Meeting in Paris, the Hilton Group's management team for Continental Europe is delighted to announce its debut in Monte Carlo.a destination that the American hotelier has been eyeing up for a long time. By the end of In 2023, the Columbus hotel is set to become part of the Curio Collection brand, which now includes almost 150 boutique hotels around the world. Offering 181 rooms, an outdoor swimming pool and meeting facilities, this first address will further strengthen the group's offering on the Côte d'Azur, following on from the recent opening of the Canopy by Hilton in Cannes - the result of the takeover of the former Radisson Blu - and the Ecolodge Hameau des Pesquiers, near Hyères, which also joined the Curio Collection a year ago.
Although not strictly speaking in France, this new development symbolises the group's ambitions in the country. At the end of October, Hilton announced another major development with the launch of its flagship brand in Lille in summer 2024. This will be enough time to bring the former Crowne Plaza up to the Group's standards following a multi-million euro renovation. Perfectly located, just opposite Lille Europe station, the establishment will continue to operate as an affiliate of the group during the conversion period. Among the changes expected, the Hilton Lille will offer a new executive lounge as well as 124 rooms and seven meeting rooms for business travellers.
With just under thirty of Hilton's 7,500 hotels worldwide, France represents only a tiny proportion of the American giant's offering. But France is a major tourist destination, and Paris and the Côte d'Azur are very attractive to American customers, who make up a large proportion of the 173 million members of the Hilon Honors program, the market is buoyant.
While Hilton only had seven hotels in France in the middle of the last decade - all Hilton hotels plus a Waldorf Astoria, the Trianon Palace in Versailles - Hilton has since extended its network while introducing new brands in France. These include the Curio Collection, but also the Canopy hotels at Paris and Cannes, and Tapestry, a lifestyle brand with a presence in Paris and, more recently, in Paris. Bordeaux. Similarly, the upmarket DoubleTree brand has found its first address in Lyon, near the Eurexpo exhibition centre. Growth in the regions has also been driven by mid-range brands such as Hilton Garden Inn, which recently appeared in Marseille after Tours, Le Havre and Bordeaux, as well as Hampton in Tours and at Toulouse airport.
But the group has no intention of stopping there, and intends to almost double in size over the next few years. reach 50 hotels in the Hexagone. " France is the country where we have the most projects in continental Europe" underlines David KellyHilton's Senior Vice President for Continental Europe. Supported by three geographical priorities - Greater Paris, the major regional cities and the Côte d'Azur - this growth revolves around three axes described by David HeijligersHilton's Managing Director of Development for France and the Benelux countries: " conversion of existing hotels, as in Lille; restructuring of office buildings, such as Canopy Paris, a former GRDF site; and new construction, although the latter is currently on the decline" .
Among the twenty or so projects underway, some are already well advanced, such as the DoubleTree Paris La Défense WestThe first stone was laid this summer in Colombes, not far from the major business district. Meanwhile, Hampton by Hilton hotels are due to open soon at Paris CDG airport and in Saint-Laurent du Var, while the Maison Heler in Metz, designed by Philippe Starck, is due to open its doors next year. As for other developments, " there is still a lot to be done, such as having a luxury hotel in Paris or a presence in major regional cities like Montpellier, Nantes and Rennes" says David Heijligers.
However, there could be a cloud over the Group's growth in France with the recent receivership of one of its key partners, the Naos Group, owner of numerous franchised hotels under the Hilton Garden Inn, Hampton and Curio brands? " Although we cannot speak on behalf of the hotel owners, all our hotels in France operate as usual." commented a Group spokesperson, before adding: " Hilton has a pipeline of 20 hotels in France and we look forward to adding to our portfolio." . The course has been set.
