After the opening of its second hotel, the first in Latin America, in the city of Buenos Aires, Argentina, the Axel hotel chain has announced the opening of its third hotel worldwide: the Axel Berlin. With an investment of almost US$ 20 million, the hotel chain sets the tone for the growth of this hotel niche. Its first opening in Latin America, the Axel Hotel Buenos Aires, is the first five-star hotel for the gay segment in the Argentine capital and the second venture of Axel Hotels, a group of Catalan origin that in 2003 successfully opened the Axel Hotel Barcelona.The Axel Buenos Aires hotel is located in the neighborhood of San Telmo, the oldest in the city, with a bohemian atmosphere, with an interesting cultural and nightlife. Its construction required an investment of almost US$ 8 million.
The Axel Buenos Aires has forty-eight rooms equipped with king size bed, plasma TV, wi fi connection, bathtub or shower with hydromassage in glass prism, safe and room service. It is no coincidence that the first two establishments of Axel Hotels, which defines itself as the first hotel chain aimed entirely at the gay community in the world, are located in Barcelona and Buenos Aires.
The two cities, on both sides of the Atlantic, are paradigms of creativity, cosmopolitanism and freedom. Following the example of these first links, the chain proposes that each of its properties be design hotels located in gay-friendly cities. Another distinctive feature of Axel hotels is their heterofriendly philosophy that welcomes anyone, regardless of their sexual orientation.
The representatives of Axel Hotels announced that they have an amount of US$75 million, with which they expect to open five more hotels in the world within five years.
More specialization
For its part, also in Berlin, within the framework of the ITB, held in that city last March, the hotel brand Attitude Hotels was officially launched, which defines itself as "the place to stay" for travelers in the GLBT segment. The new hotel chain will allow these travelers to choose from three different hotel categories such as Attitude Premium, Attitude Comfort and Attitude Value.
According to its founder, Pedro Castro, "at the moment we know that gay, lesbian and straight friendly hotels are in the hands of independent owners and small hotel chains. This area of the market is suffering from a lack of recognition, promotion and certification at the international level."
To respond to this challenge, the new chain will provide Attitude hotel owners with commercial, technological and marketing opportunities to promote their hotels and their relationship with the customer.
Attitude Hotels will offer a selection of 25 hotels in Austria, Belgium, Czech Republic, France, Germany, Hungary, Malta, Netherlands, Portugal, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, UK and USA. For next year the goal is a selection of around 100 hotels worldwide.
According to survey results conducted by Comunity Marketing Inc., a marketing agency specializing in this public, 94.1% of respondents stayed in a hotel for at least one night in the last twelve months, with an average of respondents staying 14 nights in a hotel during that period.
According to the survey, one of the most decisive factors in choosing a hotel was its reputation for being friendly to this public, followed by location near tourist attractions, location near gay attractions and free internet access. 77% of respondents said they buy and book hotels online, while 29% said they book accommodations over the phone or in person through a travel agent or directly with the supplier.
