{"id":42716,"date":"2026-03-18T12:22:11","date_gmt":"2026-03-18T12:22:11","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/dk\/42716\/"},"modified":"2026-03-18T12:22:11","modified_gmt":"2026-03-18T12:22:11","slug":"helsinki-based-hospitality-operator-bob-w-to-make-belfast-debut-in-new-serviced-apartment-scheme-the-irish-news","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/dk\/42716\/","title":{"rendered":"Helsinki-based hospitality operator Bob W to make Belfast debut in new serviced apartment scheme \u2013 The Irish News"},"content":{"rendered":"

The Helsinki-based tech driven-hospitality group Bob W has signed up for a new serviced apartment scheme in Belfast following the collapse of its former North American operator Sonder.<\/p>\n

The 84-unit apartment building on Dublin Road is being developed by Belfast-based Z Property, with finance from Assetz Capital.<\/p>\n

NASDAQ-listed global hospitality company Sonder was originally announced as the operator in late 2024, after pulling the plug on a \u00a320 million aparthotel project in Belfast city centre<\/a>.<\/p>\n

But the San Francisco-based group, which had managed 9,000 short-term rental and boutique hotel units across 40 cities, filed for chapter seven bankruptcy in the US in November.<\/p>\n

\"Live:<\/a>\"Business<\/a><\/p>\n

It followed Marriott\u2019s decision to abruptly end its licensing agreement with the company.<\/p>\n

\"WorkWork on the Dublin Road apartment scheme, which features 84 units, is nearing completion. <\/p>\n

Z Property has now secured Finland\u2019s Bob W as a replacement, signing a long-term lease to make its Northern Ireland debut.<\/p>\n

It\u2019s due to open as Bob W Belfast City Centre in the second quarter of 2026.<\/p>\n

The site includes an in-house gym, rooftop garden and an externally managed caf\u00e9 at ground level.<\/p>\n

The project is nearing completion, with a coffee operator being sought by Z Property.<\/p>\n

It marks Bob W\u2019s second project on the island following an agreement to operate a new 143-unit aparthotel in Dublin.<\/p>\n

A subsidiary of Red Rock Developments secured planning permission for the scheme next to Donnybrook Stadium in December 2025.<\/p>\n

Bob W said the new Belfast apartments will include fully equipped kitchens and smart room technology.<\/p>\n

\u201cEntering Ireland is an important milestone for Bob W,\u201d said the group\u2019s chief development officer Philip Grace.<\/p>\n

\u201cBelfast is a city with strong cultural identity, growing international appeal and a thriving business community.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt fits perfectly with our strategy of launching in dynamic European cities where guests are looking for design-led, flexible accommodation in central locations.<\/p>\n

\u201cA ground-up development like this allows us to embed sustainability, smart technology and operational efficiency from day one, delivering a seamless experience for modern travellers while creating long-term value for our partners.\u201d<\/p>\n

The Helsinki group, which now manage 7,000 units in Europe, said its part of an accelerated expansion across the continent.<\/p>\n

The Belfast scheme has been built on the site of the now demolished Kitsch restaurant and Emerald Chinese takeaway on the Dublin Road.<\/p>\n

Z Property, which was set up by Scott Kennedy in 2021, bought the site in 2022<\/a>.<\/p>\n

Mr Kennedy, who was previously a project manager with McAleer and Rushe, is involved with a number of residential schemes.<\/p>\n

He is also behind the proposals to restore the former Glens Hotel in Cushendall<\/a>.<\/p>\n

Z Property plan to revive the vacant hotel with 39 bedrooms, a 200-capacity function room and spa facilities.<\/p>\n

Meanwhile, work is now advancing on Lotus Property\u2019s aparthotel scheme in the HMRC\u2019s former Belfast headquarters on Wellington Place.<\/p>\n

Following Sonder\u2019s withdrawal, Lotus has now secured an agreement with the Dublin-based Stay City for its first northern venture, which will be known as The Well<\/a>.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"The Helsinki-based tech driven-hospitality group Bob W has signed up for a new serviced apartment scheme in Belfast…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":42717,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":"","_share_on_mastodon":"0"},"categories":[87],"tags":[24235,5997,158,113,7282,24234,721],"class_list":["post-42716","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-helsinki","tag-aparthotel","tag-belfast","tag-finland","tag-helsinki","tag-hospitality","tag-hotel","tag-hotels"],"share_on_mastodon":{"url":"https:\/\/pubeurope.com\/@dk\/116250158586776659","error":""},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/dk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/42716","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/dk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/dk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/dk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/dk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=42716"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/dk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/42716\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/dk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/42717"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/dk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=42716"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/dk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=42716"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/dk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=42716"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}