Fusion & Acquisition

💸 Paris, February 3, 2025 - Groupe CDS, a leading European business travel solutions provider, welcomes Andera Partners as a new investor. Ziad Minkara regains majority control of the company, having been backed by IDI since 2020. Founded in 2001, CDS offers a digital platform managing corporate hotel booking chains, generating savings on direct and indirect purchases. With around 450 employees across 5 European countries (France, Germany, Italy, Poland, Croatia) and operating 4 brands (CDS, CRC, Goelett, SIAP), the group boasts an annual hotel booking volume of €800 million. The sponsorless transaction facilitates capital reorganization, allowing Minkara and IDI to drive growth and international expansion.

📈 Arnaud Bécard, 53, with 20+ years in executive and financial management in the agri-food industry, joined companies like La Charlotte, Soufflet, Senoble, and Saria. Tasked with continuing Noe Industries' consolidation phase since June 2024 and deploying a new strategy for Traiteur de Paris' profitable growth, following a €6M capital increase by Noe Industries. Noe Industries, founded in 2020 by Michel Rességuier, Gilles Roland, and Pierre Escolier, invested in Supratec and acquired Constellium Ussel (now Ucelia) within 24 months.

💸 Naboo, a corporate event booking platform, raised €20 million in a Series A round led by Notion Capital, with participation from ISAI and Ternel. Aiming to exceed €100 million in organized events by 2025, up from €60 million the previous year, Naboo plans to expand its European presence, particularly in Germany, Spain, UK, Benelux, and Italy. Investments in AI and data since 2024 have reduced customer service research and administrative time by over 70%.

🏨 Minor Hotels will offer 80,000+ rooms across eight brands on the "Global Discovery" platform at the same rates as its websites, leveraging Fliggy's digital ecosystem to enhance market reach in China. Ian Di Tullio, Minor Hotels' Chief Commercial Officer, aims to target millions of Chinese consumers, increase bookings, and brand awareness. Zhuoran Zhuang, Fliggy's CEO, commits to connecting customers with Minor's distinctive brands through personalized, high-quality travel experiences. Minor Hotels currently operates four hotels in China.

📝 The article, authored by Silvia Gualano, was last updated on January 27, 2025. It discusses the hidden architecture of online reputation, focusing on key phrases used in Airbnb reviews. The content is presented on RoomCloud's website, featuring the RoomCloud logo with a resolution of 4625x2778 pixels. The article invites readers to share the story on various platforms, emphasizing the importance of reputation in the online hospitality industry.

🏕 French camping pioneer HUTTOPIA, with 140+ campsites across 8 countries, takes a 34% stake in hospitality group ELEGANCIA. HUTTOPIA, anticipating urban vacationers' need to reconnect with nature 25 years ago, initiated Café-Hotel project HOSCAR 10 years back. ELEGANCIA, known for its unconventional 20+ years in hotel management, will now handle HOSCAR's operations, showcasing a shared vision for hospitality with strong identity and community-focused living spaces.

📢 Choco acquires Goot, enhancing its digital solutions for food supply chains with AI tools for wholesalers. Goot, a pioneer in BtoB e-commerce for the food and beverage distribution industry, boasts nearly a decade of innovation. With over 200 clients, including key independent distributors and 30,000 daily users from bakeries and restaurants, Goot processes transactions exceeding €500 million annually in food, beverage, and milling sectors.

🏖 Airbnb's "Expériences" tab offers immersive activities hosted by locals worldwide. Unlike typical tours, it emphasizes originality and authenticity, featuring cooking local specialties, exploring hidden neighborhoods, and ocean-view yoga sessions.

🏨 In Germany, a hotel operated under the established ibis Budget brand, part of the Accor group, was acquired to enhance the Core investment strategy of a SCPI. The hotel, with 150 rooms, is centrally located in Munich's congress center, which receives over 2 million visitors annually. Built in 2007 and renovated in 2019, the property caters to domestic guests from November to March and international visitors from April to October. The hotel has a remaining lease term of 8 years with Accor Invest. This marks the 7th acquisition in Germany, aligning with a strategy focusing on quality assets, operators, and long-duration leases in prime locations, contributing to Europe's nearly 50% share of global tourism. Legal and tax advisory for the transaction was provided by LPA-GGV.

🏠 Central Phuket celebrates its 6th anniversary by investing 1 billion THB to expand its Floresta luxury zone, aiming to strengthen Phuket's status as a global luxury destination. Tourist revenue is expected to reach 500 billion THB in 2024, a 28% increase from 2023, with average spending of 34,336 THB per visitor. Floresta's area grows from 180,000 to 200,000 square meters, increasing luxury brands from 16 to 25, including the largest Louis Vuitton store extension in southern Thailand.