{"id":186313,"date":"2024-11-28T12:32:25","date_gmt":"2024-11-28T11:32:25","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.voyages-d-affaires.com\/?p=186313"},"modified":"2024-11-28T12:32:25","modified_gmt":"2024-11-28T11:32:25","slug":"interview-courtivron-covivio","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.voyages-d-affaires.com\/en\/interview-courtivron-covivio","title":{"rendered":"S. de Courtivron (Covivio): \"We talk to all the groups\"."},"content":{"rendered":"
One of Europe's leading hotel investment companies, Covivio currently owns 311 hotels with assets worth \u20ac6.4 billion. Located mainly in France, the UK and Germany, as well as in Southern Europe and the Benelux countries, these hotels are operated by major hotel groups through leases - in 62% of cases - or management or franchise contracts for the properties. S\u00e9bastien de Courtivron, Covivio's Deputy Managing Director of Hotels, takes an enlightened look at the evolution of hotel groups and their brands.<\/em><\/strong><\/h6>\n\n\n\n

Do you have a special relationship with one hotel group rather than another?<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

S\u00e9bastien de Courtivron -<\/strong> Covivio works with all groups and all their brands. We work together and talk to everyone<\/strong>These include Accor, B&B, Louvre Hotels, Radisson, IHG and Hilton, Minor<\/a> with NH and Anantara<\/a>. Our portfolio is therefore fairly balanced, with one third budget hotels, one third mid-range establishments and the final third at the top end of the market. This gives us a fairly broad knowledge of the different hotel segments.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

As an investor, how do you see hotel groups diversifying their brands?<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

S. de C. - <\/strong>The advantage of this diversity of brands is that we can always find one that matches the hotel, its environment, the customers it is looking for, and its services, whether or not it has a restaurant, a spa, etc. This gives us greater flexibility and allows us to offer our customers a wide range of services. This gives us greater flexibility and enables us to offer a diversified and renewed range of products <\/strong>to our customers. For example, we will ensure that we offer different hotel ranges and brands in the cities where we operate.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Are there certain hotel brands that interest you more than others?<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

S. de C. - <\/strong>No brand is good or bad. There are opportunities in every hotel group. Today, because we have greater exposure to operations through direct management of the business, we have a global vision and are interested in the overall development of sales, not just accommodation. As a result, we are interested in by brands that fit in with our strategy <\/strong>with a genuine culture of service, of customer experience, which thinks of the experience as a whole and not just limited to the room. For example, Hilton has positioned itself in a new niche with Motto, and Marriott is doing very well in the lifestyle sector with Moxy. We are keeping a close eye on all these brands.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Anantara Plaza Nice (c) Daniela Cesarei<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n
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Marriott Westin Grand Berlin<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Groups such as Hilton, Marriott and Hyatt still have a relatively small presence in France compared with the number of hotels they operate worldwide. How do you explain this?<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

S. de C. -<\/strong> They had to adapt to the French market. It's a bit like McDonald's, which arrived in France with its strict American standards before finally launching French versions of its burgers. Hilton and Marriott came with their own specifications to be applied to 100%. But, for example, fire safety standards are not the same in France as in the United States. So a blocking factor for some buildings<\/strong>particularly in Paris. This is one of the reasons why these groups have fallen behind, as they could almost only focus on new construction. Today, their standards have become more flexible and more local. And I'm speaking from experience, as we've just opened the Hilton group's first site in Lille this summer!<\/p>\n\n\n\n