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🏨 Marriott International celebrated record growth in the EMEA region in 2024, with nearly 300 property signings. President Satya Anand highlighted the company's focus on connecting people through travel. By end of the year, Marriott expanded its EMEA portfolio to 596 properties with 104,731 rooms—a 10% increase from the previous year. Conversions drove 45% of regional room signings. Key development activity occurred in Denmark, Germany, Saudi Arabia, Turkey, and the UK.

🏠 EXTENDAM sold the Residence Inn Didot Montparnasse (82 keys) in Paris' 14th district. Acquired in May 2021 with SOHOMA, formerly Citadines, renovation began September 2022 and completed June 2023 for Marriott standards. Upgrades included a modern design, 24/7 snack service, and improved garden access to enhance guest experience. The sale marks a successful value creation investment cycle.

💸 Mews, a hospitality management software company, raised $75 million to expand in North America and the DACH region (Germany, Austria, Switzerland), and to develop AI-based solutions. The funding round was led by Tiger Global with Kinnevik, Battery Ventures, and Growth Equity at Goldman Sachs Alternatives participating. As of 2024, Mews saw a 50% growth from the previous year with over $10 billion in payment volume and revenue exceeding $200 million. With a 20% market penetration in the DACH region and partnerships with notable hotel groups like BWH Hotels, Mews doubled its revenue in the US within a year, doubling the number of properties and rooms managed. The investment will fuel further R&D to meet the evolving needs of the hotel industry and enhance customer experience.

🔍 E-reputation management is rooted in online monitoring, essential for strategy and identifying company and product improvements. Online monitoring evaluates brand, product, service, and leadership perceptions. Bright Local states 72% of consumers take action after reading a positive review, making management of online reviews across platforms like TripAdvisor, Yellow Pages, Yelp, etc., crucial. A brand audit involves identifying who talks about the brand, on what channels, and why, thereby assessing internet perception. Jean Jacques Lambin defines brand image in three levels: intended, perceived, and real. Active client review solicitation and harmonized ratings across platforms, quality customer service, media/blog citations, responding to online reviews, visual identity consistency, SEO to suppress negative results, employee feedback collection, and continuous e-reputation monitoring with tools like Google Alerts are recommended strategies. Centralizing e-reputation management with dedicated tools like Guest Suite can automate client review handling and semantic analysis, offering competitive analysis for comparison with local/national competitors.

🏠 Compagnie de Phalsbourg will operate a luxury hotel with 118 rooms in Paris' 7th arrondissement, near the Eiffel Tower and Les Invalides. The hotel on the Rive Gauche next to Place de Breteuil, features a roof terrace with Eiffel Tower views, a ground-floor library bar, and a top-floor Japanese restaurant with private dining. LXR Hotels & Resorts is expanding globally, planning openings in Morocco, Italy, Japan, China, UAE, and more within five years, after reinforcing its US presence in 2024 with properties like Arizona Biltmore and Ka Laʻi Waikīkī Beach. David Heijligers of Hilton announced the introduction of the LXR brand to France.

💰 Mews, a cloud-native PMS provider, completed a $75 million fundraising led by Tiger Global with Kinnevik, Battery Ventures, and Growth Equity at Goldman Sachs Alternatives participating. In 2024, Mews experienced over 50% annual growth, processed over $10 billion in payment volume, and generated over $200 million in revenue. Last year, they added BHW Hotels to their client list and acquired Swedish company Atomize, specializing in revenue management. The funds will further AI investment and North American market expansion, where revenue doubled in 2024.

💸 Mews, a leading hotel technology platform, secured a $75 million funding round led by Tiger Global with Kinnevik, Battery Ventures, and Goldman Sachs Growth Equity. Aiming to accelerate U.S. and DACH region expansion, enhance AI-driven revenue management tools, and make strategic acquisitions. Globally, Mews achieved over 50% YoY growth in 2024, processed over $10 billion in payments, generated revenues exceeding $200 million, and captured a 20% market share in the DACH region after acquiring Atomize and partnering with BWH Hotels.

🔔 CHANEL MADEMOISELLE J12 COUTURE, 38 MM has a price of €16,000. TAG HEUER CARRERA CHRONOGRAPH TOURBILLON x PORSCHE, limited to 255 units in celebration of 70 years of the Panamericana race, costs €35,250. LONGINES MINI DOLCE VITA, made of 18k rose and yellow gold, priced at €27,300. JAEGER-LECOULTRE REVERSO, TRIBUTE ENAMEL MONET, limited to 3 series of 10 each, featuring hand-painted dials that take 8 hours to craft, is sold for €120,000.

🛫 Travelers today are more intentional and visit over 277 web pages before booking a trip, according to Expedia. A hotel’s website can be a decisive factor during their evaluation process. A well-managed, fast, efficient, and user-friendly website with effective branding, engaging media, and customized features is crucial in converting visitors into bookings.

📦 An IFOP study in 2021 showed that 75% of French users consult Google for client reviews, with 70% stating a 4/5 average rating is needed for trust, and 55% using online reviews as their primary choice criterion for businesses. In France, public defamation can lead to a €12,000 fine. Google allows reporting of defamatory comments, which may be removed upon review. In 2020, a Marseille court fined an individual €1,500 and a €300 daily penalty for not removing a defamatory review from a dental clinic's page.