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Ruby expands internationally

WOW room of Ruby Lucy Hotel London

RUBY SIGNS FIRST LONDON HOTEL AS EUROPEAN EXPANSION GATHERS PACE

The European expansion of RUBY is gathering pace. The Munich-based boutique hotel group, which was founded by Michael Struck in 2013, announced three more projects, one of them in London, bringing the group count to thirteen hotels (four open, nine in planning or under construction).

With its LEAN LUXURY philosophy, RUBY appears to have evolved into one of the fastest-growing non-standardized hotel brands in Europe.

Central location in the heart of London

RUBY will open its first hotel outside of the German-speaking regions of Europe in summer 2019 in central London. The hotel, named RUBY LUCY, will be located in the fashionable Southbank quarter at Lower Marsh, a historic market street with many small bars, restaurants and boutiques. The hotel, with 76 rooms, is located very close to Waterloo mainline train and underground station, providing excellent connections with London’s public transportation network. Westminster, Buckingham Palace and Trafalgar Square are easily reached on foot, just a few minutes away, along with Soho and Covent Garden.

RUBY agreed a partnership on the property with a family-owned real estate company with a long-standing tradition. Real estate agent MS CRE advised Ruby. The new building south of the Thames, which also houses restaurants and shops, is designed by renowned architects Studio Kyson.  

Another new RUBY HOTEL is opening in Zurich

RUBY announced another new hotel project, with around 210 rooms, which will open by the beginning of 2021 in Zurich. Located at Waisenhausstraße 2-4 / Bahnhofquai 7, the new hotel is only 200 m away from Zurich central station and has excellent connections with the local and long-distance transportation network. The Beatenplatz, situated in front of the hotel, offers space for terrace areas. The charming historic building, a former cinema, known as the ‘ABC Kino‘ is currently being refurbished by PSP Swiss Property, one of Switzerland’s leading real estate companies.

The third hotel project signed on by RUBY will open in 2020 in a yet undisclosed, French-speaking destination.

A Lean Form of Luxury

Just like the group’s other houses, the three new hotels follow RUBY‘s LEAN LUXURY philosophy: top location, high-quality fittings, and outstanding design. All of this is offered at an affordable price by rigorously cutting out the superfluous and focusing on the essential. “This works because we accommodate luxury in a relatively condensed space, similar to luxury yachts, and we forego unnecessary services. Thanks to proprietary technical innovations, we plan, build and organize ourselves differently from conventional hotels. To be precise, we plan and build in a very modular way and centralize as well as automatize processes behind the scenes wherever possible. This helps us create a luxurious and unique hotel experience at an affordable price” explains Michael Struck, RUBY founder and CEO. Every hotel is designed and developed individually, referencing local themes and stories.

Successful even in highly demanding real-estate markets

Explaining how RUBY was able to secure the new projects even in such highly competitive real estate markets like central London and Zurich, Michael Struck notes: “The margin advantages that RUBY achieves through constructional and processual innovations allow us to sustainably pay strong leases, outperforming office use scenarios. Also, we are highly flexible and efficient with regards to converting existing office spaces, making hotel conversions economically viable where they would not have been, before. And, in spite of RUBYs young age, our leases have successfully traded at premium rates on the investment market, as many of the large institutional investors in Germany have taken note of our track record and our covenant.”

Press release (PDF)
  • Bar of Ruby Lucy Hotel London
  • Bar of Ruby Mimi Hotel Zurich
  • Bar of Ruby Claire Hotel Geneva
COSY room of Ruby Lilly Hotel Munich

About Ruby Hotels

The Munich-based Ruby Group under the leadership of founder and CEO Michael Struck is breaking new ground with its Lean Luxury philosophy. With a lean organisational structure and concentration on the essentials, Ruby succeeds in creating a contemporary, affordable form of luxury for modern, cost and style-conscious customers. 


Founded in 2013, the Group already operates 19 Ruby hotels across Europe, with a further six hotels under construction or in the planning phase. In addition, Ruby is expanding into China via a joint venture with Delonix, headed by Alex Zheng, one of China’s most accomplished hotel entrepreneurs. Ruby also offers Ruby Workspaces in Munich, Hamburg, Dusseldorf, Amsterdam, Vienna, Stuttgart, Florence, and Malta – perfectly equipped workplaces and a creative atmosphere with access to an inspiring office community. 


Financially strong partners support Ruby’s expansion. ECE Group; the Austrian Soravia Group; Franger Investment, a German family office; Ocean Link, a private equity fund; the entrepreneur Michael Hehn; and Michael Struck jointly hold the company shares.