A first address in Rotterdam
Bob W, the technology- and AI-enabled hospitality operator, has signed a long-term lease with Dudok Real Estate. The agreement covers four office floors at 147 Weena, which will become Bob W Rotterdam Central, a new 160-unit flagship property in the heart of the city.
Opening is scheduled for summer 2027. The project will occupy 5,169 sqm, from the sixth to the ninth floor of this mixed-use building. The office floorplates will be converted into guest accommodation with carefully designed interiors, complemented by guest spaces on the ground floor.
This is Bob W’s first property in Rotterdam. The project strengthens the group’s presence in the Netherlands and adds to a growing European pipeline that combines office and hotel conversions, leases and new-build developments.
160 studios and apartments facing Hofplein
Bob W Rotterdam Central will offer 160 studios and one-bedroom apartments, all with kitchens. On the ground floor, guests will have access to a lobby lounge, luggage storage and a laundry room.
The property is a few minutes from Rotterdam Central Station, which serves the whole of the Netherlands as well as international rail routes. It faces Hofplein, one of the city’s most iconic squares, which is currently undergoing a major transformation.
Niko Karstikko, co-founder and CEO of Bob W, said the Weenahuis was exactly the kind of opportunity the company looks for: a prime, exceptionally well-connected location where it can convert an existing property and give it a second life.
Office conversion at the heart of the strategy
For the Bob W chief executive, converting under-used offices into quality accommodation is an increasingly important tool in helping cities make better use of their existing building stock. Rather than starting from scratch, he noted, projects of this kind allow the company to rethink existing spaces and create an offer that reflects the way people want to stay today.
With 160 units, Bob W Rotterdam Central will be a flagship property for the company and a strong new example of what a well-considered office conversion can achieve, added Niko Karstikko, who said the team was delighted to be working with Dudok to bring the project to life.
This model, based on partnerships with owners to repurpose well-located office assets, is playing a growing role in the group’s development. Bob W has already rolled it out in Germany, with the takeover of three properties in Munich, and then in Cologne, where Centralis Immobilien entrusted it with the operation of 233 serviced apartments in two former hotels.
Dudok Real Estate bets on the Weenahuis
For the owner, Dudok Real Estate, Bob W’s arrival is an asset for the building’s future. Pascal Groenendijk, Head of Asset Management at Dudok Real Estate, said the company was very pleased to welcome Bob W to the Weenahuis, adding that its hospitality concept aligned with Dudok’s vision for the building and would bring new energy to this prime Rotterdam location.
Dudok continues to invest in the long-term future of the Weenahuis and sees Bob W as a strong addition to the building’s diverse mix of occupiers, according to Pascal Groenendijk, Head of Asset Management at Dudok Real Estate, who said he looked forward to working together to make the project a success.
Studio Klinker has been appointed as architect and interior architect for the project. Keston Hospitality, in association with MADE Real Estate, advised on the transaction.
A portfolio of more than 8,000 units
Bob W now reports more than 100 assets and over 8,000 apartments and hotel rooms across Europe and the UK. In early 2025, at the time of its Munich signing, the operator cited more than 4,000 apartments. Backed by institutional investors, it develops aparthotels and hotels that combine lifestyle-hotel standards with the flexibility of short-term rentals.
Our analysis – The doubling of this portfolio in less than two years illustrates the rise of a platform that has strengthened its financial structure, notably with the appointment of Frenchman Hervé Deligny as CFO. With Rotterdam, Bob W confirms that converting city-centre office buildings has become a growth pillar in its own right, where the interests of property owners and those of cities meet.
At a glance by The Hospitality Tribune
Bob W signs 160-unit flagship office conversion in Rotterdam
Long-term lease with Dudok Real Estate for floors 6-9 of the Weenahuis, Weena 147
5,169 sqm of offices converted into studios and one-bedroom apartments with kitchens
Opening targeted for summer 2027, Bob W’s first Rotterdam property
Studio Klinker as architect, Keston Hospitality with MADE Real Estate advising
Bob W portfolio: 100+ assets, 8,000+ units across Europe and the UK
