We will not have problems with hotels for Euro 2012. We already meet UEFA requirements – according to a report prepared by the international consultancy company in the property market, Cushman & Wakefield.
According to the company calculations in Polish cities in which the European Championships in football in 2012 will be held, there are currently about 38 870 accommodations at hotels (about 20 170 rooms). More than half of them falls to Warsaw, where an opening match and quarterfinal and semifinal matches will be played.
– Tourists who will use the Polish base of hotels during Euro, can be divided into three groups: the so-called UEFA family, football teams and fans. Taking into consideration the current state of the hotel base in Poland and investment projects which will executed before the start of the Championships, it can be assumed that Poland will meet the criteria of UEFA concerning accommodation base for organizers, activists and VIPs, this is the so-called family – says Dorota Malinowska, hotel property consultant from Cushman & Wakefield.
UEFA has extended the categories of hotels in which the family is to be accommodated by adding to five- and four-stars facilities the hotels of the three-star standard. An additional condition is a high standard of service. The requirement concerning the distance of the hotel from the stadium in a particular city were changed, as well. The location of hotels is to help guests to get access to the stadium by bus within two hours (before it was one hour).
– We do not also envisage problems with accommodation of football teams. From the 16 accommodation centers that were given the highest marks by the company PL.2012 coordinating preparatory activities for Euro in Poland, 12 of them already have hotel facilities that meet the UEFA standards – adds Dorota Malinowska.
Players will be accommodated in hotels of four- or five-star standard. Their location is to give them access by bus from the hotel to the nearest airport for maximum one hour. Sports facilities, this is min. two training pitches should be located at a distance of not more than 20 minutes by bus from the hotel.
For fans – there may not be enough vacancies at hotels. However, this does not mean that they will not be accommodated. They have other facilities available such as apartments, private lodgings, motels, guesthouses or holiday centres.
– The organization of Euro 2012 in Poland is a great opportunity for the development of tourism tructure in our country. Events of such importance have positive influence on the process of shaping the image and promotion of the host country. Increased influx of guests from abroad will be a strong stimulus to the development of the Polish hotel industry – experts estimate.
In their view, the interest in building hotels in Poland has increased. However, as a result of the global financial crisis, many planned investments have been suspended or delayed in time. More and more sites are also being developed and modernized – this concerns mainly three-star hotels.
