a&o Hostels Expands to London Docklands Riverside!

a&o Hostels acquires DoubleTree by Hilton in London Docklands, opening in Nov 2025. The new site includes family rooms, a bar, and parking. It supports a&o's expansion plans with EUR500M investment.

Europe’s biggest independently had hostel chain a & o Hostels has validated the acquisition of the former DoubleTree by Hilton Docklands Waterfront, noting the company’s initial London property and its third in the UK. The brand-new site will formally open up as a & o London Docklands Riverside in November 2025, with bookings now available via the group’s authorities networks.

New London Docklands Riverside Hostel

The site’s centers will consist of double, household and multi-bed areas with all-natural daylight and en-suite washrooms, a Riverside Bar with views of the city sky line, and underground auto parking with around 50 spaces.

Oliver Winter, Owner and Chief executive officer of a & o Hostels, commented: “London is merely a city you have to experience. The opening of our initial place right here is a real statement for a & o, as a leading destination for tourists, family members, institution groups and teams of pals. With the procurement of the London residential or commercial property, a & o currently operates 44 hostels throughout 30 cities and 10 countries, providing around 30,000 beds. The team, started in 2000, proceeds to broaden with the support of StepStone Team and Proprium Capital Partners, who have designated EUR500 million for development, modernisation and new openings.

Expansion and Investment in New Sites

a & o’s core audience includes school groups, households and private city travellers, with groups making up over half of its client base. In 2024, the business invited 2.8 million guests throughout its profile with 6.2 million over night keeps, and preliminary numbers for 2025 recommend proceeded strong growth with 1.15 million visitors taped by May.

With the acquisition of the London property, a & o now runs 44 hostels across 30 cities and ten countries, supplying around 30,000 beds. The team, established in 2000, continues to broaden with the support of StepStone Group and Proprium Capital Partners, who have assigned EUR500 million for development, modernisation and brand-new openings. Recent purchases consist of websites in Milan, with future targets called as Glasgow, Dublin, Manchester, Paris, Madrid and Lisbon.

This internet site uses cookies to ensure that we can give you with the most effective individual experience possible. Cookie info is stored in your browser and carries out features such as recognising you when you return to our internet site and assisting our team to understand which sections of the web site you discover most interesting and useful.

He added: “This purchase is the result of a deliberate and extensive option process. It indicates that a & o exists at the highest degree in the most effective cities in Europe, with solid partners and a clear concentrate on sustainable growth.”

Strategic Choice for Sustainable Growth

The new residential or commercial property will certainly run as a hotel and comprises three linked buildings, using 500 areas and 2,100 beds. A steady repair programme will start in January 2026, with an investment of ₤ 21 million (EUR25 million) prepared to modernise and convert the historical website, while keeping the hotel open for guests during the process.

Oliver Winter, Owner and CEO of a & o Hostels, commented: “London is simply a city you have to experience. It represents a deep history, an unbelievable internationalism and an intense energy seldom found somewhere else. The opening of our first area here is a real statement for a & o, as a leading destination for tourists, family members, institution teams and groups of pals. It went to the top of our listing as we want to give worth driven lodging to youth tourists, groups, households and solo visitors in an otherwise pricey city.”

Prime Location and Connectivity

The residential property, originally a 17th-century dockland building, sits on the banks of the Thames directly contrary Canary Dock in Southwark. Guests will have accessibility to a free electric river taxicab service connecting the hotel to Canary Jetty, with links to London sites including Tower Bridge and Buckingham Palace. The place is likewise less than a mile from Canary Jetty Underground station, providing connection using the Jubilee and Elizabeth Lines, and just half an hour from London City Airport Terminal.