Expansion into new markets, new brands, big ambitions: without having portfolios as deep as Marriott, Hilton or Accor, other key players in the business traveller's journey of their hotels. In particular, the Ascottthe world leader in long-stay accommodation, which now has 163,000 units worldwide. Based on a model adapted to business trips lasting from several days to several months, the subsidiary of Singaporean investor Capital Land is gradually moving towards a more diversified offering, particularly since the acquisition of pure player hotel Tauzia in Indonesia, prior to the forthcoming launch of a four-star hotel brand, the Unlimited Collection. At the same time, its luxury Crest Collection establishments - and even some of its Citadines - play on the mix of genres, combining classic and residential hotels within their walls.
" Ascott aims to boost its position as a major player in the hospitality sectorsaid Philippe Mettey at Voyages d'Affaires at the beginning of the year. Hence our desire to hybridise our products and to play both sides of the fence - hotels and residences - in order to pursue our growth. ". The Ascott Group, which celebrates its 40th birthday this year, has exceeded its targets year on year, driven by the dynamic performance of Citadines and the expansion of its lifestyle brand. Lyfbut also through the acquisition of Oakwood Worldwide in 2022. A predominantly corporate brand that will evolve around hotels and residences, in line with the bleisure trend.
Another group from Asia, Thai Minorhas made no secret of its ambitions, particularly since its 2018 acquisition of Spanish group NH. This acquisition explains why more than half of its hotels are now located in Europe. synergies in development are beginning to materialise. On the one hand, the NH brands have begun to expand in Asia and the Middle East, while Minor's flagship brand, the Ananatara luxury hotels, has entered several major European cities, including Amsterdam, Dublin, Rome, Nice and Vienna. The Avani brand, the upmarket lifestyle cousin of the Anantara hotels on which Minor is betting heavily for the future, has also recently appeared in Europe, taking up residence in NH hotels in Frankfurt and Madrid.
" In the future, we intend to extend our global footprint into new regions where we are not yet present.said Dillip Rajakarier, CEO of Minor Hotels. For go further than its 540 establishments in the world, Minor Hotels has launched a new an aggressive expansion plan over the next three years, adding between 200 and 250 new hotels. This accelerated expansion will involve a shift in strategy away from investment and towards management contracts and franchising, as well as the announced launch of new brands, probably in the course of this year.
While Minor now presides over NH Hotels, other Spanish groups continue to make their mark on the global hotel industry, including Melia and BarceloThis is particularly true of their many resorts on the Mediterranean and Caribbean coasts. This leisure expertise is also present in the major urban centres of Spain and elsewhere, for example with the Orient Jakarta, now a Royal Hideaway hotel for Barcelo. For its part, Melia International has opened a number of flagship hotels in 2023, such as its first hotel in Bangkok, the INNSiDE Bangkok Sukhumvit, and the Palazzo Cordusio Gran Meliá in Milan, which has transformed the former Generali insurance headquarters into a luxury hotel. All this is in addition to the recent opening, in early 2024, of thea new MICE flagship in Barcelonathe Torre Melina Gran Meliá, adjacent to the convention centre.
While strengthening its leisure backbone, whether by the beach or in European cities ideal for city breaks or business trips, Melia places particular emphasis on strengthening its luxury and lifestyle footprint. Among the twenty or so hotels scheduled to open in 2024, several will feature the contemporary ME by Meliá brand, whether in Lisbon, Malta and Malaga in Europe, or Sayulita and Guadalajara in Mexico. At the same time, Melia will be adding a second link to its Zel brand, launched in partnership with Rafael Nadal, in Tossa del Mar, near Girona, following its launch in Mallorca.
The original island of both the Spanish group and the tennis player will see the appearance this year of a luxurious Four Seasonsthe result of the transformation of the Formentor hotel. This opening will help strengthen the Canadian group's leading position among the pure players in the luxury hotel sector, with almost 130 hotels today, compared with around forty for Mandarin Oriental and Rosewood and barely ten for Peninsula. Also on the agenda for 2024 is a fourth address in Morocco, at the historic Kasr al Bahr Palace in RabatIt will also open in Japan this summer in Osaka, ahead of World Expo 2025. At the same time, new Four Seasons have already been added or will soon be added in China, in Dalian, Hangzhou and Suzhou.
While the luxury hotel sector is buoyed by the growing number of millionaires around the world, on the other side of the spectrum.., The budget hotel sector also boasts a number of dynamic players which have succeeded in establishing their brands alongside the multi-brand global leaders. Premier Inn in particular, the number one channel in the UKwith almost 850 hotels, or its local competitor Travelodge, with almost 600 establishments.
Undoubtedly, its original market is a narrow one, Premier Inn has set out to conquer a new market, Germany. From 6 hotels in 2020, the brand is approaching the 60 mark today. An attractive market where the British group is battling with the local station Motel OneAccor and another French group, B&B Hotels.
Present in Germany for over a quarter of a century, the hotelier has built up a solid portfolio of more than 150 establishments. This is its second-largest network outside France, ahead of Italy and Spain. At the same time, it is continuing to open new hotels in France, B&B Hotels continues to expand internationally with a presence in 17 countries today. The group's latest challenge, backed by its majority shareholder Goldman Sachs, is to go challenge the budget hotel chains on their home turfthe United States.
