Elite World expands its franchise network across Anatolia

Elite World Hotels & Resorts is continuing the franchise expansion it began with a hotel in Samsun in 2023, signing agreements across Türkiye’s seven geographical regions. Openings in Diyarbakır, Midyat and Van are being followed by projects in Gaziantep, Şanlıurfa, Sivas and Ankara. As the group celebrates its 50th anniversary, expansion in Anatolian cities is playing an important role in its ambition to reach 70 hotels by 2030.

A model launched in Samsun now spans seven regions

According to a report published by Para on 5 November 2026, Elite World incorporated franchising into its growth strategy in 2023 with its Samsun hotel. Since then, the group has signed agreements across all seven of Türkiye’s geographical regions, from Marmara to Eastern Anatolia and from the Aegean to South-eastern and Central Anatolia.

This expansion is underpinned by an approach that develops hotel concepts to suit each city’s accommodation needs. Elite World describes its growth not simply as taking a single hotel brand to new locations, but as matching different brand segments to regional requirements. The Comfy, GO and Nest names among its recent openings reflect this diversity within the portfolio.

For those following Türkiye’s franchise market, the key development is the spread of the model launched in Samsun to other regions. The group’s growth plans are therefore about more than a future hotel-count target. Openings and newly signed projects also show the city-by-city steps towards that goal.

However, new agreements and operating hotels need to be considered separately. Signing an agreement in a city does not mean that the property has begun welcoming guests. Elite World’s latest expansion update includes both hotels that have opened and projects still in preparation.

Two openings and two new projects in the south-east

The group opened Elite World Comfy Diyarbakır in January 2026. Its second investment in the region, Elite World Comfy Midyat, subsequently began welcoming guests. These two openings represent completed stages of the group’s expansion in South-eastern Anatolia.

Gaziantep and Şanlıurfa are the next locations in the region. Once the newly signed projects in these cities are completed, the group’s hotel count in South-eastern Anatolia will rise to four. That figure therefore refers to the position after the two new projects are completed, rather than the current number of operating hotels.

The Diyarbakır and Midyat openings under the same brand demonstrate Comfy’s existing presence in the region. For Gaziantep and Şanlıurfa, the information announced is that agreements have been signed for new projects, which will join the regional portfolio upon completion.

For investors following the expansion, this sequence makes an important distinction clear: there are two operating properties and two projects yet to open. When tracking regional growth, each project’s stage of development matters as much as the overall target.

A broader brand mix in Van and new agreements in Central Anatolia

Expansion is also continuing in Van, the city where Elite World began. The chain has opened its third hotel there, bringing its Van portfolio to Elite World Van, Elite World GO Van Edremit and Elite World Nest Van.

Van is notable for the group’s presence under several brand names within a single city. Its approach to developing concepts suited to regional accommodation needs is reflected here in three distinct properties. This variety should not, however, be used to draw conclusions about the properties’ investment terms or operating performance.

In Central Anatolia, developments centre on new agreements. The group has signed two agreements, in Sivas and Ankara. The hotel in Ankara’s Ulus district is due to open soon. The report gives no firm opening date for this property, so it should be regarded as a planned opening rather than a completed one.

Taken together, these developments in South-eastern Anatolia, Van and Central Anatolia show that the group’s Anatolian expansion is progressing at several stages simultaneously. Some properties have begun welcoming guests, while in other cities signed agreements have yet to translate into openings.

The 2030 target needs to be viewed alongside project timelines

In its 50th year, Elite World is pursuing its experience-led “Bir Dünya Var” vision — roughly, “There’s a World” — and presenting domestic openings alongside new international agreements as parts of its growth strategy. The group’s stated target for 2030 is 70 hotels. This is its intended portfolio size, not its current number of operating hotels.

The Para report states that the group has 21 operating hotels and 17 new projects under way. These two figures need to be tracked separately, distinguishing the existing operating network from projects in development. Nor should the 70-hotel target be interpreted as a target of 70 franchised hotels: it relates to the group’s overall growth.

Practical takeaway: Entrepreneurs considering a franchise investment with Elite World should clarify the project’s status as well as their choice of brand and city. Distinguishing between an open property, a signed agreement and a long-term growth target provides a useful checklist for initial discussions.