Cox & Kings owned Meininger signs contract for a new Hotel in Rome

MUMBAI: Travel company Cox & Kings owned MEININGER Hotels has signed a contract for a 114-room hotel in Rome. The first property in Italy - located on Via San Martino della Battaglia - is expected to open in early 2017.

The hotel chain has signed a 20-year lease with the owner of an existing building, which was formerly a medical centre. The building - with a gross floor area of 6,270 sqm - will be converted over the next 18 months to MEININGER's brand specs.

“With the agreement we are entering a new and important market, being the 3rd most visited city in Europe. Italy and especially Rome has an enormous number of World Heritage Sites, which attract people from all over the world," Peter Kerkar, Director, Cox & Kings said in a press statement.

MEININGER currently operates 16 hotels across 10 European cities. The hybrid concept of MEININGER is based upon combining the service and comfort of a hotel with the uncomplicated nature of a hostel.