Qbic runs ‘pod-hotels’, which use a special pre-designed and made room pod which comes with a bed, bathroom and desk, all in one unit.
The Maastricht-based company is intending on opening ten hotels in the UK in London, Glasgow, Bristol and Birmingham.
Paul Janmaat, Managing Partner of the outfit told Scotland on Sunday: “We discovered that about 16 per cent of all offices across the EU are empty. Some consultants say at least 40 per cent of that space is never going to be filled any more.
“In Holland, we found there were property owners desperately looking for some companies to rent it so we developed the Cubi, a modular piece of furniture in which you can add different elements, from a bathroom to a wardrobe and bed. You combine all you need in a room which makes it extremely easy to build – in about a day.”
The first Qbic hotel was opened in the World Trade Centre in Amsterdam in 2007 and proved a success. Qbic claims that it only takes about three months to turn an empty building into a hotel using their ready-made ‘pods’.
Rates for Qbic hotels start at EUR 69 and the whole experience is automated, with room keys acquired with a credit card. Every room has WiFi internet, an LCD TV, and a work-and-dine set.
Residents of the hotel can choose which colour lighting they prefer for their rooms, Mellow Yellow, Red Romance, or Deep Purple Love.
Meanwhile, vacancy rates in London are dropping dramatically, as are rental rates in the capital, as the economy slowly recovers from the financial crisis and the financial service industry starts hiring staff again.
Editor’s notes: As of June 2023, Qbic listed the Amsterdam WTC as its only current hotel, on its website.
In 2022, the total Central London office space leasing volume was 10.1 million square feet, which was 18% ahead of volumes recorded in the previous year yet marginally lower than the 10-year annual average of 10.3 million square feet.
In 2022, total office space stock increased to 21.4 million square feet and the vacancy rate across the UK capital grew to 8.5 per cent in the last quarter of the year.