m.welsch

🏠 Paris, Nice, and Marseille led the Spring 2025 holiday season in French hotel occupancy. Paris boasted a RevPAR of €181.8, Nice €131.1, and Marseille €74.6, supporting the Eastern Mediterranean area's dynamic at €109.3. Coastal regions outside the English Channel's €90.9 RevPAR struggled, with figures not exceeding €65. Strasbourg and Lyon performed well with RevPARs of €72.3 and €71.4, respectively, while other cities ranged from Nantes at €47.8 to Bordeaux at €65.2. RevPAR growth saw Lyon leading with +12.2%, followed by Nice's +10.2% and Paris's +9.3%, with Nantes being the exception, showing a -2.1% decline.

📚 Momento Capital and Mata Capital partner to acquire a majority stake in Roof, a French student housing operator, aiming to create a large-scale student housing platform in France. Momento Capital expands into the student housing sector, leveraging investment and asset management expertise while Mata Capital offers capital deployment and structuring capabilities. The plan involves deploying up to €150 million to acquire, renovate, and manage over 1,000 student housing units. An initial investment of €20 million in equity and €50 million in debt has been secured for the first assets, focusing on transforming buildings into community residences with workspaces and gyms.

🏨 BWH Hotels acquired seven independent hotels in the UK, including the 100-room Best Western Sheffield City Hotel and the 37-room Best Western Ebbw Vale Hotel with on-site dining facilities. The luxury portfolio expanded with Manchester's 32-room Forty Seven Hotel featuring Asha's restaurant, Peterman cocktail bar, and the 36-room Velvet Hotel's bar and brasserie. The Kings Arms in Christchurch joined the WorldHotels Distinctive collection, while the 41-room Lakeland Kendal in Cumbria and the Casa Hotel in Yateley, Hampshire, became part of the Sure Hotel Collection. This growth aligns with BWH Hotels' goal to add 100 properties in five years.

🏠 A Hilton report indicates that 50% of tourists in the current year prioritize mental or physical well-being improvement through their travels. The main motivation for travelers is rest and rejuvenation, signaling a shift in hospitality to offer health and relaxation-focused stays. The industry faces strong expectations to rethink offerings, transitioning from well-being to "better-being," a concept suggesting an elevation of the traditional wellness experience.

🏠 The global wellness market is projected to reach $6.8 trillion in 2024 and is expected to grow to a record $8.5 trillion by 2027, according to the Global Wellness Institute. Wellness, both physical and mental, is a priority for 68% of people nationally and 67% globally, as per the World Health Organization (WHO). Despite economic challenges, geopolitical tensions, and climate change, the pursuit of wellness is shaping consumer choices, driven by all age groups seeking to maintain well-being.