Progressive deconfinement throughout Europe, increased use of air and rail transport, reopening of borders within the Schengen area : with the takeoverWith a slow but expected recovery in business and leisure travel, the hotel industry sees the prospect of a return of its clientele. While not all hotels closed their doors at the height of the pandemic, all were hit by this unprecedented crisis. According to the STR analysis firmthe European hotel industry experienced a 84.6 % fall in visitor numbers in April 2020, with an occupancy rate of just 11.1%.
From 11 May, B&B Hotelswhich had kept more than 100 hotels open, was preparing to reopen a further hundred of its 288 budget hotels. The first phase of decontamination has enabled a number of hotels to reopen, particularly in the areas least affected by the spread of the virus. In Brittany, the Radisson Nantes began welcoming guests back on 18 May, but it remains the only one of the Radisson group's 15 hotels in France to do so. Nine others plan to reopen gradually during June, and the remainder will open by the end of the summer.
With phase 2 of decontamination under way on 2 June, hotel accessibility is set to accelerate. Louvre Hotels expects 95% of its fleet in France be open by the end of June, compared with 80% today. At European level, more than 70% of its establishments will be open for business. As for Best Western In France, 48%s in the BWF network have reopened, including some forty establishments since 25 May, and three-quarters of the hotels will be accessible by the end of June.
Similarly, of the 1,573 hotels in France, the Accor GroupToday, more than 900 of these are welcoming customers, and the Group expects to see an increase in this number in the coming years. steadily increasing recovery in June. More than 70% of its worldwide network should be available to travellers by the beginning of July. Among those already open in France are several business establishments such as the Pullman Roissy CDG, Marseille and Toulouse airports, as well as ibis Roissy CDG, Alésia Montparnasse and ibis Styles Lyon Part-Dieu.
In the Paris region, which was more affected by the pandemic but also more sensitive to changes in international tourism, the hotel industry is also preparing for a recovery. Marriott, for example, reopened several of its hotels on 2 June - the Courtyard Paris Gare de Lyon, Renaissance République, AC by Marriott Porte Maillot - followed by the Renaissance Paris Hippodrome de St Cloud on 5 June. The American group is preparing a new wave of openings on 15 June with the reopening of the Marriott Opera Ambassador, Moxy Paris Bastille and AC Paris Le Bourget, before the Westin Paris Vendôme reopens. Following the opening of its terrace on 23 June, the hotel will start welcoming guests on 6 July. While the Prince of Wales and the W are due to open their doors during the summer, although the date has not yet been specified, the Moxy Paris CDG already knows when it will open: on 1 July. On the Côte d'Azur, after the AC by Marriott Nice on 8 June, the Méridien Nice and Monaco will reopen on 15 and 26 June respectively. The Courtyard Porte de Versailles will reopen on 14 September.
To support the recovery and sustain business, hotel groups have taken a number of measures, including relaxing their cancellation policies, offering promotions to members of loyalty programmes, and above all providing security guarantees to their customers. Their return is expected in strict health conditions. In this context, Accor is continuing to implement its ALLSAFE labeldeveloped with the support of Bureau Veritas and already displayed by a number of establishments, including ibis budget Marseille l'Estaque and ibis Laon. At the same time, customers will find services adapted to the health crisis, such as a readapted breakfast buffet and the creation of a continental in-room or takeaway option. At Marriott, certain services will not be accessible, such as swimming pools, spas and fitness centres. In Ile-de-France, bars and restaurants will be closed at least until 22 June, except those with terraces or patios.
