GERMANY —Scandic Hotels Group is expanding into Freiburg, Germany, after agreeing a long-term lease for an existing hotel property acquired by pan-European real estate investment manager IREMIS. The transaction gives Scandic a new location in southwestern Germany without requiring the company to acquire the underlying real estate.
The 219-room hotel is positioned directly opposite Freiburg’s main railway station and next to the Konzerthaus, placing it close to the city’s conference and event infrastructure as well as its historic centre. The property is expected to serve business, meetings and leisure demand once refurbishment is completed.
The planned redevelopment will involve a comprehensive upgrade of the existing asset. Work will cover all guest rooms, restaurant and bar areas, meeting facilities, wellness and fitness spaces, with the hotel expected to provide about 480 square meters of meeting space after the refurbishment. Parking facilities will also form part of the property offering.
The development is significant for the hospitality sector because it combines hotel brand expansion with the repositioning of an existing asset rather than the construction of a new property. For IREMIS, the arrangement provides an operating partner for the repositioned hotel, while Scandic gains access to a new German market through a leased property model.
Freiburg’s location near France and Switzerland and its established business, university, healthcare, research and leisure activity support the hotel’s positioning across several demand segments. The project could also strengthen competition among internationally branded hotels in the city, particularly in the conference and business accommodation segment.
Scandic Hotels Group operates a hotel network across the Nordic region and selected European markets, with activities focused on hotel accommodation, food and beverage, meetings and related hospitality services. IREMIS is a pan-European real estate investment manager focused on property investments and asset management.
Scandic Freiburg is scheduled to open in autumn 2027 following the refurbishment. The project therefore gives investors and hotel operators a reference point for the use of long-term lease structures and refurbishment-led repositioning to expand branded hotel portfolios in established European markets.
