Nominations

💰 Who? Jo Boydell, CEO of Travelodge. When? 2025. Where? United Kingdom, Spain. What? Travelodge opened 21 new UK hotels by 2025, with new projects in the UK and Spain. How? Despite challenges, they continued investing in growth and quality. Revenue rose slightly, but RevPAR declined by nearly 2%. Boydell criticized the UK government for overlooking the broader hospitality sector, emphasizing Travelodge's role as a key employer and investor in local communities.

📈 Marriott International Group President, U.S. & Canada Liam Brown will chair the AHLA Board of Directors in 2026, with Davidson Hospitality CEO Thom Geshay as vice chair and Summit Hotel Properties CEO Jon Stanner as secretary/treasurer. Brown will retire in June 2026, after nearly 40 years at Marriott, passing the chairmanship to Geshay. AHLA prepares for a “mega decade” of global events, aiming to highlight American hospitality.

📆 Bertrand Franchise appoints Camille Berthaud as General Manager of Bertrand Casual Food, effective January 5, 2026. This role oversees brands like Au Bureau, Hippopotamus, and Leon. Berthaud, from a family of hoteliers, trained at Ecole Hôtelière de Lausanne and ESCP, and began at Horwath HTL. He joined Compass Group France in 2008, grew Eurest for nine years, and became Deputy CEO in 2017, launching the Exalt concept.

🏨 Satya Anand has been appointed Group President for the US, Canada, and the Caribbean & Latin America (CALA) at Marriott International. With 37 years at Marriott, Anand will oversee a unified governance structure for the Americas. He previously expanded the EMEA region to over 1,300 hotels. Neal Jones becomes President of EMEA, bringing over 30 years of experience in sales and marketing. Anand will join the Marriott global headquarters in Bethesda, Maryland.

🏨 Benoît Comyn is appointed as the new General Manager of Dolce by Wyndham Versailles – Domaine du Montcel. With over 20 years in hotel management, Comyn has driven hotel performance growth, particularly as General Manager at Oceania Hotels. His expertise in strategic management includes enhancing key performance indicators such as RevPAR and RBE. His experience in the Parisian market, including leading Oceania Porte de Versailles, strengthens his leadership at Dolce Versailles.

📈 Guillaume Estève and Guillaume Pinlon take leadership of Novaxia Investissement, managing €2 billion in assets. They succeed Mathilde Krieger, with Estève becoming President in December 2025. Novaxia supports 19,000 residential units, including 6,500 student housing projects, amid housing shortages and tertiary vacancies. Estève joined Novaxia in 2021 after roles at Société Générale, Club Med, and Compagnie de Phalsbourg. Pinlon, with an ESTP and Paris-Dauphine background, started his career in 2007 at Archon Group.

📈 Alexandre Recorbet, 31, is now Director of Real Estate Operations at Groupe Nemea, a key player in French urban residence management. His previous role since 2022 was leading Nemea Appart’Etud, handling 41 student housing sites across France. Recorbet’s career includes time at BNP Paribas in the UK, startup Habiteo, and Altarea-Cogedim. He holds an MSc in business engineering and project management from INSEEC, contributing significantly to Nemea's growth in student housing.

🍴 Nicolas Duchemin, 26, is appointed Maître d'Hôtel at L'Oursin, the gastronomic table of Hôtel Bleu in Carry-Le-Rouet. With experience at La Vague d’Or (3* Michelin) and Restaurant JY’S (2* Michelin), he has rapidly advanced in luxury hospitality since 2018. Joining chef Ilane Tinchant, 28, their goal is to establish L'Oursin as a Mediterranean culinary hotspot on the Côte Bleue. Located at 1 boulevard des Moulins, 13620 Carry-le-Rouet.

« Un plat peut être extraordinaire, mais c’est la façon dont il est amené, présenté, raconté, qui crée l’émotion.» Nicolas Duchemin  À 26 ans, ce jeune talent affiche un parcours…