Mid-market hotels offer best ROI potential

150 150 Daniel Fountain
  • 0

Turkey needs quality, branded mid-market and economy hotels in secondary cities delegates were told at CATHIC (Central Asia & Turkey Hotel Investment Conference) which concluded in Istanbul (on Wednesday February 9 2011).“Turkey is crying out for branded, consistent, quality mid-market hospitality products,” said Michael Collini of Hilton Worldwide. Poğda Demircan, Hilton’s Development Manager for Turkey agreed. He also pointed out that the room rate gap between upscale and mid-market hotels could be quite small in regional cities.

“At the end of the day, there is a maximum price customers will pay for a room in provincial city locations. This means that the greater operating profit will be for the mid-market operator who has lower development and operational costs, and not for the five-star properties.”

Potential investors and developers also heard the case for and against opting for Turkish and international brands.

The general consensus was that home-grown brands, such as the event’s supporters – Rixos, Dedemann and Marmara have excellent local knowledge and know what suits the market. On the flip side,the international brands have high global visibility and well-tuned operations.

“The conclusion is to avoid making choices based on ‘ego’ and choose the brand that will deliver the best return on investment for each project,” said conference delegate, Turkey-based Banu Ogawal.

Elif Egeli Nişanci of Jones Lang LeSalle Hotels summed up the issue by advising that development should not be for the sake of development: “Make sure that the supply matches the demands of market to ensure the project will maintain good rates.”

Delegates taste Turkey An evening at the stunning Marmara Esma Sultan provided an opportunity to digest the day’s events. This is a memorable venue, with views of the Bosphorous Bridge and Ortaköy Mosque, innovative design with a steel and glass structure within the walls of the historic palace, and delightful staff and service. All who attended agreed that this venue certainly has the ‘wow’ factor.

Spotlight on region-based award winners The CATHIC Hotel Investment Awards were presented to:
• Best new hotel in Turkey: Pera Palace Hotel Istanbul
• Best new hotel in Central Asia: Radisson Blu Iveria Hotel, Tbilisi
• Outstanding achievement award: Haluk Kaya, Chairman of Bekay Property Partners.

Daniel Fountain / 10.02.2011

Editor, Hotel Designs

Share

  • 0

Fun fact: I’m usually the person friends rely on to organise trips, schedules, and group plans.

Workhighlights: Successfully coordinating events from planning through to delivery and seeing everything come together on the day.

Fun fact: I’m a keen cyclist and will happily bore people with copious amounts of cycling chat. My top cycling experience (so far) would have to be riding in the spectacular mountains of Crete.

Work highlights: Charles joined Forum Events in 2022. With a background in publishing, editorial media and events, Charles brings a wealth of experience to his role as Senior Production Manager. Having being involved with SPACE from the outset, he is excited to see the brand grow and develop.

Fun fact: People tell Sienna she gives off Bridget Jones vibes, and she loves to bake, always making sure there are shortbreads floating around the office

Work highlights: Sienna joined Forum Events & Media Group while studying Communications and Media, starting in the sales team where she managed and helped launch the first the PA Life Leading Venues of London SHOWCASE, where she built relationships with luxury venues across the capital. Drawn to the stories behind these spaces, she naturally transitioned into the editorial team, creating social media and editorial content. Upon graduating in June 2026, she is excited to be joining as Assistant Editor for Hotel Designs and SPACE.

Fun fact: When not working, Jess can usually be found tending to her kitchen garden in the Sussex countryside or foraging for herbs in the nearby woods. A keen grower, she recently studied a RHS Level 2 Diploma in the Principles of Horticulture during her spare time.

Work highlights: Jess joined SPACE magazine in 2022 and has since progressed from Assistant Editor to Editor. During this time, she has worked across many aspects of the publication – from shaping editorial strategy and overseeing operations to contributing to art direction and representing the brand on stage at industry events including Surface Design Show and WOW!house.

Alongside her role at SPACE, Jess has built a creative career spanning the arts, culture, design and travel sectors. Prior to joining the magazine, she spent more than a decade in the commercial art industry, in artist liaison, gallery management, and curating collections for the hospitality sector across hotels and cruise ships. During this time, she also worked on freelance projects as a writer, photographer, and creative content producer.
 
Jess studied photojournalism at London College of Communication and the Danish School of Media and Journalism and holds a first-class BA (Hons) in Culture, Criticism and Curation from Central Saint Martins.

Fun fact: Katy has spent years perfecting all kinds of accents and loves a good impersonation!

Work highlights: Katy has been with Hotel Designs since the beginning, way back in 2015 when Forum Events & Media Group acquired the brand.

During this time, she has fostered many meaningful relationships with clients from across the hospitality spectrum, as well as playing a pivotal role in the launch of The Brit List Awards, Hotel Designs MEET UPs, client-led roundtables and panel talks, brand and website redesigns, HD Wellness Sets, DESIGN POD podcast, Hotel Designs LIVE panel talk series, Accessible Design Talks and more. Katy is always on the lookout for the next opportunity to help grow the Hotel Designs brand even further.
 
Most recently Katy has stepped in to the role of Publisher at SPACE magazine, the printed bi-monthly publication focused on hotel design, architecture, and development.

Together these platforms offer a comprehensive 360-degree service encompassing digital media, print publishing, and live events – providing unparalleled value to advertisers, partners, and readers alike.