Business travel

On 30 May, Accor unveiled its new "Away on business by Accor" technology service: an iPad application dedicated to business travellers, making it easier to book hotels and manage business trips. The aim is to make business travel "user-friendly".

Hilton has just opened its first hotel in Krasnodar, in the south of Russia, becoming the first international hotel group to have a presence in the city.

The Grand Kempinski Hotel Shanghai succeeded the Gran Meliá Hotel on 15 May. The hotel group is approaching the number of hotels in China, and now has two establishments in the Chinese megalopolis.

Air France and Cyprus Airways have recently expanded their partnership to offer business travellers more options between Paris, Cyprus and Greece.

This summer, Ukraine International Airlines (UIA) will inaugurate a new flight between Paris and Samara (Russia), via Kiev.

L'Intercontinental Marseille Hôtel Dieu was inaugurated with great fanfare on 25 April. Didier Boidin, Vice President Operations Western Europe, Russia and Ukraine for the IHG Group, takes a look back at this special opening and the Group's strategy in France and Europe.

Jet Airways is adding a new destination to its French catalogue: the code-share agreement signed with Etihad Airways will enable the Indian carrier to offer Cochin from Thursday 16 May.

Like other European hoteliers, Melia is developing its partnerships with China to extend its corporate activities. The inauguration of the new Qube Frankfurt, on the site of a former Tryp hotel, has enabled the Chinese group to make its debut on the Old Continent, with an offer tailored to Asian customers.

Polish carrier LOT Polish Airlines will once again be operating flights to Yerevan, Cairo and Beirut from the French airports of Paris and Nice, via a stopover in Warsaw, while expanding its programme to Vilnius.

On the occasion of the inauguration of the new Relais Spa at Roissy, Laurent Noiriel, Deputy Managing Director of Réside Etudes, looks back at the Group's positioning and its projects in France.

The new Eurostar service extending the cross-Channel network to Lyon, Avignon and Aix-en-Provence TGV entered its test phase on 4 May. It could be officially launched in 2015.

Mandarin Oriental has just signed a contract to manage a luxury hotel in Istanbul. Expected to open in 2016, it will add to the upmarket offering in one of today's most attractive cities.

Pegasus is strengthening its offer with the launch of a route to Doha, the capital of Qatar.

Montenegro Airlines celebrated the tenth anniversary of its presence in France on 24 April at the Shangri-La in Paris. The occasion provided an opportunity to take stock of the airline's dynamic growth, which should soon result in a code-share agreement with Air France.

Raymond Blanc, who has two Michelin stars, has been in charge of the Eurostar kitchen since 2012. It's an obvious choice for the most English of French chefs, who launched his new spring-summer menu in Business Premier on 25 April, as well as a new breakfast menu. Passionate about his mission and in love with this link between France and England, he is committed to passing on the values that have made the reputation of his restaurant: simplicity, seasonality, proximity and conviviality. For Voyages d'Affaires, he talks about his unusual career path, his vision of gastronomy, his encounter with Eurostar and his commitment to sustainable development. 

The partnership between Air France and Etihad is set to expand from next summer: the two airlines will be rolling out their codeshare on new routes in Europe, as well as in Africa, Asia and Australia.

EasyJet is currently trialling its new mobile boarding pass, which business travellers can download directly onto their smartphone via the easyJet application. The trial is being rolled out at six European airports, including Nice in France.

On 25 April, the IHG Group celebrated theinauguration of the Intercontinental Marseille - Hôtel DieuThe event was attended by a host of political and business leaders, as well as a host of international journalists. It's a major event for the hotel giant, but also and above all for the city, which is aiming to take a step forward as a leading tourist and business destination. All this in an extraordinary setting, and with the right timing: 2013 sees the city of Marseille become the European Capital of Culture.

The Hilton group will soon be making its entry into the Lisbon market, opening its first DoubleTree hotel in the Portual in summer 2013: the DoubleTree by Hilton Lisbon - Fontana Park.

Ducasse, Robuchon, Gagnaire, Alleno, Vongerichten... The world's top chefs are associating their names with the best in the global hotel industry. A trail to the stars where these luxury consultants cultivate a taste for excellence through contemporary concepts.

By Arnaud Deltenre