Leonardo Hotels is widening its international presence by opening up in Lisbon for the first time. Poland and Italy have been identified as new target markets.
Berlin, 23 March 2026. The Leonardo Hotels Central Europe Group is marking the International Hospitality Investment Forum (IHIF) by showcasing its agenda for strategic growth. Alongside the market entry in Portugal, an increased focus is being placed on Italy and Poland in particular. These are markets in which the group already boasts an extensive portfolio as well as enjoying broad brand positioning and management structures that are firmly established locally.
Première in Portugal
The planned opening in Lisbon represents a brand new chapter in Leonardo Hotels’ history of expansion. The group is now set to operate a hotel in Portugal for the very first time. The Hotel Corpus Christi Lisboa – Leonardo Limited Edition will also become the initial representative of the Leonardo Limited Edition brand on the Iberian Peninsula.
The 132-room Corpus Christi Lisboa is situated in the very heart of the city in the historic district of Baixa. Housed in a former monastery dating back to the 18th century, it has been created following renovation works which took full account of the listed status of the building. The facilities on offer will be enhanced by a restaurant serving high-end cuisine. Individual character, architectural identity and a service-oriented guest experience will all coalesce to form an harmonious whole. The hotel is scheduled to open in October 2026.
Strategic commitment in Italy and Poland
In addition to launching in Portugal, Leonardo Hotels Central Europe is pursuing a clear direction towards further strategic growth. Italy and Poland have been earmarked as key markets for 2026. The aims of the new expansion strategy are to reinforce the established structures and the existing management teams in both countries and to increase the company’s presence by offering further destinations.
“For us, Italy and Poland are core markets in which we already strongly represented,” explained Yoram Biton, Managing Director of Leonardo Hotels Central Europe. “The objectives of our strategy are to embellish existing structures in a targeted way and to achieve a robust expansion of our presence in new destinations and segments. The intention is for this to serve as a basis for tapping into specific new opportunities for business and leisure travellers.”
Italy – a broad portfolio and diversified brand positioning
Italy is a key market for Leonardo Hotels and is characterised by a wide brand portfolio and by a high level of demand in various segments. Leonardo Hotels already runs a total of eight hotels across four brands in Italy. These provide 1,430 rooms and cover classic spa experiences, chic stopovers for business visitors, boutique options and lively lifestyle hotels.
Two Leonardo Boutique Hotels in central Rome and the NYX Hotel Rome by Leonardo Hotels, which offers more than 320 rooms, all form part of an urban lifestyle location near to the Castel Sant'Angelo and the Vatican. In the Lagoon City of Venice, the 244-room Leonardo Royal Venice Mestre provides good amenities for business and leisure visitors alike. The group’s city-based portfolio also features two hotels in the economic and fashion metropolis of Milan and a Leonardo Hotel in Verona. Leonardo’s presence in the country is rounded off by the exclusive Leonardo Lago di Garda - Wellness and Spa, which also stages conferences.
These different brands enable Leonardo Hotels to meet local demand in a comprehensive manner and to appeal explicitly to business, cultural and holiday travellers. The idea behind the new expansion strategy is to use well-established structures and to expand the group’s presence at further destinations.
Poland – a strong business and leisure presence
Leonardo Hotels has a strong hotel portfolio in place in Warsaw and in Krakow. The group operates the Leonardo Royal Warsaw, a significant business and conference venue which offers 362 rooms and suites following renovation and extension works that were completed in 2025. The second hotel in the Polish capital is the NYX Hotel Warsaw, an urban lifestyle location which is also popular with locals thanks to its elegant roof terrace with spectacular views out over the city. Finally, there are two Boutique Hotels in Krakow with a total of 160 rooms which occupy perfect sites in the city’s central and historic districts respectively.
Leonardo Hotels in Poland contain over 850 rooms altogether. The business, lifestyle and boutique segments are thus all covered.
Outlook for 2026 – diversification and growth in key segments
The growth plans of Leonardo Hotels emphasise other aspects besides the début in Portugal and expansion in Italy and Poland. The Leonardo Royal Madrid Valdebebas, which will offer 215 rooms in the Spanish capital, is one of the group’s upcoming new build projects. The hotel will feature flexible conferencing and events spaces, a bar, a restaurant and a spa and gym area and is sure to prove attractive to both the business and leisure markets.
At the same time, Leonardo Hotels is bolstering its presence at popular holiday destinations. The Leonardo Torremolinos Costa del Sol will provide a further enticing Mediterranean location when it opens for business on 1 April. Situated only 400 metres from the beach, this hotel will offer 398 rooms, several pools including a rooftop pool with panoramic views, various bars, a restaurant and a spa and fitness area.
In Germany, the group is turning its attention to urban locations. Leipzig and Berlin will get new hotels, and the Badischer Hof in Baden-Baden will add a real pearl of spa architecture to the portfolio too. The Badischer Hof is a hotel which is steeped in tradition, It is currently undergoing major modernisation works and will be positioned as part of the Leonardo Limited Edition brand in future.
Looking back at 2025 – continuous portfolio expansion
For Leonardo Hotels Central Europe, 2025 was a year that was marked by significant new openings.
The NYX Hotel Berlin Köpenick, which is located on the bank of the River Dahme, expanded the group’s operations in the urban lifestyle segment when it reopened at the start of May 2025 following a comprehensive renovation programme. Leonardo Hotels also took over one of the most striking hotels in Erfurt. The former Radisson Blu in the city was incorporated into the NYX Hotels by Leonardo Hotels brand and remains open for business as usual whilst updating takes place. The NYX Hotel Erfurt will enable Leonardo Hotels to establish its lifestyle brand in the Thuringian capital.
The Mannheimer Hof and of The Posthouse Berlin both opened during the course of the year and represent two new additions which are reinforcing the new Leonardo Limited Edition brand in Germany.
Two new Leonardo Hotels in Mainz and Hanover also joined the portfolio. The acquisition in December of four Intercity-Hotels in Nuremberg, Freiburg, Magdeburg and Erfurt provided a further highlight. These hotels are currently being comprehensively modernised and will be integrated into the brand portfolio on a step-by-step basis.
The NYX Hotel Rome, a lifestyle hotel situated at the heart of the Italian capital, was also launched in 2025. There was a further international addition in the form of the Leonardo Royal Barcelona Forum, a new major conference and business hotel for the Catalan metropolis.
Yoram Biton draws a positive conclusion from the events of the year: “In 2025, we added twelve new hotels to our portfolio in strategically relevant markets stretching from Freiburg to Berlin and from Barcelona to Rome. Our investment strategy shows that we are a reliable partner for owners, investors and cities and that we are able to secure stable developments over the long term. We are thus laying the foundations for the sustainable further development of Leonardo Hotels. For this reason, we are also viewing 2026 with a great deal of future optimism.”