IT expert develops four-star hotel in Bucharest

Businessman Constantin Arsene, owner of Prodinf, which specialises in software development, invested 5.5 million euros in the construction of a four-star hotel in Bucharest – Berthelot, which opened close to Sala Palatului, on Berthelot Street, at the beginning of this year. What is Arsene’s strategy on a market that can accommodate almost 11,000 people in 158 hotels, which is going through a significant decline in demand? “We are carefully looking at the rates operated by our competitors, and we are reducing prices in order for them to be the lowest on the market, in their category,” he said. The investment in the four-star hotel will be recouped in four or five years, depending on what happens on the market, according to the entrepreneur. The Berthelot hotel has 44 rooms, a restaurant and a conference room. “The occupancy rate amounted to over 70% in March, with prices per room starting from 59 euros.”
Arsene analysed all distribution channels, and chose online booking platforms. “Around 60% of our business clients, i.e. of our sales, are generated via the booking websites we registered with. We study room prices on all websites daily, and we adapt to the market. The commission operated by these websites amounts to 10-12% of the price of a room,” he said.