A trendy Jo and Joe hotel is opening in an IKEA store in Vienna in 2021, where young people can sleep, socialise and shop for furniture. Anthony Pearce reports
The seven-storey Jo & Joe Open House hotel will have 345 beds, a restaurant and a rooftop bar on the upper floors of a building near the revamped 19th-century Westbahnhof station, which acts as the Austrian capital’s main railway hub. There will also be a programme of events for guests to participate in.
The Jo & Joe brand, which is part of hotel giant Accor, combines hostel and traditional hotel elements with a modern design. Its Open House concept is described as a “cool, affordable and caring, filled with ever-surprising design, animations and talents”.
Jo & Joe so far has two properties, in Gentilly, a commune in the southern suburbs of Paris, and Hossegor, in Nouvelle-Aquitaine in south-western France. This will be the first Jo & Joe in the German-speaking region.
Volkmar Pfaff, managing director of Accor Austria, says: “The modern architecture and the unique location of the new city IKEA harmonise perfectly with the exciting new world offered by Jo & Joe.
“We are working together to create an inviting, well-connected environment that reflects the lifestyle trends of a young, urban clientele. We are delighted with this strategic partnership with IKEA and welcome further cooperation in the future.”
Construction will begin in January 2020 and is scheduled for completion in 2021.
Francois Leclerc, vice-president of brand and operations for Jo & Joe, says: “Our first Jo & Joe Open Houses have already proven to be wildly popular, as the concept blends the best of private-rental, hostel and hotel formats.
“We are very enthusiastic about our partnership with IKEA and our newest location in Vienna, where we feel our commitment to freedom, autonomy and brilliant design will fit right in with the city’s aesthetic and the guests who travel here.”
For IKEA, there is an opportunity to inspire young people to visit its store and buy affordable furnishings for their homes, either before, after or during their stays.
IKEA’s managing director for Austria, Viera Juzova, says: “By collaborating with Jo & Joe, we have found a partner who is an ideal match for our urban target group and who, like us, offers customers unique, new experiences and innovative concepts.”
The Swedish home retail giant said that, with its modern architecture, biophilic foliage walls and innovative interior design, the furniture store on Äussere Mariahilferstrasse will offer customers a unique shopping experience.
IKEA said it was taking current trends and changing shopping patterns into account. Customers will be able have major purchases delivered to their homes within 24 hours and the store will also boast a rooftop garden.
Jo & Joe was launched in September 2016 to cater to millennials and younger Gen Zers. It is part of Accor’s lifestyle division and portfolio of economy brands. After Vienna, it plans to expand to Rome, London, Budapest, Glasgow and Rio de Janeiro, with another planned for Paris.