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🎰 Elaine Wynn, known as the grande dame of Las Vegas, passed away on April 15, 2025, at age 82. She introduced luxury into Las Vegas through the Golden Nugget and co-designed iconic hotels such as The Mirage, Bellagio, Wynn Las Vegas, and Encore. A major shareholder of Wynn Resorts, her legacy extends to a human-centric hospitality culture and contributions to education, the arts, and philanthropy, including her position on the LACMA council.

📊 Cornell University researchers analyzed the profitability of multi-channel distribution in the hospitality industry, studying 644 U.S. hotels. The study, applicable to the 110,000 hotels across the U.S., suggests that using Online Travel Agencies (OTAs) can be beneficial for hoteliers, particularly larger ones, with a 99% reliability rate for the sample. However, the impact differs by hotel category; luxury and mid-range hotels see positive effects, while economy hotels may suffer due to commission costs. The U.S. hotel market, dominated by chains (90% of the sample), contrasts with Europe's landscape of independent hotels. Relevant regulatory changes in Europe, like the ban on rate parity clauses, could impact the online distribution profitability differently. Direct booking costs for hoteliers are approximately 4-4.5%, significantly lower than the average 25% OTA commissions.

🚀 "Check-In, l'émission #2" airs on Thursday, 24.04.2025, at 10:00, focusing on the convergence of business aviation and luxury hotels. Featured by LA TRIBUNE DE L‘HOTELLERIE, the program addresses the intersection of these upscale industries.

🏨 AX Partners, an Iberian-Luxembourgish fund, completed its third acquisition in four months with the Hotel Eetu in Begur, Spain. Aiming for a complete renovation, it plans to increase the hotel's capacity from 42 to 65 rooms by the 2026 season, introducing a pool, spa, restaurant, meeting rooms, and a fitness center. The fund will invest €15 million alongside Summum Hotel Group, which will operate the hotel under the Affiliated by Meliá brand. So far, AX Partners has invested €80 million in hospitality and aims for €200 million in hotel assets by the end of 2026. The company, also active in upscale residential investments, has accumulated over €300 million across both sectors, targeting 10-15% profitability per operation.

🏨 In the hotel industry, fixed costs, often 60-80% of turnover, include salaries, rents, and software subscriptions, and vary in profitability depending on occupancy. Variable costs, stable per unit, cover cleaning, linen, guest products, and energy consumption. For example, a 100-room hotel at €100/night with 75% occupancy has fixed costs of €4,500/day and variable costs of €20-25/room. Surpassing the break-even point increases profitability, allowing for competitive pricing while covering fixed costs. HotelPartner emphasizes the importance of understanding the break-even threshold for effective revenue management strategies.

🍴 In France, Hôtels, Cafés, Restaurants (HCR sector) are allowed to open and employ staff on May 1st, respecting conventional rules. May 1st is typically a mandatory non-working holiday with pay (Code du travail, L3133-4 & L3133-5), but the HCR sector is an exception due to the nature of their services. Since 1997, the national collective agreement for the HCR explicitly permits working on May 1st. Salary implications for HCR employees depend on whether May 1st is a usual business day, closure day, or rest day. Minors generally cannot work on holidays, but there's an exemption for minor apprentices in the HCR sector as per R.3164-2 and L.3164-8 of the Code du travail.

💼 The agreement on gender equality in the HCR (Hotels, Cafés, Restaurants) sector from December 13, 2023, was officially extended by a ministerial decree on March 21, 2025, and published in the Official Journal on April 9, 2025. It emphasizes non-discrimination, equal pay, salary evolution after parental leave, work-life balance, equal treatment regardless of work hours, and combating sexual harassment and sexism. Two government labels, the Diversity Label and Gender Equality Label, support attractiveness, with a branch report using relevant indicators to track progress and a CPPNI meeting scheduled before the end of 2025 to further discuss professional equality.

🏠 Luxury train travel sees resurgence with the revival of the famed Orient Express, once a symbol of opulent travel in the last century. The Orient Express, synonymous with luxury since the 19th century and featured in Agatha Christie's "Murder on the Orient Express," was conceived by engineer Georges Nagelmackers after a US trip in 1872. He founded the Compagnie Internationale des Wagons-Lits, launching the first Orient Express in 1883 from Paris to Constantinople. A new route through Switzerland and Italy avoiding Germany was established in 1919.

💸 An Opinionway survey for Adyen, involving 1043 French travelers, reveals that 50% prefer cash to avoid bank fees during travel. 60% find single-use cards and installment payments appealing, with 26% trusting neo-banks. 47% use instant transfers to dodge caps, and 20% have faced blocked payments abroad. Despite potential deals, 60% book early, valuing security over less reputable platforms, a sentiment shared by 82%. The study was conducted online from February 19 to 21, 2025.

📍 Santika Indonesia Hotels & Resorts, established in 1981 and managed by PT Grahawita Santika, is a prominent hospitality player in Indonesia offering authentic Indonesian hospitality across its properties. D-EDGE is a SaaS company providing advanced cloud-based e-commerce solutions to over 17,000 hotels in more than 150 countries, backed by a team of 500 experts in over 25 countries and a network of 550+ partners. D-EDGE, a subsidiary of Accor with over 5,700 hotels and 10,000 dining spaces in 110 countries, offers an ecosystem for business growth including a range of integrated solutions—CRS, Guest Management, Data Intelligence, Connectivity Hub, Digital Media, and Website Creation.