Meeting under the chairmanship of Gilles Pelisson, Accor's Board of Directors approved unanimously (less one vote) the potential benefits of separating the Group's two businesses. Reviews carried out by senior management at the Board's request clearly showed that the demerger would enable the Hotels and Prepaid Services businesses - each a world leader in its industry - to step up their pace of growth.
Strategic Hotels & Resorts, Inc. (NYSE:BEE) , today announced that the company has signed a purchase and sale agreement for the sale of the Renaissance Paris Hotel Le Parc Trocadero to an investment group led by an affiliate of Westmont Hospitality for a gross price of euro 35.5 million ($51.5 million), or approximately euro 305,000 per room.
French hotels and services company Accor SA's board of directors Tuesday voted to split the company into two separate, listed companies -- one focusing on hotels, the other on vouchers -- ending years of speculation and pressure from some shareholders. A wide majority of the 12-member board of the world's second-largest hotels group in terms of market capitalization after U.S.-based Marriott International Inc., which met for most of the day Tuesday, voted in favor of the plans, with one vote opposed.
France’s first Six Senses urban well-being sanctuary - Six Senses rue de Castiglione, introduces a Parisian interpretation of the world-renowned Six Senses urban sanctuary. Scheduled to open late December 2009, the facility is splendidly located close to the famous Rue St Honore, the Jardin des Tuileries and the Louvre.
Over 800 professionals turned up for the Worldwide Hospitality Award's 10th anniversary, held for the first time in the breathtaking Grand Salon Opéra, InterContinental Paris Le Grand.
A conversation with Mr. Emmanuel Schott, General Manager of the Tiara Chateau Hotel Mont Royal. Located on one of the highest points in the heart of the magic Chantilly forest, just 35 minutes from Paris and only 15 minutes from Charles de Gaulle airport, the 18th century Tiara Château Hotel Mont Royal, inspired by the natural splendour of the region, takes you on a journey through centuries of history.
Back when cocktails were a serious part of life, a man named Frank Meier held sway over the bar at the Ritz in Paris. And when he wasn’t serving drinks to the grand and glorious he found time to write a book, The Artistry of Mixing Drinks, published in 1934. It is a rare volume indeed, having only three limited-edition printings. It is filled with around 300 alcoholic curiosities, many of them worth concocting again, if only for the amusement factor. And who knows? You might find a favourite and bring it back to life.
From November 9 to 12, Accor held a convention in Marseille for its hotel franchise partners, under the leadership of Christophe Alaux, Chief Operating Officer, Accor Hospitality France. Reaffirming its firm intention of remaining the country’s leading hotel franchiser, Accor announced the opening of at least 200 hotels throughout France over the next four years.
From November 9 to 12, Accor held a convention in Marseille for its hotel franchise partners, under the leadership of Christophe Alaux, Chief Operating Officer, Accor Hospitality France. Reaffirming its firm intention of remaining the country’s leading hotel franchiser, Accor announced the opening of at least 200 hotels throughout France over the next four years.
Rockwell Group Europe (“RGe”) has teamed up with Starwood Hotels & Resorts Worldwide to design the W Paris-Opéra, W Hotels’ debut in France. Diego Gronda, Managing and Creative Director of RGe, the Madrid satellite office of New York’s Rockwell Group founded by David Rockwell, is leading the design team on this innovative project scheduled to open in 2011.
FastBooking, a leading provider of advanced Internet booking systems and e-marketing services for the hospitality industry, announces the launch of Collection-Hotels.com, an exciting new booking website for luxury hotel properties. Featuring only four- and five-star luxury establishments, Collection-Hotels.com debuts with a unique selection of hotels located in the world's most sought-after locations. Guests staying at these properties will experience breathtaking environments, fine gourmet dining, luxurious spas, and spectacular golf courses.
Four Sofitel hotels have obtained their 5th star, based on the new French hotel classification. These are the Sofitel Lyon Bellecour, Sofitel Vieux-Port Marseille, Sofitel Paris La Défense and the Sofitel Biarritz Le Miramar Thalassa. This is a great recognition for Sofitel, which naturally nourishes its ambition to become the leading French and European ambassador of the international hotel profession.
Concorde Hotels & Resorts has recently appointed Claude Rath as General Manager of one of its four-star Parisian properties, Hotel Concorde Saint-Lazare, a landmark hotel located in the heart of the city’s business district. Rath will manage overall operations at the historic 266-room hotel. A 12-year veteran of the hotel industry, Rath most recently served as General Manager for the Méridien Singapore Hotel, where he successfully repositioned the property to reflect Le Méridien’s new brand image. Prior to that, Rath held the position of Director of Operations of Méridien Montparnasse Hotel in Paris. In 2000, he served as General Manager of the Beachcomber Group’s Mauricia Hotel in Mauritius. Rath also held positions in catering at Savoy Hotel in London and Dusit Laguna Resort in Thailand.
In line with its ongoing asset-right strategy, Accor today announced a major real estate transaction in the Budget segment in France, with the sale of 158 hotelF1 properties, representing a total of 12,300 rooms.
It is the grandest hotel in France, with suites costing up to €8,220 (£7,150) a night and a register signed by the likes of King George V, Sir Winston Churchill and Charlie Chaplin. But Hôtel de Crillon in Paris is in limbo — lacking a chef for its Michelin-starred restaurant and awaiting a renovation — amid a legal wrangle over its sale by its US owner Starwood Capital, the investment firm.
This is the first in a series of articles that HVS will be producing every month on a series of key markets. In writing these articles we are combining the hotel market expertise of HVS with STR Global data for each key city. Our analysis is based on a customized sample of hotels as provided by STR Global. We consider that in today's challenging environment a regular update is more vital than ever in helping to assess the challenging market conditions and determining the best strategy for each hotel.
The sharp decrease of hotel performance in June comes as no surprise. Some cities that had been doing well since the beginning of the year have seen their half-year performance falling off, due to a bad month of June. However, Vinexpo in Bordeaux and Le Bourget Air Show in Paris softened the impact of the crisis in these two cities. Bordeaux even registered RevPAR growths ranging from 26 to 33%.
Shares in French hotels and services group Accor SA (AC.FR) tumbled Friday after it reported a 9% drop in second-quarter sales as its traditional growth source, prepaid services, took a first-time hit from the economic crisis. At 0744 GMT, Accor shares were down 7.6% to EUR26.3, underperforming the French CAC-40 index, which was up 0.7%, as investors were diappointed with the group's performance, in particular in the services division. Accor has mainly suffered from the economic crisis in its top-tier hotels division as companies tighten business travel budgets.
Sofitel has gone for the option of open spaces to create areas of conviviality and exchange. Therapy at So Spa by Sofitel is presented in a way similar to the menu of a French gourmet restaurant, another area of Sofitel-style excellence. Les Entrées (Starters), lasting 30 minutes, are designed for busy urbanites looking for rest and relaxation after a busy day. Les Plats Principaux (Main Courses) and Les Desserts take an hour and feature body massages, facials, hot-stone massages and other delights intended to nourish the body and soul.