Leonardo Hotels has added two properties with a combined 308 rooms in Kiel and Regensburg, while bringing an existing Magdeburg hotel under its main brand as refurbishment works approach completion.
The Central Europe business announced the developments on 21 October 2026. The former Holiday Inn Express Regensburg joined the portfolio on 15 October, followed by the former Steigenberger Conti Hansa in Kiel on 21 October. Both were previously part of the Revo portfolio.
The properties now trade as Leonardo Smart Regensburg and Leonardo Royal Conti Hansa Kiel. Separately, the former IntercityHotel in Magdeburg has operated as Leonardo Magdeburg City Center since 19 October. That property was acquired in December 2025, so the latest announcement combines two additions with the renewal of an existing asset.
Leonardo Hotels makes its Kiel debut
The 164-room Conti Hansa gives the group its first hotel in Schleswig-Holstein’s capital. Located opposite the Ostseekai cruise terminals, the established property serves a mix of business visitors, city-break guests and cruise passengers.
Accommodation includes family rooms and junior suites. A refurbished 75-square-metre grand suite provides a separate bedroom alongside private living and dining space. The hotel’s restaurant serves regional and international dishes, while a bar and lounge include a pool table.
The leisure facilities comprise a gym, sauna area and outdoor terrace. For meetings and events, the hotel offers 11 rooms with terraces or balconies and a combined capacity of up to 270 people. The acquisition brings an operating hotel into the Leonardo portfolio rather than adding a newly constructed building to the city.
Regensburg adds 144 rooms
Leonardo Smart Regensburg is positioned close to the historic centre of the UNESCO World Heritage city. Its 144 rooms include family accommodation and two accessible rooms, with the main railway station and attractions such as Regensburg Cathedral within easy reach.
The hotel provides a breakfast buffet, complimentary Wi-Fi and a bar open 24 hours a day. The property is in the Dörnbergforum, with public underground parking directly beneath the hotel and the main station approximately 900 metres away. Two meeting rooms can be combined to accommodate up to 16 people, giving the property a smaller-scale meetings offer alongside its leisure and business accommodation.
Magdeburg refurbishment nears completion
The Magdeburg project covers guestrooms and public spaces, including the restaurant, bar and lobby. Leonardo Hotels says the wider modernisation programme is nearing completion, although the hotel is already trading under its new name.
The updated interiors use neutral room colours and warmer tones in the shared areas. An open-plan arrangement links the restaurant, bar and lobby, with different seating areas intended for informal meetings and relaxation.
The 175-room hotel sits beside Magdeburg’s main station. Its five meeting rooms cover 234 square metres in total; the largest accommodates up to 70 participants. Magdeburg Cathedral, the Green Citadel and the Elbe promenade are each approximately one kilometre away.
Growth through additions and existing assets
“We are pursuing growth in Germany at several levels,” said Yoram Biton, managing director of Leonardo Hotels Central Europe. He described a strategy that combines entry into additional locations with targeted investment in hotels already within the portfolio.
The distinction matters for the scale of this announcement: Kiel and Regensburg add 308 rooms, while Magdeburg’s 175 rooms were already part of the business. The current release does not disclose acquisition prices or the refurbishment budget.
WINC Wire has also reported on Vienna House by Wyndham’s Frankfurt South conversion and The Hoxton’s planned Hamburg opening, two other developments in Germany’s branded hotel market.
Image: Leonardo Royal Conti Hansa Kiel exterior, supplied with the company’s press announcement. Credit: Leonardo Hotels.
