What are your ambitions for the Mövenpick Group, which you have taken over as CEO?
In today's changing hotel world, you have two options: to be consolidated or to be the consolidator. To maintain our position as a major player, we need to strengthen our international presence. In this context, without ruling out the possibility of launching into the lifestyle segment at competitive prices, our priority is organic growth, with the addition of around forty hotels over the next four years. At the same time, we have to remain selective: these future hotels must correspond to what we know how to do, to what we are. In other words, not palaces, not three-star hotels, but top-of-the-range hotels that deliver a consistently high standard of service, like clockwork, throughout the world... That's our Swiss side, and it's very reassuring.
Top-of-the-range hotels all over the world delivering a consistently high standard of service, like clockwork...
What developments can we expect?
We intend to expand beyond our key markets - Switzerland, Germany, Turkey, North Africa and the Arabian Peninsula. For example, in Thailand, from five hotels today, we will increase to nine by the end of 2017. Singapore, Hong Kong, the Philippines and Vietnam are also among our priorities in Asia. In Africa, where we have just opened a hotel in Marrakech, attached to the Palais des Congrès, we are also looking at possible openings in Senegal and Côte d'Ivoire.
What about Europe?
We are targeting all first-class cities: London, Munich, Barcelona, Lisbon, Prague, Warsaw, and of course Paris. We only have one hotel in France, in Neuilly, which is not enough to enjoy a good reputation among French business travellers. It's a shame, because in the markets where we have a strong presence, French customers are often in the top 5.
