If you had to pick one opening in France for the Hilton Group in 2023, what would it be?
Emmanuel More - Several of them will be significant. For example, we will be opening a Canopy by Hilton in Cannes next summer, right next to the Palais des Festivals. A new design inspired by this glamorous destination, almost 150 rooms and suites, most with balconies, meeting rooms with sea views, but above all a rooftop bar-restaurant overlooking the whole bay and, in the distance, the Iles de Lérins: it's going to be magnificent.
What role does France play in the Hilton Group's development strategy?
Emmanuel More - The aim of the group, which will have more than one million rooms and 7,000 hotels by the end of 2020, is to establish a presence throughout the world. Hilton plans to open 2,812 hotels in the near future, half of which are already under construction. And in Europe, France is one of the leading countries in terms of existing projects. In fact, it is one of the markets with the highest number of upcoming openings.
What other hotels are expected in France in 2023?
Emmanuel More - This summer, we will be opening a Canopy by Hilton in Cannes, as well as a Curio Collection in Dijon, ideally located next to the Cité Internationale de la Gastronomie et du Vin. In the first quarter, a Hilton Garden Inn will open in Parisin the La Villette district, next to the Cité des Sciences. In preparation for spring 2023, we also have a Tapestry Collection in Bordeaux, in the heart of the Mériadeck district: the Marty Hotel, with 61 rooms. Meanwhile, the Hilton Paris La Défense will complete its transformation by the end of 2023. After redoing all the rooms in 2022, the lobby and restaurant are currently being renovated. One more year of work, in parallel with the future RER E and CNIT Forest, and then the hotel will have a new look. We also have other projects planned for 2023, which we look forward to announcing soon.
Over the last few years, the Hilton group has become increasingly present in France. Where do you stand today?
Emmanuel More - With six openings in the last twelve months, we now have a portfolio of over 20 hotels in France. Our ambition is now to double our presence in France by 2025. And that's despite the fact that not so long ago we only had seven hotels, mainly in Paris. Today, our regional presence is stronger, with recent openings in Bordeaux, Le Havre and Tours, soon to be followed by Cannes and Dijon, as well as Marseille and Nice... In this context, our Hilton Garden Inn brand is useful, as it has enabled us to establish ourselves in secondary towns such as Tours and Le Havre. These projects are helping to establish Hilton's reputation in France, and to make our group better known outside Paris among domestic customers, whose importance in the recovery from the pandemic is well established.
Does having a diverse range of brands also help you to expand your footprint in France?
Emmanuel More - Canopy, Tapestry, Curio, Hilton Garden Inn, Hampton: all these brands mean that we can open more and more hotels. For the last three or four years, we've had a Hampton in Clichy, on the outskirts of Paris. This brand shows that Hilton offers friendly, reliable hotels as well as top-of-the-range hotels. But we also launched DoubleTree in France at the beginning of 2022, in Lyon. Growing fast worldwide, this brand allows us to extend the field of possibilities. If, for example, we already have a Hilton in a town or district, we can propose a Double Tree to our partners and investors. France is a mature market, where there are already many establishments. Thanks to our different brands, we are able to adapt perfectly to the location and expectations of travellers - both international and domestic. And all this is in addition to another of our great strengths, the award-winning Hilton Honors loyalty program, which has 146 million members worldwide.
