Hotel group Leonardo has tapped representation specialist Aviareps Austria to drive B2B sales across Austria and Slovakia, with a spotlight on the soon-to-open Leonardo Smart Hotel Vienna Airport. The agreement, announced on 7 October, hands Aviareps responsibility for trade marketing, workshop roadshows, RFP management and familiarisation trips aimed at travel-management companies, MICE agencies and tour operators. Leonardo’s Director of Sales for Austria & Switzerland, Susann Fiala, said the tie-up will give the chain “direct access to decision-makers in corporate and group travel,” positioning the 280-room airport hotel as a convenient alternative to downtown Vienna properties. Scheduled to open in early 2027 within walking distance of the airport’s Office Park, the property will feature co-working lounges and long-stay studios—amenities designed for project-based assignees and airline crews. Aviareps Austria’s Head of Tourism, Simon Bopp, called the win “a strategic diversification step” as the representation company expands beyond airlines into hospitality. For global-mobility managers the partnership promises sharper negotiated rates and bundled meeting packages once pre-opening sales begin in Q1 2027. Companies rotating staff through Vienna on fly-in/fly-out rosters could gain from loyalty-programme reciprocity across Leonardo’s 17 properties in Austria and the CEE region. The announcement comes amid heightened competition in the airport precinct: Accor’s TRIBE Vienna Airport is due in 2027 and Vienna AirportCity’s 50-hectare expansion includes at least one additional mid-scale brand. Analysts say brokerage via Aviareps will help Leonardo stand out in a market where corporate buyers increasingly demand carbon-emissions data and flexible cancellation terms. In practical terms, travel buyers should watch for RFP invitations branded “Leonardo Smart Vienna Airport – Aviareps” and consider aligning negotiated-rate seasons with the hotel’s soft-opening phase to lock in introductory pricing.
