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🏦 Hilton hosted a first-of-its-kind Brand Showcase in Bangalore, India, aiming to double its presence by 2030. The event, more than a corporate presentation, was an immersive and interactive experience featuring Waldorf Astoria lounges, Curio Collection curiosity cabinets, an "infinity room" for Hilton Honors, and LXR artisanal gelatos by Lavonne. Hilton's CEO Chris Nassetta sees India as a strategic growth driver, with plans to expand across various segments from experiential lifestyle to targeted service hotels. Hilton currently boasts 24 brands globally.

🍴 Chef Nobu Matsuhisa expands his elite cuisine presence at two high-end hotels: Grand Wailea (Maui) and Hotel del Coronado (California), both owned by Hilton's Waldorf Astoria. These openings signify a strategic pivot towards gastronomic experiences as a differentiation pillar. Nobu Grand Wailea boasts 1,200 square meters, a Rockwell Group design, a menu with local line-caught fish, Kona coffee-based desserts, and O'ahu vanilla pavlova. The Grand Wailea's renovation involved a $350 million investment.

🏨 Airbnb, expanding into the hotel market, responds to high demand in popular destinations with limited rental options due to historical or regulatory reasons. CEO Brian Chesky revealed in Q1 financial results that Airbnb often faces full occupancy, leading to the integration of hotels as additional accommodation. Over the past 12 months, 450,000 properties were removed from Airbnb's listings. The company is highlighting 77,000 properties globally with a “Top 1%” badge. Q1 2025 financials show a modest 6% revenue increase to $2.3 billion, with a notable profit drop to $164 million from $264 million, attributed to additional recruitment costs and stock-based compensation expenses, despite repurchasing $817 million of its shares. Airbnb, facing legal restrictions against short-term rentals, now emphasizes hotels and guesthouses, aligning with traveler preferences for hospitality features and transparency in pricing, having introduced a "Total Price" display globally.

🏨 Hotiday secures €5.5 million funding for its digital hotel room platform expansion in Europe. Led by P101 SGR with 40Jemz and business angels' participation, this round follows a 500% revenue increase since 2023. Founded in 2022 and accelerated by B4i – Bocconi for Innovation, Hotiday digitalizes the hospitality industry with data-driven solutions, adding services like loyalty programs and AI assistance via WhatsApp. Currently in Italy, Spain, Portugal, and France, with 65 hotel partnerships including TH Resorts, it plans for further European market penetration and service enhancement.

🏨 In 2025, the hotel sector emphasizes emotionally appealing spaces, integrating cultural heritage, sustainability, and technology. Hotels are revamping historical heritages with modern luxury, focusing on authentic, immersive experiences. WATG and Wimberly Interiors highlight a trend where travelers seek comfort, luxury, and connection to a location's history. The design approach preserves the building's essence while adding contemporary dynamics. Margaret McMahon of Wimberly Interiors emphasizes celebrating heritage in a fresh, contemporary way.

📈 The 79th Fiducial TPE Business Climate Barometer, conducted by IFOP for Fiducial from March 24 to April 9, 2025, surveyed 1,002 TPE (very small business) executives, revealing a slight increase in government confidence to 26% for the first time since January 2024. TPE leaders, with strong local ties, recognize local economic and social dynamism but demand more simplification from public authorities amidst a sensitive economic environment.

🏨 Whitbread PLC plans to convert Capital House in central Edinburgh into a 195-room Premier Inn hotel. The redevelopment involves a 65,350 sqm building near Lothian Road with a bar and restaurant on the ground floor. Investment exceeds £21 million (€24.7 million). Submitted to Edinburgh City Council on May 2, 2025, it aims to create additional hotel capacity at Festival Square. Expected to welcome over 56,000 guests annually, generating £8.1 million (€9.5 million) in external spending, with half benefiting local downtown businesses, and create over 30 new hospitality jobs.

📅 Google Wallet is set to integrate ZK-proofs for privacy-focused digital identity, first in the UK then the USA, with technology developed by Ligero and made open-source. Vitruvian Partners acquires Great Rail Journeys, a British travel company founded in 1973, from Duke Street, aiming to make it a global leader for senior travel. AmTrav incorporates ATPCO and Renacen's 3D cabin tours, with 83% of business travelers valuing 360° seat view before booking. Cloudbeds partners with STAAH to offer real-time data synchronization and enriched reporting for hotel management. Google Adsense ads for travel will now appear in AI search platform results, available to services like iAsk, founded in 2022.

🏠 Paris, Nice, and Marseille led the Spring 2025 holiday season in French hotel occupancy. Paris boasted a RevPAR of €181.8, Nice €131.1, and Marseille €74.6, supporting the Eastern Mediterranean area's dynamic at €109.3. Coastal regions outside the English Channel's €90.9 RevPAR struggled, with figures not exceeding €65. Strasbourg and Lyon performed well with RevPARs of €72.3 and €71.4, respectively, while other cities ranged from Nantes at €47.8 to Bordeaux at €65.2. RevPAR growth saw Lyon leading with +12.2%, followed by Nice's +10.2% and Paris's +9.3%, with Nantes being the exception, showing a -2.1% decline.

📚 Momento Capital and Mata Capital partner to acquire a majority stake in Roof, a French student housing operator, aiming to create a large-scale student housing platform in France. Momento Capital expands into the student housing sector, leveraging investment and asset management expertise while Mata Capital offers capital deployment and structuring capabilities. The plan involves deploying up to €150 million to acquire, renovate, and manage over 1,000 student housing units. An initial investment of €20 million in equity and €50 million in debt has been secured for the first assets, focusing on transforming buildings into community residences with workspaces and gyms.