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🏨 Accor reported a 12% revenue increase in Q3 2024, reaching €1.434 billion, with a RevPAR improvement of 5.3% and expansion in key regions. The Luxury & Lifestyle division saw an 18% revenue growth, driven by high demand and occupancy rates, especially in Europe, North Africa, and Southeast Asia, with France gaining a pre-Olympic boost. Despite challenges in China and the Pacific, Accor is growing its portfolio, with 231,000 rooms in the pipeline and has revised its 2024 EBITDA forecast to €1.1-€1.125 billion.

📝 Lionel Saul, an alumnus and former student of EHL Hospitality Business School, is the first from the institution to pursue a doctorate supported by the school. After completing his bachelor's degree at EHL in 2018, he continued with a part-time two-year Master in Business Administration specializing in foresight at HES-SO, focusing on imagining possible futures for companies and strategic decision-making. In 2022, Saul joined EHL's research assistant team and became a "visiting lecturer" in spring 2023. Currently enrolled as a doctoral student at HEC Lausanne and co-supervised by Prof. Patrick Haack and Prof. Nicole Hinrichs, he also assists Professor Stefan Güldenberg with "Die Unternehmung" journal and continues as a research assistant at EHL. His research includes topics such as "regenerative tourism" and he plans to publish articles on the role of companies in society.

📦 Accor has long utilized AI technologies, with a focus on freeing up staff time for more valuable client interactions. In March 2024, Accor began testing an intelligent assistant with Amazon Web Services (AWS) to aid travelers in the UK and Australia with personalized hotel recommendations. 30%-40% of call center interactions are now automated using AI. Internally, Accor uses AI for back-office operations, including code generation and email drafting, and plans to use it for sorting CVs. A "Center of Excellence" in Generative AI has been created for best privacy and security practices, with an internal GenIA day planned for November for staff training. Accor carefully integrates AI, emphasizing human complement rather than replacement, guided by a clear strategy termed "freedom within a frame.

🍕 The Salon International de l'Alimentation (SIAL) 2024 occurred from October 19-23 in Villepinte, drawing over 285,000 food sector professionals and 7,500 exhibitors from 127 countries. Attendee numbers increased by 8% from the previous year, reaching pre-pandemic levels, with a strong European exhibitor presence from Italy, France, Spain, and Turkey, spurring significant growth in the hospitality industry due to heightened accommodation demand.

🏬 Marca Corona, founded in 1741, showcases at Equip’ Hotel 2024 with new collections Arialuce and Longarine, featuring terracotta, inspired by old artisanal workshops. Products emphasize natural looks and materials such as lime, clay, and a color series in Calcecreta collection. Longarine tiles are 7.5x60 cm, blending interior/exterior spaces and embracing three-dimensionality.

🏖️ Tapestry Collection by Hilton has over 135 independent properties, with a pipeline of nearly 120 hotels. Mexico is Hilton's largest and fastest-growing market in the Caribbean and Latin America, with over 100 hotels and 40 projects underway. In 2024, Hilton signed more than 10 new hotel deals in Mexico, including notable signings like the 170-room Canopy by Hilton Guadalajara, opening in 2028, and Hilton Tijuana, debuting in 2026.

🏖 Iberostar Hotels & Resorts achieved double-digit growth by summer 2024, surpassing demand forecasts. The year witnessed a rebranding and portfolio segmentation into Iberostar Waves, Iberostar Selection, and JOIA by Iberostar. Strategic renovations took place in destinations like Crete and Fuerteventura. In June, Iberostar Selection Creta Marine in Greece opened with 361 sea-view rooms. August saw the opening of the 237-room Iberostar Waves Gaviotas Park in Fuerteventura, Spain.

🌳 Don Merlino's La Forestale Ecolodge in Gola del Furlo, Italy, combines environmental respect and 5-star comfort since a radical renovation from 2016-2018. The establishment features three rooms, a suite, and an apartment, with sustainable architecture including photovoltaic panels and advanced energy management. Partnering with WuBook since 2019, La Forestale aims for energy self-sufficiency and reduced carbon footprint. The owner anticipates €180,000 in revenue by the end of 2024 with just 5 rooms, utilizing WuBook's eco-friendly PMS software Zak, which is developed using green coding to minimize energy consumption.