Distribution et Revenue Management

📦 Lighthouse, a revenue management platform, acquires The Hotels Network, enhancing direct booking technology. The deal amount undisclosed post Lighthouse's €325M funding round led by Kohlberg Kravis Roberts in October 2024. The Hotels Network, founded in 2015 in Barcelona, boasts a 32% increase in direct bookings for its 20,000 hotel partners across 100 countries. This first acquisition since the funding aims to integrate AI-driven marketing tools with Lighthouse's existing data to boost hotel revenues.

💼 International Workplace Group (IWG) signed 899 new sites and opened 624 new workspaces globally in 2024, capitalizing on the rising demand for hybrid work. In France alone, IWG opened 14 new sites in 2024, expanding its customer base. Leveraging partnerships for 95% of these sites, IWG adapts its brand to various building types, affirming its position as a leader in flexible workspace solutions.

📖 Mandarin Oriental unveiled its reimagined visual identity today, highlighting its Asian heritage while embracing a futuristic vision. The revamp features a modernized fan emblem, clean typography, and an enriched color palette, aimed at enhancing the customer experience. The luxury hospitality group, with a history dating back to 1876, is known for its legendary service, cultural heritage, and pioneering spirit. The new identity is not just aesthetic but also reinforces the group's philosophy of deep connections with guests through proven expertise, storied narratives, and unforgettable experiences. The fan emblem was first introduced in 1985, symbolizing a blend of grace, beauty, and artistic excellence.

🏨 Minor Hotels, an international hotel group with over 560 properties in 58 countries, is set to introduce NH Hotels & Resorts in Copenhagen, where they already own the five-star NH Collection Copenhagen. The new hotel, significant to the city's cultural life, will join Minor Hotels' portfolio on April 10. Located next to the central station and Tivoli Gardens in the trendy Vesterbro district, the renovated 1892 building features 162 rooms, a restaurant, two bars, an event rooftop with panoramic city views, event rooms, a gym, a yoga studio, and an inner courtyard with a glass-roofed terrace. The hotel is owned by CapMan, a leading private asset management firm in the Nordic countries, with a focus on diverse real estate investments.

💳 Online customer reviews are now a crucial factor in selecting a bank, influencing the perception of the establishment beyond just comparing services and interest rates. Clients' experiences with advisors, card management, and customer service can differentiate a bank, build trust, and retain customers. Positive reviews can enhance the bank's credibility and facilitate customers' decision-making when comparing different offers. High customer satisfaction from a range of banking services leads to positive feedback, which can attract new clients and improve the bank's online reputation, making it a competitive asset. Actively managing online reviews on Google Business Profile is key to local SEO, as Google's algorithm considers factors such as average rating, the number of stars, the freshness of comments, and responsiveness to client feedback. Testimonials about clear functionalities, hassle-free processes, and well-explained benefits of banking products can reassure prospects and impact the conversion rate. Local visibility is now influenced by reviews published on Google, which can boost an agency's presence in both Google Local Pack and Google Maps. The article also discusses strategies for collecting more client reviews, such as using direct links to Google review forms, displaying QR codes in the agency, and sending out satisfaction surveys. Guest Suite offers a platform to manage customer reviews for banks, centralize feedback, distribute it across platforms, and respond from a single interface, with semantic analysis to identify recurring subjects and adjust commercial offers accordingly.

📢 METRO France opened its first delivery depot in Savigny-le-Temple in March 2024 and inaugurated its second in La Brède (Gironde) to serve over 2,000 Nouvelle-Aquitaine clients with a selection of more than 7,500 products. The new site aims for operational efficiency, enhancing delivery routes, and has created approximately 100 local jobs, boosting the region's economic growth.

🍝 In 2025, Groupe Annie Famose continues its expansion with significant openings in France and internationally. On April 4, 2025, the Kinugawa brand unveils a new venue on the Rive Gauche in the heart of Paris's 7th district at Hôtel Sax Paris, LXR Hotels and Resorts, showcasing contemporary Japanese cuisine. Internationally, Kinugawa will open a new location in Dubai at Jumeirah Group's Marsa Al Arab and soon in Saint-Barthélemy, Caribbean, strengthening its global lifestyle and gastronomic branding.

💰 Diamo, a revenue management startup for hotels, secured €3.6 million (about $4 million) in funding to boost its growth. The round was led by Thayer Ventures and Inovia Capital, with Avalon Capital Group and business angels also participating. Part of Life House, Diamo was spun off in 2024 to provide dynamic pricing solutions to independent hoteliers. The American startup plans to expand its offerings and grow internationally, including launching an AI assistant for revenue managers. Tyler Carrico of Thayer Ventures joined Diamo's board as part of the deal.

🏠 Gîtes de France®, founded in 1955, celebrates its 70th anniversary in 2025. The French associative network, built on principles of human, accessible, and sustainable tourism, was initiated by Senator Émile Aubert to counter rural exodus and provide vacations for the working class. Gîtes de France® started officially on January 11, 1955, and has grown to include 42,000 owners.

💼 Devenir un bon manager implique plus que le titre et le salaire; c'est un processus de remise en question personnelle, d'adoption de pratiques de feedback bidirectionnel et d'écoute active, et nécessite 70% de présence sur le terrain. Les qualités essentielles à développer sont la confiance, la congruence et l'exemplarité. La formation continue, l'expérience pratique et l'autoformation à travers les livres, podcasts, sites web et le coaching individuel sont cruciaux pour un management efficace.