of course," Adrian reassures. "The only exceptions are in southern Europe, where the strong growth in revenues is not inhibited because costs are rising less rapidly. Belgium need not worry yet." In short: the trends for 2024 are right. There are more bookings than in recent years. "This is because people's behaviour is different: they want to be sure of a good price and so they book earlier. Many business guests have dropped out because we have different ways of working together now. As a hotelier, you have to take that into account. The hotel sector is like a sponge for the local economy. That's not where Belgium has too many problems. We see a positive story in the figures and analyses for 2024," Adrian concludes.