Austria’s City of Design: Graz welcomes a new IntercityHotel. The opening marks the brand’s second location in the country.
IntercityHotel Graz opened its doors on 13 November 2020. As usual, the hotel occupies a central site right next to the main railway station. This new four-star IntercityHotel offers 229 rooms spread over five floors and is currently the largest hotel in the city.
The hotel features a modern and comfortable interior design by the Italian architect Matteo Thun and thus fits in perfectly with a city which is well known for its major creative scene. Graz is one of UNESCO’s designated Design Cities, a status which means it forms part of an international Creative Cities Network. It has numerous museums, galleries and festivals as well as being home to four universities and two Universities of Applied Sciences which offer courses of study in disciplines such as Industrial Design, Information Design, Media and Interaction Design and Exhibition and Museum Design.
“We have wanted to open an IntercityHotel in Graz for some considerable time,” said Christian Kaschner, Managing Director of IntercityHotel GmbH.
“Graz is an economic hub and a city of culture and science all rolled into one. This is an ideal location for the kind of modern and sustainable hotel that IntercityHotels are able to deliver. Mr. Kaschner went on: “We would like to extend our thanks to our partner, the GBI Company Group, for making this venture possible.”
In its capacity as project developer, GBI has created a mixed-use concept building on Finkengasse within the immediate vicinity of the railway station. This summer, 187 apartments for students have already been completed adjacent to the hotel under the group’s own SMARTments brand. Deka Immobilien secured a purchase contract to acquire the IntercityHotel in Graz prior to the commencement of construction works in the spring of 2019 and placed it in WestInvest’s special TargetSelect fund. The launch of the IntercityHotel Graz represents GBI’s first hotel opening in Austria, although the company has been the most significant developer in this segment in Germany for several years.
“As the capital of Styria, Graz is both a strong economic engine and a popular tourist destination,” stressed Reiner Nittka, CEO of GBI Holding AG.
“It is a highly appropriate and impressive location for our debut on the Austrian market, especially given the hotel’s great central position.”
The current effects of the corona pandemic will not impair the attractiveness of the city in the medium and long term.
“We evaluate this type of requirement over a period of decades,” stressed GBI’s Project Manager Ditia Edalati.
“For this reason, we do not harbour any doubts about an up and coming metropolis such as Graz.”
“The whole of the team at the IntercityHotel Graz is looking forward to hosting our guests at the new property in this fantastic city”, stated Stefan Willensdorfer, General Manager of the IntercityHotel Graz.
“As well as meeting the needs of business travellers, the IntercityHotel Graz will also provide a unique base for cultural enthusiasts and leisure visitors. The old quarter of the city is a protected UNESCO World Heritage Site. Guests can easily access this district on foot or via public transport, which they can use free of charge thanks to the FreeCityTicket scheme included in the cost of their overnight accommodation. The IntercityHotel App allows contactless check-in and creates a digital room key.”
The new hotel at Finkengasse 2 will also offer a restaurant, a BistroLounge, a Smokers’ Lounge and four conference rooms.
“Kunsträume” at the IntercityHotel Graz
The photographic art project “Kunsträume” (“Art Rooms”) came into being following the conclusion of a cooperation agreement with Bielefeld University of Applied Sciences. Works by young artists with local links are now being displayed at selected hotels which operate under the IntercityHotel brand. The IntercityHotel Graz will form the backdrop for images by Simon Grunert and Georg Barbe, whose exhibition entitled “Traces” takes a photographic look at Graz and Styria and invites observers to consider the city and the region from their perspective.
The first IntercityHotel opened in Austria is located in Vienna: IntercityHotel Wien.
Photo shows: Thomas Knabner (left), Senior Director Operations of IntercityHotel GmbH, and Stefan Willensdorfer (right), General Manager of IntercityHotel Graz, symbolically cut the ribbon together with the team of the new hotel to mark the opening of IntercityHotel Graz.
