NUMA blends tech and travel to reshape European city hotel stays

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REFIRE recently had the opportunity to delve deeper into the operations and strategy behind the Berlin-headquartered NUMA Group, a company quickly carving out a growing niche in the digital hospitality platform sector across Europe. With new openings announced almost monthly, NUMA's trajectory hints at a successful expansion strategy and market acceptance that merit closer inspection by the savvy investor.

In a nutshell, NUMA’s platform fully digitises the hospitality experience, thus allowing clients to make room reservations, check in and out, access customer service, and book additional services all from one single online space. It's taken some time for REFIRE to grasp fully what this means, and who is the typical target audience for the group.

But we get it now. It IS a new category in hospitality, definitely likely to have ever more appeal to the young professional, tech-savvy, highly-mobile cohort for whom traditional hotel chains appear ever-more hidebound, and out of touch with the needs of a much more digital generation. But frankly, digital warriors of all ages will get it. NUMA, whose motto is “Bring some soul to travel” is indeed, by its own description, “a technology company, that does hospitality.”

Philipp Rohweder, Director of Real Estate at NUMA, shared insights recently with REFIRE into how the company differentiates itself in a competitive market. With a background in co-living, serviced apartments, and student housing sectors, Rohweder brought a wealth of experience when he came to NUMA nearly three years ago, putting his mark on the company's strategic positioning as a hospitality provider in the so-called museum cities' across Europe.

NUMA is operator, brand, and covenant as a fully-integrated platform, for a single unified experience – for landlord and guests – alike. And, driven by its operational flexibility, NUMA can provide the modern traveler with unique hospitality experience, ranging from traditional serviced apartments, aparthotels, and flats, to classic hotels, ranging from 15 units to over 250 units, across Europe.

And the priority cities - like Barcelona, Florence, Prague, Oslo, Rome, Salzburg, Paris - chosen for their cultural and historical significance, appeal to an experience-driven target audience that NUMA has aptly dubbed "Generation Taylor Swift"—a cohort seeking a seamless blend of work, leisure, and cultural immersion.

The company now has more than 5,800 ‘keys’ - rooms - in 33 cities across 15 countries in Europe. In 2023 it managed a portfolio of more than €2bn of hospitality capacity, including its takeover of Amsterdam-based competitor YAYS with 600 rooms in the Benelux region. NUMA's recent and imminent openings underscore its growth and strategic direction:

  • In London, an 86-key conversion near Tottenham Court Road, developed in collaboration with New World Hospitality, is slated for an April opening.
  • Copenhagen's Nørrebro neighborhood will soon boast 36 new units, a project in partnership with Invesco Real Estate.
  • A development in Berlin-Mitte on Koloniestrasse, in collaboration with JAAS Group, highlights NUMA's commitment to expanding its innovative model in its home market.

This expansion is supported by a robust financing strategy, with NUMA recently securing $59 million in a Series C funding round led by Verlinvest. This round not only attracted participation from existing investors, including Headline, Cherry Ventures, DN Capital, and Soravia but also demonstrated the market's confidence in NUMA's potential for sustainable growth and structural profitability—key factors that stand out to investors.

Founded in 2019 by Christian Gaiser, Dimitri Chandogin, Gerhard Maringer, and Inga Laudiero, NUMA Group's approach—leveraging technology to redefine the hospitality experience within the vibrant cores of Europe's most attractive cities—offers a glimpse into the future of travel and accommodation. As the company continues to expand its portfolio, its innovative model presents a compelling narrative for real estate investors. This narrative is not just about embracing digital transformation but about the tangible impact of such innovation on urban development, consumer behavior, and the broader hospitality sector.

For REFIRE, NUMA's story is a testament to the potential of combining real estate savvy with digital innovation. As the company moves forward, its journey offers valuable insights into the evolving dynamics of the real estate and hospitality markets, suggesting that the future of these sectors may well lie in the hands of those who can successfully blend technology with tradition.