The recovery of London’s offices and hotels after the Covid pandemic lagged behind many of its European rivals, according to new data.
Research by Finnish elevator company Kone found that lifts were being used most in Amsterdam, while London’s offices came fifth and its hotels were ranked tenth. Data on elevator journeys are used as a proxy of activity levels in commercial buildings such as offices and hotels.
The average number of journeys per office elevator increased by 56% during 2022 in London, but this compared with a doubling of use in Amsterdam and a stronger rebound in Milan, Stockholm and Helsinki. Cities that reported a higher rise in the use of lifts in hotels last year included Munich, Berlin, Brussels, Helsinki, Hamburg, Stockholm, Milan and Paris.
London’s ranking excluded data from December, when rail strikes hit elevator use again. If the full-year figures are used, London recorded the lowest increase in lift usage against all 10 major European cities.
