Arche Groups
Children from Uphagen Manor in Gdańsk and the Monastery in Wrocław
The first children from the Arche Generations program are Maja – daughter of Weronika and Philip Biel – living near Warsaw, conceived during their stay at Uphagen Manor in Gdańsk (the girl has a 3-year-old brother Marcel, while their father, holding Polish and American citizenship, works for LOT Polish Airlines) and Dante Laurens Versteeg Lipiński, son of Anna and Peter, a Dutchman, who was born in Bergen op Zoom – the boy holds Polish and Dutch citizenship.
Today, Maja’s parents received a special award from President Grochowski for being the first parents to participate in the program promoting fertility in Arche hotels, while, as per Dante Laurens’ family’s request, the welcome gift will be collected within a month, when they find a convenient time. All subsequent Arche hotel guests who meet the criteria and participate in the Arche Generations campaign will receive a complimentary family reception, e.g., for a christening.
— It is worth adding that as part of this campaign, 39 parents of our employees’ newborns have already received payments of PLN 10,000 each. In the future, we want to expand the campaign, supporting “Arche” children in their education, interest in sports, and obtaining good jobs. In essence, we have an interest in the population growing, because without it, who will relax in hotels or buy apartments. We also invite other entrepreneurs to join pro-demographic activities and build their own incentive systems — says Władysław Grochowski.
Let us recall that in September last year, the well-known Polish philanthropist and entrepreneur from the hotel and development sector, President of Arche Group Władysław Grochowski, launched a program aimed at curbing the negative demographic trend in our country. A series of incentives for employees, apartment buyers, and hotel guests included free celebratory events for births, and even cash prizes of PLN 10,000, motivating people to have children. With these actions, the businessman successfully drew the attention of media and public opinion worldwide to the growing demographic problem.
“Impact investing”, or positive social action
— The project is part of a deeper strategy of the Arche Group and the Lena Grochowska Foundation, referred to as “impact investing,” where capital allocation aims to generate measurable, positive social impact while achieving financial profit. Our brand has been known for years not only for hotels but also for saving historic buildings, often located in unconventional, forgotten locations, and for spectacular social revitalizations involving excluded groups. The success of this strategy lies in the final creation of not only new jobs but also tax revenues in places left to themselves and forgotten by the world — explains Adam Białas, Director of Communications and Operations (COO) and Spokesperson for the Arche Group.
Reverse the negative trend
In Poland, for years we have had more deaths than births, hence our population is constantly decreasing, not only due to negative natural growth but also emigration, especially of young people. The population of Poland at the end of 2025 was 37.332 million people. The country’s population decreased by approximately 157,000 people year-on-year, which is one of the largest declines in post-war history, exceeding earlier demographic forecasts. According to the GUS demographic forecast, a drastic decrease in population and profound changes in the age structure are coming. Poland will become depopulated decade by decade. The numbers provided by Eurostat are also not very optimistic — by 2040, there are expected to be only 34.660 million people in our country. Over the next 60 years, this number could drop by 9 million.
Due to the dramatic situation, the president of Arche launched a program to support fertility and improve demographic indicators. The matter became widely known around the world, and the topic was covered by media such as CNN, Allgemeine Zeitung, The Sun, Financial Times, and China News. Grochowski, often called “Grandpa Władek” by employees, also encourages other companies to follow in his footsteps.
— Business should be more involved in social problems, including supporting the reversal of the negative demographic trend. Poland spends huge billions on defense, but what good is it if demography annihilates us? The activities within the Arche Generations program are support for parents who decide to improve our demographic situation. Every couple who, during their stay in one of the 24 Arche network hotels, ensures the conception of a child, will receive a complimentary family reception related to the birth, e.g., a christening, organized in one of our event halls or restaurants. In return, employees of the company and buyers of our apartments can still expect benefits in the amount of PLN 10,000 for each child born. And already in the autumn, let’s plant the first trees in the Park of Generations in Łochów, where each of them will be assigned to an Arche baby born in the program — concludes Grochowski.
Detailed information on how to obtain awards under the Arche Generations program for parents can be found in the campaign regulations available on the company’s websites. It is worth adding that Arche hotels also honor a 10% discount resulting from the Large Family Card and the Senior Card.
Władysław Grochowski is the president of the development and hotel company Arche SA, listed on Catalyst, which has been implementing strategies known as “impact investing” for years. Arche began its operations in 1991, carrying out its first investments in Warsaw and Siedlce, and has been building throughout Poland for two decades. In its 35-year history, it has built over 14,000 apartments and houses. It is also the largest Polish hotel chain, with 24 properties and over 4,700 rooms. Arche plans to spend over PLN 5 billion on saving historic buildings over the next five years. Currently, the company is carrying out several large revitalization projects across the country, including: the Royal Paper Mill in Konstancin Jeziorna, EC Szombierki in Bytom, the Oil Mill in Szczecin, Bojar Manor in Otwock, and Szancer Mill in Tarnów. The entrepreneur, together with his wife, also conducts extensive activities through the Lena Grochowska Foundation, integrating communities, socially excluded people, and supporting those most in need. For this, he received one of the most important awards in the world — the prestigious Nansen Refugee Award, granted by the UN High Commissioner for Refugees, and at the end of 2024, the Mother Teresa of Calcutta Award from India.
