Ouvertures d’hôtels

🏠 Kimpton Hotels & Restaurants unveils its first establishment in Budapest, Hungary, expanding into Eastern Europe. Kimpton BEM Budapest, nestled along the Danube, is housed in a 19th-century mansion with 127 rooms, including 11 suites, and features three distinct dining areas – a chef-led signature restaurant, a rooftop bar with greenery, an all-day lobby bar and restaurant – and a wellness space with a 24/7 fitness center, jacuzzi, and hammam. The luxury boutique hotel offers event venues like the Turul Room, Golden Stag, M.W. Lounge, and BEM Ballroom for up to 120 guests. Renowned Dutch designer Marcel Wanders designed the hotel, blending whimsical accents with historical elements.

🏦 The H4 Hotel Wyndham Paris announced an opening date of August 13, 2024, which is after the Paris Olympics but before the Paralympic Games starting on August 28. Initially scheduled for June, then early July, the delay is rumored to be due to safety commission ERP IGH's observations on elevators. Missing the Olympics is seen as a significant loss for potential economic and media benefits.

🏡 Kimpton Hotels & Restaurants, part of the IHG Hotels & Resorts luxury portfolio, opens Kimpton BEM Budapest today. Located in Buda near the UNESCO World Heritage castle district, the hotel is a 19th-century mansion transformed into a sophisticated 127-room (including 11 suites) establishment. It features whimsical elements and historical accents designed by renowned Dutch designer Marcel Wanders. General Manager Atilla Domby celebrates the launch, highlighting the venue’s elegant urban energy and proximity to the Danube.

🍕 Monaco-based restaurateur Riccardo Giraudi brings Genoa’s Zeffirino's essence to Paris and Monaco, with the Belloni family's blessing, who've run it since 1939. Paris' Zeffirino seats 50 inside, 30 on the patio, featuring interior design by Cédric Capron. Exec chefs Thierry Paludetto and Alexandre Bousquières offer a menu with 9 fresh homemade pasta dishes (€27-€74), other Italian specialties, and 8 desserts (€14-€24). The venue, employing about 30 staff, serves the Belloni family's signature pesto and is open daily.

📚 Lagardère Travel Retail France expanded at Gare de Paris Nord, Europe's busiest station with 700,000 daily visitors and third in the world, by opening a new Fnac store with a cosy Café upstairs from its flagship RELAY store. The 150m² area, offering 40 seats, replaces the former Brasserie l'Etoile du Nord, providing beverages, pastries, and sandwiches. Vincent Romet, CEO, sees it as a "new invitation to travel," meeting travelers' evolving needs.

🍽 La Flottille, a renowned restaurant in the park of the Château de Versailles, Yvelines, reopened on June 1 under the guidance of Michelin-starred chef Jean-Baptiste Lavergne-Morazzani. Established in 1895 and located in front of André Le Nôtre's Grand Canal, La Flottille has undergone a renovation by Versailles firm Versions. The menu features local suppliers like M.O.F. baker Frédéric Lalos, La Ferme du Pré, and La Ferme de La Tremblaye, and includes French classics, seasonal dishes, and shared options.

🏨 Meininger Hotel to open in Barcelona, Catalonia's economic, cultural, and administrative capital, in 2027. The hotel, facing Fira de Barcelona Gran Vía—one of Europe's largest exhibition parks hosting over 150 events annually—will feature 162 rooms, 552 beds, and 30 parking spaces. Chosen for its proximity to the exhibition park and excellent public transport links, Meininger promotes diversity and inclusion, offering internal staff training such as inclusive language courses. Thomas T. Hagemann, COO of Meininger Hotels, emphasizes the alignment of Barcelona's values with Meininger's philosophy. Further expansion in Europe includes a planned property in Edinburgh, Scotland.

🏨 The Interglobe group, already managing 30 mid-range hotels in India, launched a new high-end hotel brand, Miiro, in Europe. Miiro's first hotel, Grand Hôtel Cayré, with 123 renovated rooms by English designer Michaelis Boyd, opened on July 15 in Paris, France. The brand emerged after acquiring the independent K+K portfolio of ten European establishments in 2020. Miiro will soon expand to Barcelona with Hotel Borneta in August, followed by London's Templeton Garden next year, and two locations in Vienna by mid-2025. Paris's Miiro features a 'refresh room,' a la carte services, a 90-seat restaurant run by Bruno Brangea with an average lunch cost of €35 and €75 for dinner, and a 1920s-themed cocktail bar, the Officine Bar, led by Oscar Blackstone.

💻 Console SecretBox implemented their gift box solution for the reopening of the historical hotel, the Abbaye des Vaux-de-Cernay. Located in a serene nature reserve near Paris, the hotel offers a refined experience. The Console SecretBox allows personalized gift boxes that reflect the establishment's unique character, intuitive shop management, secure and simple client journeys, shared payment options for group gifts, and is an innovative, environmentally responsible choice. The solution is commission-free and labeled as #greentech.

🏠 Edgar Suites expands with the Résidence Montrouge – Jaurès, located near the Evergreen campus, the global headquarters of Crédit Agricole, and minutes from Montrouge City Hall's metro. The former office building now houses 27 high-end apartments, equivalent to 67 hotel rooms, designed by L.A.M Studio, led by Léonie Alma Mason, featuring unique, functional, and aesthetic spaces inspired by various influences, with a dynamic and modern ambiance.