Operations
With major new acquisitions in Switzerland and Spain, Room Mate Hotels is scaling its distinctive lifestyle brand across Europe while staying true to its boutique ethos. Dominic Seely, the group’s chief development and acquisitions offi cer, speaks to Hotel Management International about entering Geneva, investing in Valencia, and how thoughtful design and institutional partnerships are shaping the future of urban hospitality.
Boutique vision R
oom Mate Hotels is on an ambitious growth trajectory. The lifestyle-driven hotel chain, founded by entrepreneur Kike Sarasola, has announced key expansions in 2025, including its entry into the Swiss market with the acquisition of Hôtel Marmont in Geneva – a 104-room property nestled beside the prestigious Rue du Rhône. The deal underscores Room Mate’s strategy of securing AAA urban locations and building on long-standing institutional partnerships.
Alongside this international move, the brand has significantly bolstered its Spanish portfolio by acquiring Staying Valencia, a local chain comprising ten boutique hotels in the heart of Valencia. These acquisitions come as Room Mate closed a strong 2024 with €128.5m in revenue and a normalised EBITDA of €28.3m. The group is now forecasting further growth to €151.8m in 2025. As the company continues to invest in renovations, strengthen its financial base and target markets like Paris, Lisbon and Germany, it remains committed to its founding philosophy: creating hotels that feel like homes, where guests are treated like friends. In this interview, Dominic Seely, Room Mate’s chief development and
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acquisitions officer, shares how the group is balancing scale with intimacy, and what lies ahead for one of Europe’s most dynamic lifestyle hotel brands.
Geneva is known for its tight hotel market and high barriers to entry. Can you share more detail on how the Hôtel Marmont acquisition came about – and what made it a strategic priority? Dominic Seely: This was an off-market opportunity that was sourced by my head of development and acquisitions who used to live and work in Geneva. At Room Mate, we believe greatly in the value of relationships – historically, most of our deals have come through long-standing relationships. Geneva was strategic for us because of its prominence in the world as a centre for both international finance and international diplomacy, its limited new hotel supply, and lack of competitive lifestyle hotel offerings.
There is also a complete renovation of Hôtel Marmont. What design direction or guest experience are you aiming for
Hotel Management International /
www.hmi-online.com
Palazzo dei Fiori
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