NUMA Group Acquires Native Places

Posted by UK Property Forums on 11th July 2024 -

NUMA Group has acquired 100 per cent of Native Places, the short-stay business division of Native Holdings, founded by Guy Nixon, for an undisclosed price.

Native Residential will continue as part of Native Holdings and will focus on growing as one of the UK’s largest operators of build-to-rent, co-living, mixed-use, and commercial assets under Guy Nixon’s leadership.

Native Places is one of the UK’s pioneers in the lifestyle aparthotel and serviced apartment sector, with over 800 units, and it is headquartered in London. Native Places’ assets range from small- to medium-scale serviced apartment buildings in London under The Apartment Collection to larger-scale Native Apart Hotels. When staying with Native Apart Hotels, guests get the freedom of an apartment with the comfort and services of a boutique hotel in London, Manchester, Edinburgh, and Glasgow.

The Native Places brand is widely recognised in leisure and corporate markets. It is known for offering beautifully curated and aesthetically designed properties that celebrate the best of its neighbourhood. Native Places’ assets enjoy strong ratings across all major platforms. With its purpose-driven mission to build connections through environments, experiences, and moments, celebrating the inclusivity and diversity of the Native Places community, Native Places complements NUMA’s philosophy.

The acquisition of Native Places marks a logical continuation of NUMA’s growth strategy across Europe. NUMA focuses on hotel and commercial properties in central locations of Europe’s major cities for conversion to digitalised hotels. The company targets lively neighbourhoods and main demand drivers for tourism and business travellers.

NUMA Group recently reached €2bn in real estate assets under management and manages over 6,500 rooms and apartments across 34 major cities in 14 European countries. Native Places will add over 800 new units to NUMA’s property portfolio, bringing the total to over 7,300 units.

NUMA aims to transform the European hospitality sector, a market valued at over EUR 100 billion, responding to evolving consumer preferences where, simultaneously, short-term rental platforms are encountering increasingly stringent urban regulations, especially concerning the misuse of residential properties.

Christian Gaiser, CEO and co-founder of NUMA Group explains: “At NUMA, our mission is to redefine the hospitality landscape, tailoring it to the demands of contemporary consumers. We are at the forefront of digitising and elevating the entire travel experience, continuously seeking innovative ways to deepen the connection between our guests and their preferred urban destinations.

 

We are thrilled to announce our partnership with Native Places and their team. We aim to establish a leading position in the UK’s premier cities, with London being the #1 European hospitality market. Thanks to Native Places, we will gain access to a very strong brand recognised by leisure and business travellers.”

 

He adds: “Native Places has built a substantial direct share through its corporate distribution channels, as well as B2B and B2C brand recognition. Native Places’ exceptional and historical portfolio perfectly complements our expansion strategy­­—given Native Places’ outstanding ratings and high guest satisfaction. This collaboration marks another significant step forward in NUMA’s ambition to expand across Europe and secure a dominant foothold in the UK market.”

 

Guy Nixon, the founder of Native Places and CEO of Native Residential, says: “I’m thrilled to see Native Places becoming part of a pan-European platform offering our corporate and leisure guests an exciting choice of serviced apartments across a growing European network. I couldn’t be prouder of the Native Places brand and portfolio of assets that we’ve built over the years.

 

Olivia Immesi, the current CEO of Native Places, has played a significant role in the acquisition process and will maintain her leadership role as the company joins the NUMA Group. Olivia and Archie Hunter, who have significantly expanded the Native Places portfolio in recent years, will continue to foster this growth in collaboration with the NUMA team. I extend my best wishes to the entire Native Places team as they transition into the NUMA Group.”

 

Olivia Immesi said: “Native Places has become a leading lifestyle aparthotel and serviced apartment operator in the UK, and we’re thrilled to be merging with NUMA as it expands its presence in the UK. I’m incredibly excited to continue to lead the Native Places brand as it joins a fast-moving European and tech-driven serviced apartment platform, creating one of the largest platforms of lifestyle serviced apartments in Europe.”

 

Industry insights from Skift and other experts show that alternative accommodation, such as short-term rentals, accounted for 20 per cent of the travel market in 2022. This segment has expanded at twice the rate of the broader market and is projected to continue its robust double-digit compound annual growth rate (CAGR) as it gains mainstream acceptance.

 

NUMA’s innovative approach integrates advanced technology, pricing tools, and anonymised data to enhance operational efficiency and drive revenue growth.

 

This is achieved through process automation, which reduces operational costs, and smart pricing strategies optimising occupancy rates. Consequently, NUMA’s model fosters more sustainable growth and structural profitability that surpasses industry averages within the hospitality sector.