Kristina Golik has been appointed Director of Operations & Integration at a&o Hostels in Berlin, Germany
"All right," "No problem," "I can do that at short notice" - just a few of the phrases typically used by Kristina Golik. The 28-year-old is the new Director of Operations and Integration at a&o Hostels. The position was created to strengthen standards in the long term and manage integration processes for new projects. The German-Croatian native has been with the company since 2015. Most recently, she was assistant to Chief Operating Officer (COO) Torsten Loos, to whom she will continue to report. Kristina Golik: "Standing still is not an option for me - what matters is what we can do even better tomorrow." The proportion of women in management positions at a&o is currently 40 percent - and rising. "As Director of Operations & Integration, I want to set an example here too," says Golik.
Torsten Loos, COO: "With the introduction of this position, we are sending a clear signal for growth and sustainable structures in our company. We are delighted to fill this important role with Kristina Golik, who knows our company inside out and shares our values."
From cost optimization to integration strategies, the new Director of Operations & Integration has a wide-ranging and varied remit. For Kristina Golik, resources and processes are "never finished" but are always evolving and need to be continuously coordinated and aligned with each other. She values short distances, clear communication, and personal exchange as the basis of her work: "Quality is teamwork - and it arises when everyone takes responsibility for the common result." New locations will receive Golik's special attention in the coming months. Currently, 44 properties in 30 cities and ten countries in Europe belong to the a&o portfolio.
After completing her dual degree in hotel and tourism management, Kristina Golik first became a management trainee in 2018 and then general manager at a&o Aachen in 2019. At the end of 2022, she took on the position of COO assistant.
Currently 44 locations in 30 cities and ten countries
Founded in 2000 by Oliver Winter, a&o is now one of the largest budget hostel chains in the world. With the new a&o London Docklands Riverside, the number of locations rises to 44 - in 30 cities and ten countries in Europe - and the number of beds to around 30,000. The core target groups include families (15 percent), school groups (38 percent), clubs, and individual city travelers.
In the record year of 2024, a&o Hotels recorded 2.8 million guests and 6.2 million overnight stays. In the first half of 2025, there were already 1.4 million guests and 3.1 million overnight stays, with an occupancy rate of 73 percent.
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