Leonardo Hotels has just doubled its presence in France in one go. With just one opening! Already present in Paris since the 2024 acquisition of the Prelude Opera hotel, which became the Leonardo Boutique Hotel Paris Opera, the hotel group has just set up shop on the shores of Lake Geneva with the takeover on 1er August at the former Hilton Evian-les-Bains. A resort establishment with its outdoor swimming pool, spa, and terrace with views of the surrounding mountains, but also, and above all, a major MICE hotel. With its 170 rooms, Executive lounge, and a 600 m² MICE space comprising seven rooms to date – the largest capable of hosting 312 participants in theatre style and 500 people for cocktails – the high-end establishment has everything needed for welcoming seminars or incentive stays in the great outdoors.
The hotel will initially operate under the name Hôtel Evian-les-Bains by Leonardo Hotels and will undergo significant renovation works whilst remaining open to guests. This modernisation programme, once completed, will then see its integration into the group's lifestyle brand under the name NYX Hotel Evian-les-Bains by Leonardo Hotels.
" The acquisition of the hotel in Evian-les-Bains illustrates the solid continuation of our growth strategy in Francesaid Yoram Biton, Managing Director of Leonardo Hotels Central Europe. This destination combines international appeal with sustained demand throughout the year, in both the leisure and business sectors, and fits perfectly into our European expansion strategy. "
An expansion through acquisitions
A subsidiary of the Fattal Hotel Group, the largest Israeli hotel owner and operator, Leonardo Hotels has indeed embarked on a conquest of Europe since the middle of the last decade. Often by digging deep into its pockets, as evidenced by the recent acquisition of the Hilton in Evian, but also of larger portfolios, such as that of Queens Moat Houses in 2013, with its twenty or so hotels in Germany.
Then it was the turn of the Irish chain Jurys in 2017 – meaning more than thirty hotels gradually rebranding under Leonardo – or the Midland Hotel in Manchester and the 13 establishments of the Apollo Hotels group in the Netherlands in 2018, the year Fattal Holdings went public. A strategy continued particularly at the end of last year with the acquisition of four Intercity hotels in Germany, in Nuremberg, Freiburg, Magdeburg and Erfurt, which were rebranded as Leonardo Hotels after renovation.
Today, while the hotel group has just over forty establishments in Israel, its footprint has largely expanded across the European continent to comprise a total of 329 hotels located in 22 countries and over 140 cities. Leonardo Hotels is notably present in most German metropolises with over 70 establishments across Germany, but also in the United Kingdom with 52 hotels, in the Netherlands with 26 establishments, or in Spain with 18 hotels, including 5 in Barcelona and 3 in Madrid.
From lifestyle to mid-range
In parallel, the group is structuring its portfolio in the style of global leaders. This means having a lifestyle brand, NYX, which the Evian hotel is set to adopt, as well as a collection of iconic hotels grouped under the Leonardo Limited Edition brand, such as the Rex and Midland in Manchester, the Hotel Alden in Zurich, the PostHouse in Berlin, or the Badischer Hof in Baden-Baden, one of Germany's very first luxury hotels, which is gradually reopening after renovation. Alongside this, the group also has a collection of urban boutique hotels, named Fattal Colors, and aparthotels under the master brand. It is also segmenting its flagship brand, Leonardo, with Boutique and Royal variations, which are more upmarket.
from the brand Leonardo Limited Edition.
Since the end of June, a new concept has appeared in the group's offering, the Leonardo Smart brand, launched just a few minutes from Vienna-Schwechat Airport terminal. With a hotel that stands out as the largest in the world entirely built of wood, while also being the fourth largest establishment in Austria with its 510 rooms. Contemporary design, autonomous check-in and 24-hour mini-market, a lively lobby, rooms with desks, flat-screen TVs and fast Wi-Fi: the hotel offers a modern and functional address within the AirportCity business district.
" The opening of the Leonardo Smart Vienna Airport represents far more than just an addition to our portfolio. It marks a new chapter in the history of Leonardo Hotels. », stated Yoram Biton. The CEO of Leonardo Hotels Central Europe explained in parallel that this new brand focuses on the needs of travellers “ who prioritise comfort, functionality and ease of stay ".
On the way to Lisbon and New York
With this three-star brand, Leonardo Hotels is adding a growth segment to continue its already significant expansion momentum. " The aims of our strategy are to selectively enhance existing structures and achieve solid expansion of our presence in new destinations and segments. , a résumé Yoram Biton.
In this context, the group will soon enter the Portuguese market with the acquisition of the Corpus Christi hotel in Lisbon. Set to become the first representative of the Leonardo Limited Edition brand on the Iberian Peninsula, this 132-room hotel, located in the Baixa district, is currently undergoing renovation in compliance with the listed status of the building it occupies – a former 18th-century monastery.e century – and is set to reopen its doors in October. Also on the Iberian Peninsula, a new MICE hotel is in the pipeline, the Leonardo Royal Madrid Valdebebas, which will offer 215 rooms in addition to modular conference and event spaces.
In parallel, Leonardo Hotels has made Italy and Poland two of its key markets. Following the opening of new hotels such as the NYX Rome and two boutique hotels in the centre of the Italian capital, or the exclusive Leonardo Lago di Garda, adapted for conferences, or, concerning Poland, the contemporary NYX Hotel Warsaw and the Leonardo Royal Warsaw, a recently renovated 362-room MICE hotel, the group's idea is " to rely on well-established structures » to develop its presence in new destinations.
But the Fattal group has bigger plans for its Leonardo brand, all the way to New York, where the acquisition of the Blakely Hotel was finalised at the start of July 2026. Located in Midtown on 55e West 57th Street, between Sixth and Seventh Avenue, this 117-room establishment closed for renovations and is expected to reopen in mid-2027 under one of the group's existing brands. A new horizon according to David Fattal, founder of the Fattal Group, who stated: « Entry into the American market represents a pivotal moment for Fattal Hotel Group, as well as a major strategic step in our continued international growth. "
