The hospitality scene across Belgium is a dynamic community made up of startups, companies, investors, universities, technology providers, and regulators—all working together to innovate the global hospitality landscape.
Spanning important areas like travel, vacation rentals, hotels, restaurants, events, and tourism, this connected network helps improve and enrich guest experiences everywhere.
Explore how Belgium is growing in the future by fostering partnerships and embracing the latest innovations.
Hospitality Ecosystem Belgium
1. Startups
Hospitality & Accommodation Tech
- Thynk.Cloud – Brussels-based SaaS for hoteliers and corporate/MICE travel, using data-driven modules to enhance guest experience and operational agility
- Dayrooms.com – Reservation system for day room bookings, offering a choice of thousands of hotel rooms in over 50 countries
- Juyo Analytics – Hospitality data visualization & analytics
- ExpectMe – Hotel experience platform (featured in Belgian travel/ accommodation lists)
- GroomService – Mobile concierge & CRM app for hotels, facilitating guest services
- Flatio – Hand-picked monthly rentals you can trust
- Ardennes-Etape – An online site for holiday homes
- Holiday Suites – Accommodations at the Belgian coast
Activity & Experience Booking
- Live the World – Antwerp-based slow‑travel & experience booking, personalized via AI, bootstrapped with €300 K pre-seed; aims for commission-free curated content
AI & Tech-Driven Planning
- WeTime – AI-powered personalized travel itineraries; showcased at Startup Grind Global
- Otamiser – AI-driven platform that optimizes your property’s listings and pricing
Business & Corporate Travel
- MobileXpense – Cloud-based corporate travel & expense management platform used globally by companies like AB Inbev and Canon; raised ~€23.7 M
- Fly Aeolus – Antwerp-based air taxi/ private jet fractional ownership service across Western Europe
2. Companies
Hotel Chains & Groups
- Radisson Hotel Group - Brussels-based global group with Belgian presence: Radisson Blu, Radisson Red, Park Inn by Radisson, some in cities like Antwerp, Bruges, Liège, Leuven, Spa
- Martin’s Hotels - A family-owned Belgian chain, named after founder John C. Martin. Operates 12 hotels, 6 restaurants, and 4 spas across Belgium (e.g., Château du Lac in Genval, Martin's Patershof in Mechelen and Mons, Martin's Dream in Mons)
- Historic Hotels Belgium - A collective of charming, heritage-rich properties based in Ghent and Aalst. Includes Hotel Gravensteen (since 1984), Hotel de Flandre, Ghent River Hotel, Monasterium PoortAckere and Tower Hotel Aalst
- Sweett – Operates serviced apartments with hotel-level services in Brussels and beyond for leisure and business travelers
- Independent & Boutique - Numerous characterful upscale hotels (e.g., Dukes’ Palace in Bruges, Hotel Amigo in Brussels, Corinthia Grand Hotel Astoria Brussels, Hotel Metropole, Steigenberger Wiltcher’s), many converted landmark buildings
Global hospitality companies and brands.
3. Investors
Travel & Hospitality–Focused VC Funds
While Belgium doesn’t have many VC firms solely dedicated to hospitality, several firms actively invest in travel and hospitality tech startups:
- Limburgse Reconversie Maatschappij (LRM) - A regional development fund from Limburg province, known to invest in hospitality-related Belgian startups (~2 hospitality deals cited)
- Fly Ventures - A Belgian VC focused on tech-heavy startups across Europe. Has invested in at least one hospitality-related company in Belgium
Curious about investing in Belgium? Check this guide with topics like 'why Belgium', top destinations, market entry strategy, legal compliance & risk management, and market insights & trends.
Private Equity & Infrastructure Investors
- Hospitality House (Belgium) - A Belgian hotel investment and operations group. They focus on midscale and economy hotels in city centers and own several properties across the country, including over 380 rooms with expansion underway.
- Extendam & Atalante Hotels - This French-Belgian partnership actively acquires and operates hotels in Belgium. Notable acquisitions include the Novotel Mechelen and Ibis Namur. They are expanding their presence through joint ventures and strategic renovations.
- 123 Investment Managers, Extendam, and Sohoma (via FLI Hospitality) - A private equity consortium that acquired Hotel Navarra in Bruges. They’re focused on high-potential heritage and lifestyle hotels, often targeting prime tourist zones for refurbishment and repositioning.
- AG Real Estate and Befimmo (Belgium) - Both are institutional real estate investors and asset managers. They support hospitality investments as part of broader urban mixed-use and infrastructure portfolios, especially near transit hubs or event venues.
- Besix Group (via A-Stay) - A leading Belgian construction and infrastructure firm, Besix launched A-Stay as a modern hotel concept. It combines modular design, tech integration, and flexible stay formats—focused on cities like Antwerp and Brussels.
- Ghelamco (Belgium) - A major Belgian real estate developer known for large-scale office and mixed-use projects, Ghelamco is increasingly incorporating hotel components into their city development plans—especially in Brussels.
Global hospitality and travel investors.
4. Accelerators
- FU‑TOURISM Accelerator (Brussels) - A sustainability‑focused tourism SME accelerator funded by the EU (4 M € total).
- imec.istart Accelerator (Ghent, Antwerp, Hasselt, Liège) - Belgium’s top tech startup accelerator, supporting both general tech and specialized verticals including hospitality tech.
- Start it @KBC (Nationwide, e.g., Antwerp, Leuven, Ghent) - One-year, equity-free accelerator open to startups of all sectors, including travel and hospitality.
Global hospitality accelerators.
5. Funding Rounds
- Otamiser (Ghent‑based) - €2.7 M (~ US $3 M) raised in June 2024 in a round led by Pitchdrive VC with contributions from a group of prominent angels
- Thynk.Cloud (Brussels‑based) - Raised €2 M seed round in April 2022
Global hospitality funding rounds.
6. Acquisitions
- ASHG Acquires FLI Group Portfolio - Alchemy Step Hotel Group (ASHG), a joint venture between Alchemy Special Opportunities and Step Partners, acquired FLI Group's portfolio of eight hotels across Belgium. The properties, totaling over 1,000 rooms, are located in Antwerp, Ghent, Liège, and Hasselt. Brands include Mercure, Holiday Inn, and Holiday Inn Express. ASHG plans refurbishments and repositioning to enhance asset value
- Azora Acquires Two Hotels in Brussels - Spanish investment firm Azora acquired Hotel Berger and Hotel Jardin Secret in central Brussels, totaling 99 rooms. Adjacent buildings will be developed into a 130-bed hostel. The properties will be managed by Latroupe, Azora's lifestyle hotel platform, expanding its portfolio to 1,600 beds across Europe
Global hospitality acquisitions.
7. People
- Peter De Wilde - CEO of Radisson Hotel Group Benelux
- Frederik Vermeersch - CEO of Sunparks (part of Center Parcs Group)
- Caroline Schmitt - Director of Visit Flanders
- Dirk De Cuyper - General Manager of The Hotel Brussels
- Bart De Coninck - CEO of Brussels Airlines
8. Events
- Brussels Tourism Fair (Salon des Vacances) - One of Belgium’s biggest travel and tourism fairs.
- Hospitality Innovation Days Belgium
- Flanders Investment & Trade Travel & Hospitality Forums - Organized to boost Belgian travel and hospitality businesses internationally
- Belgian Luxury Travel Market - Event dedicated to luxury travel agencies, hotel chains, and exclusive travel services
9. Schools
- VIVES University of Applied Sciences (Bruges) – Hotel Management
Offers a three-year Bachelor in Hotel Management with specialisations in Hospitality Management or Culinary Arts. Practical training in a former Michelin-star restaurant, plus multi‑language instruction and internships - Erasmus Brussels University of Applied Sciences and Arts (EhB)
Provides a bachelor’s in Hotel Management and in Tourism & Recreation Management. Multilingual courses in English, French, and Dutch, backed by placements and internships - United International Business School (UIBS, Brussels)
Bachelor in Hospitality Management (180 ECTS) with key modules in hotel operations, event and destination management, and including internship and capstone project - VUB – Vrije Universiteit Brussel
Offers a Master in Tourism and Travel Management (1 year, full‑time), with tracks in Tourism and Event Management - KU Leuven
Master’s in Tourism and Leisure Management, specialising in Sustainable Tourism or Event Management - ULiège (University of Liège)
Master in Tourism with specialisation in Sustainable Tourism (1 year) - UCLL, UNamur, ULB, Ghent University, Thomas More, Howest University
Each offers 1‑year Master’s in Tourism/Events or Tourism Development; often with English pathways
10. Government
- Visit Belgium. National-level portal that consolidates tourism information across Flanders, Brussels, and Wallonia.
- Visit Flanders (Toerisme Vlaanderen). Government agency promoting tourism and supporting the hospitality industry in Flanders.
- Visit Brussels. Tourism promotion agency for Brussels, working on events, hospitality partnerships, and marketing.
- Wallonie Belgique Tourisme. Official tourism body for the Walloon region, promoting travel and supporting local hospitality sectors.
- FPS Economy (Federal Public Service Economy). Federal-level body involved in economic regulations, consumer protection, and business support including in tourism.
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