Europe

From Coventry to Manchester, from London to Liverpool, Accor is strengthening its position in the UK business travel market. The group's hotel investor has announced that it has acquired a portfolio of 13 hotels from Tritax, for an investment of €89 million. Twelve Ibis hotels and one Ibis Budget are involved in the deal, which represents...

Distinguishable by its atypical asymmetrical façade, the prestigious Moscow hotel is preparing to write a new page in its rich history. A page already inscribed with the Four Seasons coat of arms, which intends to restore all its lustre to the emblematic establishment on Manezhnaya Square. Since it was built in 1930, the Hotel Moskva has...

With 3.4 million passengers carried in the first half of the year, Thalys recorded a healthy increase in traffic (+3.4%), which helped to boost the railway company's sales (2.1%). However, the Paris-Brussels route suffered from the economic climate (-1.3%), but this decline was offset by growth on routes between Paris...

European airports are moving to unlimited connectivity. Following in the footsteps of Aéroports de Paris, which recently announced free unlimited access to the WiFi network, its Munich counterpart is adopting the same approach. The Bavarian airport, which until now has offered free access limited to thirty minutes, is switching this summer to unlimited access in partnership with...

Are Paris parking meters on the way to becoming an endangered species? Nothing is certain. Nevertheless, Paris City Council is giving its parking meter system a facelift, and business travellers will soon be able to use it on their smartphones. The free application, called PMobile, is available on Androïd...

Passenger numbers at Frankfurt airport rose by 2.4% compared with the first half of 2013, enabling the German hub to set a new record for the first six months of 2014. Last month was no stranger to good results - far from it - as it was the best month in...

Air France is reaping the rewards of the efforts it has made to move upmarket, particularly for high-spending travellers. On Tuesday, in London, the airline was awarded the prize for the best first-class lounge in the world, presented with great pomp by Skytrax at the World Airline Awards...

Business travellers to and from Brussels Midi station will soon be welcomed in a newly refurbished lounge. They will have to be patient, however, as the lounge will be temporarily closed from 2 August until the beginning of October. Cross-Channel passengers will be able to...

The opening of a new Regus business centre in Levallois-Perret (92) will bring to 38 the number of addresses listed by the flexible workspace specialist in the Ile-de-France region alone. "This new opening in Levallois-Perret expands our network in the Paris region, particularly in the Hauts-de-Seine department, where we already have several centres in Neuilly-sur-Seine,...

The Mœvenpick Paris Neuilly has completed its transformation. The work, which took nine months to complete, saw the former Courtyard by Marriott upgraded to the Swiss group's four-star 'plus' standards. While the number of rooms on offer has increased from 241 to 281, the number of meeting rooms - 20 - has also been...

Air Canada inaugurated its brand new Maple Leaf Lounge in London on 25 June. Business travellers can access it every day from 6am to 10pm, and enjoy 700 m² dedicated to design and comfort. On the programme: shower cubicles, a rest area with three recliners, and...

Guarded by two lions reflecting the Asian roots of the restaurant, it is an endless terrace, covered by a light metal structure, that lines the Avenue Kléber and welcomes guests to Peninsula Paris. It is undoubtedly one of the most beautiful terraces in the capital to enjoy a drink on a fine day. For its first visit to...

Finnair will be operating two flights a week between Biarritz and Helsinki until 9 August. This will make it easier for business travellers from the Basque Coast to reach the capital's airport, as well as all thirteen Asian destinations served from the Finnish hub. The Biarritz / Helsinki flight times have also been programmed...

While the rail strike seems to be coming to an end, another disruptive element was expected this week, launched by the air traffic controllers. In the end, the lifting of the strike notice by one of the two unions concerned limited the impact of the strike: 20% of flights are expected to be cancelled, mainly to destinations around the Mediterranean,...

TGV Lyria services to Bellegarde and Geneva will be extended by 1h30 and timetables modified from 15 July to 30 September due to work on the French and Swiss rail networks. Good news for business travellers, however, as the work is designed to improve TGV punctuality on these two routes. ...

The Four Points by Sheraton Ljubljana Mons officially opened its doors on 19 June, just ten minutes from the old town and twenty minutes from the airport. The representative of the Starwood group has thus added 114 rooms to the hotel portfolio of the Slovenian capital, where international brands are the exception. In...

Elegance, comfort and ergonomics: this is the trilogy promoted by the new cabins currently being deployed in the 95 medium-haul Airbus aircraft in the British Airways fleet. At the rear of the aircraft, the airline intends to resolve the dilemma between economy and comfort. Designed by B/E Aerospace, the new Euro Traveller economy class seats...

A new mobile application is making its appearance in the world of business travel in France. The new tool is the brainchild of BCD Travel: the Netherlands-based Travel Management Company (TMC) has just made official the French version of TripSource, available from now on from the App Store, and soon on Android and mobile Internet. The mobile application - and...

How is the MICE market evolving in France, particularly compared with its European neighbours? Mark Watkins - No crystal ball can tell us today how the market will evolve, but a minimum of constant demand will continue: companies need to get together. We have no visibility on the level...

The new Common Check-in area will be inaugurated in mid-June by Aigle Azur and Aéroports de Paris in Orly airport's South Terminal. It will face the main entrance to the Departures Terminal, close to the airline's sales counter. [gallery exclude="36631"]