UBM Corporate

• Focus on sustainability under the motto “Green & Clean“ as a leitmotif for Mercure Katowice Centrum hotel
• PLGBC Green Building Award 2021
• “Green & Clean: in line with the times“

 Katowice, 14.10.2021. The celebrated grand opening of the Mercure Katowice Centrum marked the end of construction after a period of only two years. The hotel operating under Accor brand, world leading hospitality group, was realised by UBM Development. It is located in the heart of Katowice and has 268 rooms on eight floors. Sustainability under the motto “Green & Clean“ formed the focal point for all activities – from planning and construction to operations. The philosophy reflects the core of locally inspired Mercure brand to the fullest. Last week, this Polish hotel received the PLGBC Green Building Award 2021 for sustainable real estate development. LEED certification in Platinum ranks the hotel in the Champions League of sustainable real estate projects. UBM Development defines its corporate strategy as “green. smart. and more.“, the consequent focus on the development of more sustainable, more intelligent and more aesthetic properties. The Mercure Katowice Centrum was sold by UBM to Union Investment.

“Storytelling is an important success factor for all our real estate projects“, explained Martina Maly-Gärtner, who is responsible for the hotel business as COO of UBM Development AG. “With Green & Clean, we have found the perfect story for this location and are also moving in line with the times – where sustainability is becoming an increasingly essential factor.“

“With the opening of a hotel in one of Poland’s largest industrial regions, we want to play a decisive and active role in the green transformation of Katowice. Environmentally friendly technologies can be found in every corner of the Mercure Katowice Centrum – from the planted wall on the building facade to ecological solutions in the interior, including the use of environmentally friendly materials, renewable energy sources, rainwater and an advanced monitoring system for water and energy management. We are convinced our hotel will become a hub for relaxation and a meeting place for guests as well as local residents. We are excited that with visiting our hotel, every guest can discover Katowice from its new, modern perspective, consistent with the image for Mercure brand”, added Andrzej Kleeberg, Mercure Katowice Centrum General Manager.

“Sustainability has been an important and strategically firmly anchored topic in Union Investment’s real estate segment for around 15 years. Every purchase goes through our in-house Sustainable Investment Check. The Mercure Katowice Centrum passed this with flying colors, as evidenced by the current PLGBC Green Building Award 2021 and LEED Platinum certification. We congratulate UBM on this success and look forward to future collaboration,” says Thorsten Purkus, Head of Asset Management Hospitality International at Union Investment.

260 square metres of vertical gardening
The green facade of the Mercure Katowice Centrum has already attracted considerable attention, as a symbol of modern face of Katowice and the future of sustainable hospitality. This 18 metre high, 260 square metre large area is, however, much more than a highly visible exterior elementof the “Green and Clean“ theme. The natural green carpet is a genuine all-rounder. The roughly 7,000 plants are rooted in pockets that are applied on textile panels made of recycled materials. The vertical garden is irrigated with rainwater collected in the basement – and the electricity for the irrigation comes from the building’s own photovoltaic equipment or from the energy recovery system in the elevators.

The photovoltaic equipment on the roof will deliver roughly 31,000 Kilowatt hours (kWh) of energy annually. These 31 kWh will save 9,961 kg of CO₂ each year, which represent the CO₂ captured by 342 trees. An e-auto could travel more than 200,000 kilometres, or five-times around the earth, with this energy. Energy generation outside the building is also an important issue. For example: The heat from the exhaust fans in the kitchen is transformed into energy. In addition, the elevators are equipped with an energy recovery system and the energy produced by the hotel guests on the ergometers in the gym is used elsewhere in the building – admittedly a funny point for the sport enthusiasts.

E-mobility and upcycling
Charging stations in the underground garage and on the public square in front of the hotel provide added support for e-mobility. E-car sharing is also available as an environmentally friendly alternative. Sustainable building materials run like a green thread throughout the entire building. The list is long: The recycled materials include Econyl®, a regenerated nylon fibre made of plastic waste and fabric scraps from ocean disposal sites and landfills. Felt, cork and FSC-certified wood as ecological building materials not only ensure complete traceability from production to installation, but also create the desired feel-well atmosphere for guests. Upcycling is also an issue. The front of the bar, for example, was designed from waste glass bottles, and old bicycles and lamps from the region’s traditional coal mining industry are given a second life as deco-elements.

Guests interact with the “Green & Clean“ theme at every turn. Breakfast plates in consciously smaller sizes are intended to help reduce food waste, drinking straws made of metal and the avoidance of plastic packaging help to protect the environment. Regional products dominate in the food served in the restaurant.

Ideal location for business travellers
The Mercure Katowice Centrum is situated only 100 metres from the railway and bus stations. Guests can easily reach the most important sites in Katowice from this optimal location: The International Congress Centre, “Spodek” event hall and KTW Business Centre are all within a single kilometre, which makes the hotel an ideal place for business travellers. The hotel also has a business area with nearly 100 square metres of modern and comfortable conference rooms that can seat up to 80 participants as well as an underground garage with 70 parking spaces for use during the hotel stay.

The bar and Winestone Culinary Restaurant pamper guests with a large selection of wine, including Polish and organic wines, as well as high-quality, modern local cuisine with dishes served on stone plates. Guests can find rest and relaxation in the massage room which is located on the ninth floor together with the fitness room and provides a marvellous view of the entire city.

Katowice is a city with a rich history of the mining and steel industry, which today is consciously undergoing a green transformation and is becoming a more and more environmentally friendly place. Mercure Katowice Centrum, thanks to its modern solutions, is a significant contribution to the construction of the new image of the city.

UBM Development develops real estate for Europe’s metropolises. The strategic focus is on green building and smart office in major cities such as Vienna, Berlin, Munich and Frankfurt. With close to 150 years of experience, UBM offers all development services from a single source, from planning to marketing. The shares are listed on the Prime Market of the Vienna Stock Exchange, the segment with the highest transparency requirements.

Mercure brand is a guarantee of new, unique and unforgettable hotel experiences. Each Mercure hotel is characterized not only by a unique style, but also by an atmosphere inspired by the local surroundings and culture. All this makes every visit to Mercure hotels extraordinary and full of unique experiences. Regional accents, local cuisine and tradition build the awareness of guests about the place they visit. Thanks to this, each of them can fully discover and experience the unique character of the brand.

Accor is a world leading hospitality group consisting of more than 5,000 properties and 10,000 food and beverage venues throughout 110 countries. The group has one of the industry’s most diverse and fully-integrated hospitality ecosystems encompassing luxury and premium brands, midscale and economy offerings, unique lifestyle concepts, entertainment and nightlife venues, restaurants and bars, branded private residences, shared accommodation properties, concierge services, co-working spaces and more. Accor also boasts an unrivalled portfolio of distinctive brands and approximately 300,000 team members worldwide. Over 65 million members benefit from the company’s comprehensive loyalty program ALL – Accor Live Limitless – a daily lifestyle companion that provides access to a wide variety of rewards, services and experiences. Through its Planet 21 – Acting Here, Accor Solidarity, RiiSE and ALL Heartist Fund initiatives, the group is focused on driving positive action through business ethics, responsible tourism, environmental sustainability, community engagement, diversity and inclusivity. Founded in 1967, Accor SA is headquartered in France and publicly listed on the Euronext Paris Stock Exchange (ISIN code: FR0000120404) and on the OTC Market (Ticker: ACRFY) in the United States. For more information visit group.accor.com or follow Accor on Twitter, Facebook, LinkedIn and Instagram.

For additional information contact:
Christoph Rainer
Head of Investor Relations
UBM Development AG
Mob.: + 43 664 626 3969
Email: christoph.rainer@ubm-development.com

Karl Abentheuer
Head of Corporate Communications
UBM Development AG
Tel.: +43 (0)50 626 5677
Mob.: + 43 664 136 34 23
Email: karl.abentheuer@ubm-development.com

Agnieszka Kalinowska
Manager Media Relations & PR Poland & Eastern Europe, Accor
Agnieszka.KALINOWSKA@accor.com