Ruby Hotels unveils plans for UK and international expansion in 2019 and 2020

Hamish Kilburn
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The Munich-based hotel brand, Ruby Hotels, has announced plans to open an additional eight hotels by 2020…

Pioneering the ‘Lean Luxury’ concept, Ruby Hotels is attempting to break new ground in international hotel developement as it announces that it will add eight new hotels to its portfolio by 2020.

The hotel group, which currently operates six hotels, plans to expand the brand across international waters with a hotel slated to open its first UK-based hotel, opening on London’s vibrant Southbank in Autumn 2019. In addition, the Group is preparing to open hotels in areas such as Zurich, Cologne, Frankfurt and Shanghai before the end of 2020.

The ‘Lean Luxury’ model eschews hotel features typically associated with high-end properties, such as in-house restaurants, mini-bars and room service. These are replaced with communal areas serving an organic breakfast without the need of a chef or full kitchen, as well as ‘maxi bar’ vending machines and galley kitchens.

The guestrooms sheltered underneath each property portray a more relaxed vibe. Each room is luxurious, white and clean-looking with strong interior statements in the lighting and fittings. Meanwhile, the facilities such as a 24-hour bar, co-working spaces, a boutique movie theatre and a yoga studio appeal to the modern-day traveller and current modern traveller trends.

The public areas in all the hotels balance an industrial look and feel with a distinct music theme running throughout. The corridors, on the other hand are playful, with vibrant pops of colour in the carpet dominating the space.

Modular architectural designs capitalise on space, while flexible, unconventional layouts and intelligent technological solutions allow the hotel group to occupy real-estate traditionally seen as unsuitable for hoteliers, without compromising on the experience offered to guests.

Technology is also a major theme that is explored throughout the properties; in each room guests will find a personal tablet PC and smartphone pre-loaded with Ruby Hotels’ local city guides, social media apps and unlimited data and calls, while a state-of-the-art self-check-in system makes use of tablet-computers to reduce check-in time to under one minute.

Ruby Group, led by founder and CEO Michael Struck, launched in 2013. By having a lean organisational structure and concentrating on the essentials, Ruby Hotels has managed to create a contemporary, affordable form of luxury for modern, cost- and style-conscious customers.

Hamish Kilburn / 20.11.2018

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