Business travel

After a difficult 2016 in the wake of the Nice and Paris attacks, the French hotel industry returned to growth in 2017. And this growth is set to continue throughout the current year.

The ADP Group and AccorHotels are bolstering the hotel offer at Paris-Orly airport with a new ibis Styles and Mercure hotel complex, due to open in 2019.

The Odalys Group, which specialises in tourist accommodation, is expanding its range of Odalys City urban residences with the opening of a new establishment in Paris, on the Butte Montmartre. This is the first of many new openings in France and abroad.

The long-stay brand, jointly owned by AccorHotels and Pierre & Vacances, is transforming its lobbies into living spaces to encourage travellers to get together. Called Le Cercle, these spaces are organised around a shared kitchen and a library of objects.

MagicStay is extending its distribution network through a partnership with the French subsidiary of the American business travel agency Travel & Transport.

Vueling will be launching a new flight between Paris-CDG and Rome next month. Already present on the Orly-Fiumicino route, the airline will be the only low-cost carrier to offer both flight options to business travellers between the two capitals.

Air Austral's purchase of 49 % of Air Madagascar's shares has led to a new roadmap for the two companies. The Madagascan airline still needs to be upgraded, but the aim is to conquer the Indian Ocean market.

The hotel group founded by Richard Branson has announced its arrival in Edinburgh in 2020, in a historic building in the heart of the old city.

Mama Shelter is continuing its international expansion. The trendy brand launched by the Trigano family, in which AccorHotels holds a 35% stake, will open a hotel in London's up-and-coming Shoreditch district.

The five-star hotel in Marseilles has recently extended its event facilities, revamped its cocktail menu and added a range of complementary activities for business groups.

La Compagnie will soon be moving from Paris CDG to Orly to offer its 'all business' flights to New York. Jean-Charles Périno, La Compagnie's Sales and Marketing Director, explains this decision and looks back over the carrier's various projects. Interview by Florian Guillemin.

The success of the Première business on the Atlantic lines has prompted SNCF to extend its offer. This range of services will therefore be available on all pro lines in France by the end of 2018.

This summer EasyJet will be launching three new routes between Berlin and the airports of Biarritz, Montpellier and Nice, aimed at business customers.

The airline will be transferring its Paris-New York operations to Orly airport, to be closer to its business customers.

Lufthansa has just launched automatic check-in for its passengers travelling within the Schengen area.

Known for its "econo-chic" hotel concept, B&B Hôtels presented a new generation of urban establishments at the opening of the B&B Hôtel Nanterre Rueil-Malmaison.

American Airlines recently inaugurated a new "Flagship Lounge" business lounge in Los Angeles, which also marks the launch of the "Flagship First Dining" concept.

The Hyatt Centric brand is taking its first steps in Asia Pacific with its first hotel in Tokyo, in the Ginza district.

On 25 January, Air France inaugurated the first part of its new Business lounge in Hall L of Terminal 2E at Paris-Charles de Gaulle airport.

Paul Verhagen, Vice-President in charge of the international market at Aeroméxico, was in London to celebrate the 5th anniversary of the Mexico-London flight, then at the FITUR trade fair in Madrid. He ends his European tour in Paris, where Aeroméxico will soon be launching three new weekly flights.