Fusion & Acquisition

🎰 Pollet-Villard-Gaston (PVG) from Annecy will invest €9.5 million in the future casino of Pompadour, becoming their second casino after the Imperial Annecy. PVG hotels include the 5-star Au Cœur du Village, the 4-star Impérial Palace, Le Pélican, and Beauregard, as well as the 3-star Alpen Roc and Christiania. Construction is set to begin early next year with the opening scheduled for February 13, 2026. The casino will feature a restaurant, 75 slot machines, 20 English roulette stations, 10 electronic blackjack posts, and two traditional game tables.

🏀 France's basketball team lost to the USA led by NBA star Stephen Curry, who made four three-pointers in two minutes. McDonald's France humorously contemplated removing their curry sauce for "at least four years" in an Instagram post following the defeat. The joke garnered around 30,000 likes and CNN confirmed it was in jest referencing Saturday's game. Ironically, the curry sauce was already replaced by szechuan sauce ahead of the Paris 2024 Olympics.

💰 Founders Kevin Cohen, Julien Madar, and Joffrey Ichbia announced that Indian giant Oyo, supported by Softbank with over 17,000 hotels worldwide, acquired Checkmyguest. The company valuation is close to €100 million.

🍽 In California, the Michelin Guide's latest release on August 5 highlighted seven new 1-star and three new 2-star restaurants, with Aubergine in Carmel-by-the-Sea, Sons & Daughters in San Francisco, and Vespertine in Culver City each earning 2 stars, and Vespertine also receiving a Green Star. The state now boasts 84 starred restaurants, including six 3-star, thirteen 2-star, sixty-six 1-star, and sixteen Green Stars. Ten more establishments have been added to the Bib Gourmand list, totaling 132, and the 2024 selection features 577 establishments offering 60 different styles of cuisine.

🏠 The OCP increased its stake to become the majority shareholder of La Mamounia hotel, now holding more than 40%, while the National Railway Office (ONCF) reduced its share to under 10%. The deal is valued close to 159 million euros. In 2023, La Mamounia reported over 20 million euros in net profits (226 million dirhams).

🌍 Overcrowded beaches, streets, and long queues at tourist attractions are signs of overtourism. Despite rising travel costs, the World Tourism Organization (UNWTO) predicts record tourism for the season. McKinsey found that 66% of travelers are more inclined to travel now than before the COVID-19 pandemic. Overtourism is driven by the increasing demand for travel and the limited capacity of popular destinations. Lucerne, Switzerland, faces high volumes of day tourists, causing traffic jams without economic benefits of longer stays. Social media platforms like Instagram and TikTok contribute to overtourism, as seen in Hallstatt, Austria, which saw about 145,000 overnight stays last year. Travelers are avoiding popular destinations due to overcrowding, commercialization, and poor maintenance. Concerns over overtourism affect 61% in Spain, 49% in France, and 46% in Italy. Alternatives include traveling during the off-season or choosing less crowded destinations, as shown by a 2.2% and 3.0% increase in off-season tourist arrivals in Spain's Balearic Islands between 2016 and 2023. Valencia, Spain, saw a 9.8% increase in tourists in 2023 compared to 2019, particularly from January to April, with a 29.4% increase from 2019 to 2024.

📌 NUMA Group acquired 100% of Native Places, a short-stay division of Native Holdings, for an undisclosed sum. Native Places, headquartered in London, boasts over 800 units and is a pioneer in the UK aparthotel and serviced apartment sector. This acquisition aligns with NUMA's growth strategy in Europe, focusing on converting centrally located properties in major cities into digitized hotels. NUMA now manages over €2 billion in real estate assets, including more than 6,500 rooms and apartments across 34 cities in 14 European countries, set to increase to over 7,300 units with the addition of Native Places.

🏕 HomeCamper et Campspace fusionnent, formant la plateforme préférée des amateurs de micro-camping en Europe, avec une forte présence en Allemagne, BeNeLux et France. Ils offrent maintenant 75,000 emplacements dans plus de 45 pays, soutenus par un réseau de plus de 13,000 hôtes et une communauté de plus d'un million d’utilisateurs de plus de 100 pays. L'acquisition de Camperland renforce le leadership en Allemagne.

KKR a acquis un portefeuille de 18 actifs multifamiliaux de Quarterra Multifamily pour 2,1 milliards de dollars, comprenant plus de 5 200 unités dans des états côtiers et ensoleillés. Justin Pattner de KKR souligne l'excellence et la situation avantageuse de ces propriétés résidentielles.

Duetto, spécialiste des logiciels de gestion des revenus pour l'hôtellerie basé à San Francisco, a été acquis par GrowthCurve Capital, le montant de la transaction n'étant pas révélé. David Woolenberg, PDG de Duetto, se réjouit de cette acquisition qui devrait renforcer les technologies de l'entreprise et soutenir sa croissance, tandis que Matthew Popper de GrowthCurve souligne l'importance de Duetto sur le marché des logiciels de gestion des revenus.