The first discount hotels are headed to the Czech Republic

Prague - A network of discount hotels is set to be established in the Czech Republic within five years at the latest. According to today's Hospodářské noviny, the Irish company Quinlan Private will build them, as stated in a report to capital markets.
    "I cannot yet say the exact number of hotels or the amount of investment. We are still looking to see whether we will buy or build hotels, perhaps on brownfields in large cities," said David Clark, spokesperson for the Irish-American company Quinlan Private Golub, which is responsible for construction projects for the Irish firm in Central and Eastern Europe.
    According to unofficial information, Quinlan Private plans to build three to four hotels in Prague, Brno, and Ostrava. Another will be built in Poland and Hungary. In total, Quinlan Private wants to establish 15 discount-type hotels in these three countries. Costs should not exceed 400 million euros, roughly 11 billion Czech crowns, HN writes.
    Discount hotels originated in the United States as hotels for business travelers. Originally, they had simple furnishings, and guests were provided with a maximum of breakfast. This concept of quick and inexpensive accommodation has also transferred to Europe, where, for example, in Germany it operates under the chain of Formula motels.
    The hotels that Quinlan Private wants to build are reportedly much better equipped, usually providing services at the level of three and four stars. However, they retain the discount advantage—they are the cheapest in their location and category.
    "I don't know what to imagine by this; it is probably low-cost accommodation with a minimum of staff, where guests serve themselves," said Václav Stárek, Secretary General of the Association of Hotels and Restaurants, to HN. In the Czech Republic, there are either hotels offering all services in their category or garni hotels just for overnight stays.
    The real estate and investment company Quinlan Private Golub, which manages assets worth approximately seven billion euros (about 197 billion crowns), has been operating in Central and Eastern Europe since the late 1990s. Its first investment was the Four Seasons hotel in Budapest in 1998. The company entered the Czech market in 2000.