You can find press materials here: PM Berlin
The Chocolate on the Pillow Group (COTP) has signed a lease and franchise agreement for the Holiday Inn Express Kassel, thereby securing its third hotel from the Revo Hospitality Group’s bankruptcy. The multi-brand hotel operator is taking over the property, which is still under construction, in partnership with the owner, Volksbank Kassel Göttingen eG, and is positioning itself as the first international hotel brand in an economically strong but previously underserved market—just in time for documenta 2027.
After Hamburg and Augsburg, Kassel is the third property the group is adding to its portfolio in this way. Unlike the two previously mentioned projects, the hotel in Kassel is still under construction. COTP is thus joining an ongoing construction project and will oversee its completion together with the owner—from interior design and technical equipment to the hotel’s opening. It is precisely this ability to take over a project in the middle of the implementation phase and manage it through to opening that COTP has already demonstrated with the TRIBE acquisition in Baden-Baden.
The Holiday Inn Express Kassel is being built on Kurfürstenstraße, in the immediate vicinity of Kassel’s main train station—within walking distance along the route between the station and downtown. The hotel will feature 176 rooms, including 44 long-stay suites, four conference rooms, and 16 underground parking spaces. Additional parking for approximately 80 vehicles is available in the immediate vicinity at the bank’s parking garage.
Volksbank Kassel Göttingen is the landlord and owner; the bank will retain the building in its own portfolio on a long-term basis and is constructing it right next to its headquarters. In addition to the hotel operations, the property also incorporates the bank’s own seminar and event spaces.
As the economic hub of Northern Hesse, Kassel is well-positioned—boasting, among other things, one of the largest Volkswagen plants in Europe, SMA Solar Technology, and a strong defense industry cluster centered around KNDS and Rheinmetall. At the same time, the city has so far seen little penetration by major international hotel brands. With the Holiday Inn Express, COTP is positioning itself there as the first property in a global franchise system and aims to become the leading hotel in the area.
The opening is scheduled for March 2027—just in time for documenta 16, which will take place from June 12 to September 19, 2027, and generates an enormous surge in demand in Kassel every five years.
With the Holiday Inn Express Kassel, COTP is strengthening its strategic partnership with IHG Hotels & Resorts, one of the world’s leading hotel groups. The project expands COTP’s involvement within the IHG brand portfolio—particularly with the established Holiday Inn and Holiday Inn Express brands, which stand for reliable quality, clear standards, and an internationally recognizable guest experience. This collaboration underscores COTP’s role as a reliable franchise and growth partner and serves as another building block in a long-term partnership.
““For us, Kassel is more than just another property: it represents growth that we are very deliberately steering. This brings our total to over 6,000 rooms in 34 hotels—eight of which we acquired last year alone while they were still in operation, and four more are currently under construction.” , says Erik Florvaag, CEO and Managing Partner of The Chocolate on the Pillow Group.“This range—from taking over an existing business to joining an ongoing construction project—is exactly what sets us apart as COTP.”
You can find press materials here: PM Berlin
The Chocolate on the Pillow Group (COTP) operates a portfolio of over 30 hotels in the DACH region. With approximately 850 employees, the group operates hotels under the brands of international hotel operators Accor (Novotel, Mercure, ibis Styles, ibis, ibis budget, TRIBE, the hoxton), Marriott (Moxy, Four Points Flex by Sheraton, Tribute Portfolio), and Intercontinental (Holiday Inn, Holiday Inn Express). Founded in 1994 and most recently operating under the name GHOTEL Group, the hotel group has made it its mission to set new standards for hospitality with state-of-the-art hospitality concepts and aims to revolutionize the way hotels are managed. As a trusted partner for institutional investors, private investors, and joint ventures, The Chocolate on the Pillow Group—in close collaboration with Art-Invest Real Estate and the Zech Group—covers the entire value chain, from hotel construction through planning and implementation to hotel operations.
