New position: Kristina Golik becomes a&o’s first Director of Operations & Integration

At just 28, she brings a decade of experience to a newly created leadership role focused on service standards and growth — reflecting a&o’s commitment to diversity, with women holding 40% of management positions.

Kristina Golik is Director of Operations and Integration at a&o Hostels. The position is newly created and, in addition to coordinating operational processes in existing properties, primarily involves the integration of new locations. The 28-year-old knows the company inside out: she has been part of the team since 2015 (photo: a&o Hostels). 

 

Berlin – “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.  

 

“I’m looking forward to expansion – we are very well prepared.” 

 

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. “I see myself in an interface role between the operational and management levels,” says Kristina Golik, describing her new role. “This requires communication and creative solutions with short decision-making paths – I really appreciate the pace and creative freedom.” Brighton, Antwerp, Brussels, Florence, and London have been added as new locations in the last year and a half alone, with further new openings on the horizon. Kristina Golik: “I am very much looking forward to my role in the further expansion of a&o – we are very well prepared.” 

 

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.

 

About a&o Hostels

Founded in 2000 by Oliver Winter, a&o Hostels currently operates 44 properties with around 30,000 beds in 29 cities across 11 European countries. A further two properties are set to open in the near future. The a&o Hostels guest mix is diverse, welcoming backpackers, solo travellers, families, school groups, and associations. The number of business travellers and senior guests is also increasing. In 2024, a&o Hostels achieved a record company performance, surpassing the record set in the previous year. Demonstrating strong year-on- year-growth, a&o recorded 6.2 million overnight stays (2023: 6.1 million), 2.8 million guests (2023: 2.7 million), and £192.7 million in revenue (2023: £179.9 million).  

  

For more information, visit www.aohostels.com.