Fusion & Acquisition

🏨 Between October and December 2024, Preferred Hotels & Resorts added ten new properties worldwide including Europe. The European additions include Kitzhof – Mountain Design Resort in Austria with 160 rooms, César Lanzarote in Spain with 20 rooms, Appenzeller Huus – Huus Loewen in Switzerland with 120 rooms, and Das Achental in Germany with 130 rooms. Further international openings are Aurika Mumbai International Airport (India) with 325 rooms, Aurika Udaipur (India) with 139 rooms, Hotel Las Islas (Colombia) with 55 rooms, L'Ermitage Beverly Hills (California, USA) with 114 rooms, Gamboa Rainforest Reserve (Panama) with 166 rooms, and Hotel Magnolia (Chile) with 40 rooms. This expansion is part of a record growth year since 2019 for the luxury independent hotel portfolio.

🏠 Driftwood Capital launched Driftwood Lifestyle & Luxury (DLLUX) led by Alinio Azevedo, former CEO of Aspen Hospitality, managing 12 assets including eight owned by its funds. Since 2019, Driftwood invested over $2 billion in luxury residences and brands, with projects like Westin Resort & Spa Cocoa Beach and Dream Miami. A new investment fund exceeding $3 billion targets luxury travel markets in the U.S. and internationally.

💰 Kering, owner of Gucci, Saint Laurent, and Bottega Veneta, reported a 62% drop in net profit in 2024 with a 12% decrease in revenue to €17.19 billion. Gucci sales plummeted by 23% last year, impacting Kering's results. Kering parted with Gucci's creative director Sabato de Sarno, appointed in 2022, aiming to revitalize the brand. The luxury market's overall slowdown in 2024, along with Gucci's underperformance since Alessandro Michele's tenure, affected the whole group. Despite setbacks, Kering maintains strong liquidity for future investments.

📝 Since January 7, professionals have noticed a significant loss of reviews on their Google Business profiles, ranging from a few to several hundred. The decrease in reviews sparked discussion on social media and Google forums. This issue turned out to be a display bug from Google, not an actual deletion of reviews, as verified by Guest Suite. Google Business Profile administration confirmed no reviews vanished. Google is expected to fix this bug soon, highlighting the importance of customer reviews for local SEO.

🌲 The Department of Maine-et-Loire and the City of Angers have handed over the management of Terra Botanica to Groupe Looping, a leader in European regional amusement parks. Since its opening in 2010, Terra Botanica has focused on plants and biodiversity and was previously managed by the two communities under a public interest group. In a strategic move, a 40-year administrative emphyteutic lease was granted to Groupe Looping, committing to a €59 million investment plan over the next decade, including themed accommodations with lodges and a hotel, and the development and modernization of facilities and attractions. The legal firm Cornet Vincent Ségurel, led by associate lawyer Frédéric Marchand, advised the public interest group Terra Botanica, the Department of Maine-et-Loire, and the City of Angers throughout the transaction.

🏦 Elior Group, an international leader in catering and multiservices, introduced a new logo featuring a bison as a symbol of power, endurance, and community. This rebranding aims to enhance the visibility and coherence among its brands—Elior Group, Derichebourg Multiservices, and Elior in France and internationally. The unified identity reflects a strategy to serve clients with complementary, custom services and showcases potential synergies. The logo also represents career growth opportunities for employees.

🏖 Four Seasons and RAK Properties partner to launch the Four Seasons Resort and Residences Ras Al Khaimah. The luxury seaside destination in Ras Al Khaimah will feature approximately 150 rooms, suites, and villas, plus 130 private residences spread over a 400-hectare site with views of the Persian Gulf and Hajar Mountains. Amenities include spas, restaurants, and a marina. Construction starts early 2026, residential sales to begin by the end of 2025, with Bart Carnahan announcing the strategic UAE expansion. Killa Design is tasked with architectural design.

📈 Smartify, described as the "Shazam for artwork," secured £1.5 million in funding, over €1.8 million, in a round led by Metavallon VC with Pembroke VCT and Mountside Ventures advising. This investment raises the startup's total capital to €4.2 million since its 2015 inception. The digital platform aims to enhance museum visitor engagement, with a 68% year-over-year increase in app usage over the past 12 months, serving over two million active users and partnering with 700 cultural institutions, including the National Gallery and the Acropolis Museum.

🤖 LG Electronics acquired a 51% majority stake in AI-driven autonomous service robot startup Bear Robotics in January 2025, following a $60 million initial investment in March 2024. The integration with LG's commercial robot division aims to create a unified software platform, shorten development cycles, and ensure a consistent user experience, with robotics envisioned as a key growth driver in automation for home, commercial, and Industry 4.0 applications.

💰 Andera Partners joined the capital of Groupe CDS, with founder Ziad Minkara regaining majority ownership. Established in 2001, CDS, a leading French independent and second European company, offers digital solutions for business travel management to corporate clients and travel agencies, optimizing both direct and indirect purchasing. With around 450 employees across 5 European countries, the group shows strong growth through organic means and successful international acquisitions.