The Stays by Friends Hotel is located within direct sight of the Gelsenkirchen Arena. The 198-room hotel has just had a turbulent few weeks. First the European Football Championship with four matches, now eight sold-out major concerts in the Arena in Schalke. The balance is positive.
“The last two months with the European Championship and the major concerts were very intense and successful,” reports Eric Hübbers, spokesman for the hotel operator Anter Groupin conversation with Hotel vor9. First four European Championship games, including the matches between Serbia and England and Italy and Spain. Then three sold-out Taylor Swift concerts. And for the grand finale, five Rammstein gigs, also sold out.
Around the events, the Stays by Friends The hotel was almost fully booked, says Hübbers. But how exactly has the operating company Anter Group prepared for the rush? “Of course, these are exceptional special events that cause prices to rise. Nevertheless, we view our business in the long term and sustainably and have not overdone it,” says Hübbers, explaining the philosophy of the operator, who took over the hotel during the Corona pandemic.
“Thanks to our regular customers, we already have a basic occupancy rate of 30 to 40 percent, and they receive a fixed rate. Then there are group bookings from concert crews or the UEFA Organizing Committee. Here, too, we have to work with the budgets that are available so that we can win the contract,” explains the Anter Group spokesman.
The room prices were not more expensive than 250 euros
The remaining quotas were then allocated on a per-room basis, with yield management largely controlled manually. “Here, too, we didn’t overdo it; no room cost much more than 250 euros,” Hübbers assures. “We also shouldn’t forget that Gelsenkirchen is not a trade fair location where prices can be tripled. In addition, guests usually only stay one night.”
Nevertheless, the events were good for the hotel financially. The hotel’s 40 employees all did a great job and certainly enjoyed the international atmosphere. “We had a lot of female guests from the USA at the Taylor Swift concerts. For them, the journey, including the ticket and hotel, was almost cheaper than a single ticket for a concert in the States,” reports Hübbers.
Now that the special events are history, the focus is again on day-to-day business, including Schalke 04’s 18 home games, which also reliably fill the hotel. An estimated 25 to 30 percent of total sales in 2024 are likely to be attributable to games or concerts in the neighboring arena. Last year, the Stay by Friends Hotel achieved an annual average occupancy rate of just under 60 percent. “This year we can definitely increase that. We are already 20 percent ahead in terms of sales and we are aiming for 65 percent or more in terms of occupancy.”
Pascal Brückmann
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