Divers

💰 PPHE Hotel Group awarded stock options to three executive team members: co-CEO Greg Hegarty, CFO Daniel Kos, and General Counsel Inbar Zilberman, under the PPHE Executive Incentive Plan 2020. Each received options for 12,000 ordinary shares related to the EVP Annual Bonus Plan. Additionally, Kos and Zilberman exercised options for 22,000 ordinary shares each. Transactions complied with European Market Abuse Regulation and shares are listed on the London Stock Exchange. This aligns executive interests with shareholders through share-based incentives.

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🍕 Chef Paul Pairet announced in November from Paris that his Shanghai restaurant Ultraviolet, opened in 2012, will close in March 2025. The Michelin-starred establishment (three stars for nearly 8 years) is rumored to be shutting due to local authority preemption of its "secret building" and significant surrounding construction affecting the experience. Pairet's other ventures, MMB, Polux, Carbon, remain open, hinting at future culinary projects at the age of 60, potentially in Asia, but not necessarily China.

🏨 Hyatt Hotels Corporation launches Hyatt Select, a new upper-midscale brand targeting transient travelers, offering a "convenient and economical" experience. Part of Hyatt's Essentials portfolio, Hyatt Select focuses on secondary and tertiary markets, featuring free breakfast, 24/7 market access, and modern rooms with workspaces and high-speed internet. The lean operating model aims to cut labor costs while maintaining quality service. This expansion includes the first Hyatt Studios in Mobile, Alabama, broadening Hyatt's market reach and providing more options to owners and guests.

🌽 Côte d'Azur France Tourisme participated in the Salon International de l'Agriculture in Paris from February 22 to March 2, 2025, alongside the Alpes-Maritimes Department. The event, with over 600,000 visitors in 2024, served as a platform to showcase the region's tourism and agricultural expertise. Focused on sustainable tourism, Côte d'Azur France aims to highlight its agritourism potential, leveraging local producers and their products under the Côte d'Azur France license.

🍎 During Ramadan 2025, which will run from March 1st to March 30th, Dubai invites travelers to experience local cultural traditions alongside iconic city attractions. Visitors can engage with special Ramadan experiences like iftars and cultural events, enriching their stay with unique insights into the Dubai lifestyle.

🏖️ Sandaya, a luxury outdoor hotel chain, announces over 1000 job openings for the 2025 season across its 60 camping sites in France, Belgium, Spain, and Italy. Founded in 2010, the company seeks various seasonal staff including reception, restaurant, maintenance, and entertainment, with specific roles for lifeguards and housekeepers. To attract new talent, Sandaya adopts a digital approach in 2025, launching an employer page on Instagram, Facebook, and TikTok.

🛩 Spark e-Fuels, a startup based in Berlin and founded in 2021, raised €2.3 million during a pre-seed funding round led by Nucleus Capital. The round also included business angels from former executives of Shell, Lufthansa, BP, Siemens Energy, and McKinsey. The investment will help build their first pilot plant aiming to make biofuels a viable alternative to kerosene by reducing production costs of Sustainable Aviation Fuel (SAF), considering daily intermittent and seasonal variations of electricity and hydrogen supply.

🍕 Le Grand Feu aims for 100 restaurants by 2025, leveraging a new logistics platform in Sorbiers (42) to support growth of PizzaCosy, Piou!Piou!, and Greekia. Florent Mercier, PizzaCosy co-founder, awarded Best Brand and Franchise of the Year 2025, offers expertise in authentic cuisine with quality ingredients. Recently joined by Jérémy Cerceau's FOOD MOOD, the group strengthens its position in food franchise sector.