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🍽 On March 20, 2025, AR Collection Hotels, in partnership with Ferrandi Paris' Rennes campus, will launch the first "Best Paris-Brest Contest." The culinary event, echoing Le Paris-Brest by Christian Le Squer restaurant, invites students and non-professional amateurs to submit their unique Paris-Brest recipes by December 2. Eight finalists will present to a jury led by Michelin-starred chef Christian Le Squer, with renowned jury members from Rosmadec Le Moulin and AR Collection Hotels.

🛒 La Banque des Territoires and Jolt Capital partner with Heraklio to fund the installation of smart thermostats in hotel rooms. This initiative aims to help hoteliers save on energy costs by approximately 30% per equipped establishment, meeting energy reduction mandates from the tertiary decree. With provided funding, over 1,700 hotels across France are targeted to be equipped within the next 3 years, enhancing energy efficiency and resilience of small and medium-sized hotels.

🏨 Accor, Grape Hospitality, Radisson Hotel Group, Booking.com, and IHG Hotels & Resorts challenged hospitality students with five industry-shaping tasks for the Young Talent Awards by Hospitality ON. The 2024 awards focus on improving client and employee experience, sustainability, and innovative technology integration. The competition rewards students offering fresh perspectives to an aging hotel industry, fostering a two-way exchange with professionals.

💸 86% of consumers are willing to pay more for a superior customer experience, while 65% find it more decisive than effective advertising. Guy Kawasaki, an early Apple marketer, theorized customer enchantment in his 2011 book, focusing on three pillars: being likable, creating trust, and delivering the best products/services. French author Alexandre Dubarry added four secrets to enchantment in 2015. Companies like Nike and Netflix prioritize customer-centric strategies. Leaders in customer experience see revenue growth 14% higher than others, according to a 2016 Forrester report.

📝 The concept of Voice of the Customer (VoC) was first theorized in 1993, aiming to identify and prioritize customer needs to improve product and service quality. VoC programs include collecting and analyzing feedback, prioritizing actions, and tracking performance to enhance customer satisfaction. Key channels for VoC data include Google Business profiles, sector-specific review platforms like Tripadvisor, online directories like Pages Jaunes, social networks, company websites, and various communication vectors such as emails, calls, and chats. Customer satisfaction surveys are also essential for mass qualitative feedback. Tools like CRM and online reputation solutions, such as Guest Suite, are recommended for managing VoC strategies.

💳 Les passerelles de paiement sont essentielles pour la gestion des paiements numériques dans les établissements d’hébergement, assurant un environnement sécurisé et réduisant les risques de litiges. Elles doivent être conformes avec PCI-DSS, PSD2, et SCA pour garantir sécurité et fiabilité. Les frais varient et les hôteliers doivent évaluer la capacité de la passerelle à gérer les paiements, y compris en multi-devises, et son intégration avec le PMS. Zak de WuBook est un exemple de système de gestion hôtelier qui s'intègre avec des passerelles de paiement majeures pour une gestion fluidifiée des transactions.

💻 SNCF Connect & Tech received the Numérique Responsable label, committing to more sustainable and inclusive digital solutions. This recognition underlines their focus on environmentally responsible practices across all projects. They aim to reduce the digital sector's 3-4% global greenhouse gas emissions and prevent a potential 60% increase by 2040 through eco-design and user accessibility. In 2022, the former OUI.SNCF began efforts towards creating a less energy-consuming solution, conducting an audit with Greenspector.

🏥 L'Union des Métiers de l'Hôtellerie Restauration (UMIH) will hold its 72nd Congress from December 3-5, 2024, in Lyon, under the theme "Ici on innove!" The annual event brings together over 600 elected officials, business leaders, and trade unionists for three days. It will focus on technological advances, including artificial intelligence (AI) and its transformative impacts on the hospitality and restaurant industry, such as operational efficiency, personalized customer experiences, and optimized resource management. Philosopher Julia de Funès will close the first day.

🌍 Amadeus and Globetrender, predicting 2025 travel trends, foresee nostalgia-driven tourism with a rise in 'rosy retrospection' experiences. Air travel will be revolutionized by AI and VR, with personalized entertainment and high-speed Wi-Fi, like Starlink. Hotels become destinations themselves; Marriott's Edition Lake Como opens in 2025. Asia's travel market booms, with record inbound and outbound tourism expected. Growth in 'IRL' connections, indicated by a 15.6% increase in solo travel in 2023, counters digital burnout.

🏨 TRIBE has reached a milestone with 20 operational hotels globally and over 40 additional hotels in development. This brand, noted for its contemporary aesthetics and functional spaces, is expanding in major international cities from Medellín, Colombia, to Düsseldorf, Germany. TRIBE caters to both business and leisure travelers, focusing on practicality and design without superfluous details, while maintaining a strong value proposition. Accor's Mid-Scale and Economy Brands Director, Jean-Yves Minet, emphasizes the commitment to bold and unique experiences.