Nominations

📌 Younight Hospitality expands to Vendée with Vertime—Les Sables-d’Olonne, featuring 105 rooms and suites, a rooftop bar, restaurant, and seminar spaces. Spanning 4,200 m², the 4-star hotel was designed by BLOCK architects. Post-construction, operational management is led by Matthieu GUÉNÉDAL-MORICE and Béatrice Martineau, alongside department heads such as Stéphanie Guilbot (Dining Manager), Benjamin MARCHAND (Head Chef), Adrien R. (Reception Manager), Nadege Prost (Housekeeper), and Cyril Gautier (Maintenance Manager).

🏨 Pan Pacific Hotels Group expands its Malaysian portfolio with the Gurney Bay Hotel, becoming the seventh property in Malaysia and the second in Penang. The Gurney Bay Hotel, a 368-room PARKROYAL Hotel, is part of the state's vision Penang 2030. Penang's economy grew 13.1% in 2022, outpacing the national growth of 8.7%. The state recorded a 64% increase in passenger movements in 2023 compared to the previous year, reaching 6.9 million at Penang International Airport, 84% of the 2019 passenger volume. Penang targets over 5 million passengers in 2023 and aims for 7.4 million by 2030. Penang has attracted the highest foreign investments in the country at 71.9 billion MYR.

🏨 Keith Barr, ex-CEO of IHG Hotels & Resorts with over 30 years of industry experience, has been appointed to MGM Resorts International's board as its 12th member. Barr led IHG from 2017 to 2023, spearheading revenue-boosting innovations, operational efficiencies, and a customer-centric culture shift. Paul Salem, MGM's board chairman, praises Barr's leadership and innovative skills. MGM CEO Bill Hornbuckle welcomes Barr's expertise for delivering world-class customer experiences.

🍴 Since May 20, Arnauld Faye has been the head chef at Bristol Paris, overseeing the two Michelin-starred restaurants: Épicure (3 stars) and 114 Faubourg (1 star), as well as Café Antonia, Banquets, and Room Service. Faye is 45 years old and plans to introduce a new menu at Épicure in September, promising a "contemporary gastronomic experience with a menu infused with colors and lightness where vegetables reign supreme." Unique ingredients like hyssop and black cardamom will feature in his dishes.

🏦 Thibaud Binois was elected President of the Association des Investisseurs Franchisés de Louvre Hôtels Group (AIFLH) in May 2023. He is committed to continuing the work begun a year ago to improve the growth of member hotels by developing a beneficial relationship with Louvre Hôtels Group and challenging the franchisor. The AIFLH aims to modernize the hotel industry, enhance its attractiveness, and defend stakeholders' interests.

📌 Thibaud Binois, elected as president of the Association des Investisseurs Franchisés de Louvre Hôtels Group (AIFLH), is set to encourage collaboration and support growth for its over 300 member hotels under brands like CAMPANILE, KYRIAD, KYRIADDIRECT, and PREMIERE CLASSE. With experience as president of Bimage group and an AIFLH board member since 2021, Binois, alongside board members such as Anne-France de la Servette and Naomi Yoshioka, aims to modernize the hospitality industry and advocate for franchisees' interests.

🏥 Updated on 22 August 2024, the article recounts an instance where a hotel employee with a passion for cooking stepped in to replace an injured chef, demonstrating the value of knowing team members' hidden talents for responding swiftly to unexpected situations.

🏨 Marriott International's EDITION Hotels, in partnership with Ian Schrager, appoints George Fleck as Senior Vice President/Global Brand Leader. Fleck, with over 20 years at Marriott and nearly 15 at Starwood Hotels & Resorts, previously managed brand, marketing, and sales across the Americas, Europe, and Asia-Pacific. He oversaw St. Regis Hotels & Resorts (over 50 properties) from 2020 to 2023, following a role with Westin, Le Meridien, Renaissance (2016-2020). EDITION recently launched its 20th hotel in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia, with upcoming openings in Lake Como, Dali, and the Red Sea in 2025.

🍴 AC Hotel Nice by Marriott welcomes 33-year-old Chef Vincenzo Tuccillo from Naples, Italy. His extensive experience includes work at Hôtel Le Meurice with Alain Ducasse, Mandarin Oriental with Thierry Marx, and Four Seasons George V with Simone Zanoni. Tuccillo is set to enhance the hotel's culinary offerings, including the summer restaurant Farago On The Roof, infusing menus with Mediterranean flavors and catering for private events such as weddings and seminars.

🏕 Sandaya, a French high-end camping group, announced the creation of Sandaya Italia, led by CEO Roberto Franchi, following the acquisition of four exceptional sites in Italy. The acquisition on June 4th involved a deal with PGIM for properties in Veneto and Tuscany, totaling €27.5M in revenue. This move is part of Sandaya's international growth, establishing a presence in Europe's second-largest outdoor hotel market. Sandaya's portfolio now includes 65 premium destinations across Europe, with 14 new locations in France for the 2024 season.