Qbic plans four new London hotels

Qbic is planning four new hotels in the next two years, with a focus on London for its expansion.

It opened Qbic Hotel London City in the East End eight months ago and it said that the success of the project has fast tracked its plans.

The hotel opened last November in a disused office block. Prices start at £69 per night for a room with free Wi-Fi.

All Qbic hotels are based on a pod construction method - designed for the conversion of office blocks - which it said was 20% cheaper and 40% faster to build than traditional hotel construction. It means the fit out period for a hotel is six months.

Paul Janmaat,, business development director of Qbic Hotel, said: "Qbic is an incredibly strong investment opportunity for real estate owners and developers. It offers the best formula in the world to transform existing office space into high-margin, budget-economy hotels. Essentially, it's a great way to fill empty real estate with a valuable concept that has already demonstrated high returns. Where the building on Adler Street was previous vacant, thanks to Qbic it is now producing income for the landlord."

He added that Qbic was now seeking sites in Camden, Borough, Vauxhall and Southwark.

Qbic London is the second Qbic property to open, following the Qbic Hotel Amsterdam WTC, which launched in 2007.