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🏨 In Brussels, on December 9, 2024, Belgian architect Francis Metzger led the restoration of a historic hotel, now featuring 90 rooms, 31 suites, and 5 signature suites. Corinthia Brussels' reopening heralds a new chapter for luxury hospitality, boasting collaborations with avant-garde Belgian artisans and gastronomes. With its restaurants Petit bon bon and Palais Royal, helmed by starred chefs Christophe Hardiguest and David Martin, the hotel promises refined Belgian cuisine. The Under The Stairs cocktail bar by mixologist Hannah Van Ongevalle will open in February 2025. Corinthia Spa by Sisley, a 1,200m² wellness space offering customized treatments and a state-of-the-art Paul Tucker gym, will open on December 16.

🏥 24th Hospitality Awards recognized hospitality enthusiasts for their passion and commitment. The ceremony, presided by IHCL CEO Puneet Chhatwal, took place at InterContinental Paris Le Grand under the patronage of President Emmanuel Macron. The event celebrated its 24th year with 30 finalists and announced the winners. The 25th edition is set for November 25, 2025. MKG Consulting & Hospitality ON CEO Vanguelis Panayotis highlighted the industry's innovation and resilience.

🏠 A report reveals that the strict short-term rental authorization regime in Paris, in place for eight years, demanding local hosts to offer one to three long-term rentals for the right to rent a pied-à-terre, didn't impact the housing market positively. Oxford Economics found that this near ban didn't stop a 21% increase in average rents and a 15% rise in property prices over six years, contributing to the city's demographic decline.

📋 Thomas Jahan, a French artisan specialized in Yield for independent hotels, combines his expertise in economics statistics (holding a master's degree) with his twin passions for the hospitality industry and mathematics. Jahan, known for his humility and discretion, supports hotel units successfully for years, and addresses misconceptions about Revenue Management and the impact of AI on the profession.

🏨 Hospitality ON provides a non-exhaustive list of recent and upcoming international hotel openings, highlighting new properties by groups, chains, and voluntary networks. The publication features a map with the locations of these new hotels, a photo selection, and key details about openings within the last 10 days. The color-coded system indicates newly opened hotels in yellow, announced openings in blue, rebranded reopenings in green, and newly signed hotel projects in orange.

🏨 UBER is set to acquire EXPEDIA on October 17, 2024, as announced by the Financial Times—a significant event for the tourism industry. This move could notably impact France's "cafés-hôtels-restaurants" sector. Known primarily in the professional sphere, EXPEDIA is the second-largest Online Travel Agency (OTA) after Booking.com. UBER, initially a ride-hailing app, expanded to include Uber Eats and Uber Rent.

🏨 Hyatt Hotels Corporation, at ILTM Cannes, revealed an expansion plan with over 50 luxury and lifestyle hotels set to open globally by 2026. The European luxury hotel market is expected to grow over 50% by 2028. Hyatt has doubled its luxury room count since 2017 and 70% of its current rooms are in the luxury and upscale segment, with 28 new high-end hotels and resorts added in the last three years.

🏨 Mandarin Oriental plans to add two legendary European hotels to its portfolio by early 2025: Hôtel Lutetia in Paris and Conservatorium Hotel in Amsterdam. The Hôtel Lutetia will be renamed Mandarin Oriental Lutetia, Paris upon transaction finalization. The Conservatorium Hotel is set to be renamed Mandarin Oriental Conservatorium, Amsterdam in January 2026, without closing for an enhancement. This expansion is a key part of Mandarin Oriental's growth strategy under Laurent Kleitman, aiming to enrich customer experience and brand's international growth.

🏡 IHG launched Vignette Collection in Vietnam with Moire Hoi An, located along Hoai river, offering 128 rooms and suites viewing the UNESCO World Heritage Site of Hoi An old town. Vignette Collection achieved half of its 10-year goal with 19 hotels open and 34 in development since its inception 3 years ago, aiming for 100 properties. IHG also plans to introduce Voco to Bandung, Indonesia, with Voco Bandung Setiabudi opening in 2025, featuring 162 rooms.

🏨 Increasing numbers of hotels are adopting thematic approaches, integrating animations to enrich the customer experience beyond just decor. This strategy, when aligned with the hotel's concept and history, has led to significant revenue growth and enhanced customer satisfaction. For an in-depth understanding, see the complete file in "Industrie Hôtelière" magazine's December issue (No. 766).