Are Thai hoteliers declaring war on the OTAs? The Thai Hotels Association is calling for tougher taxation of booking platforms and an end to rate parity clauses. Meanwhile, French tourist accommodation is in robust health.
Today’s hospitality news, 6 October 2026: openings, deals, appointments and debates on distribution – here is what mattered in the sector today.
🇫🇷 France
🏔️ Opening | Alpine Resorts is opening two 5-star properties in Courchevel Moriond for the 2026/2027 season: Steamboat, 200 metres from the slopes, and Sundance, a hamlet of chalets featuring the Italian restaurant La Bokka. They bring the collection, founded in 1997, to 16 hotels and resorts across the French and Swiss Alps. #Courchevel #Opening #Mountains
💼 Investment | Christie & Co France is marketing a portfolio of seven turnkey hotel suites in central Paris to private investors, priced at around €5.5m including transfer costs. The portfolio offers a net yield of around 7.5% and an occupancy rate of around 82%, and can be acquired in separate lots. #Paris #Transaction #ChristieAndCo
🏕️ Demand | French outdoor hospitality recorded 147.5 million overnight stays in 2025 (+4.5%) and revenue of €4.7bn, according to the FNHPA. International guests are growing fastest (+5.4%), led by Dutch and German visitors. #Camping #FNHPA #Tourism
🍽️ Food service | According to Gira Conseil, 11.97 billion meals were served out of home in France in 2025 (+1.6%), with revenue up 4.3%. Yet business failures are mounting: demand is growing, but supply is growing even faster. #FoodService #Market #GiraConseil
💳 Service | In Paris, many restaurateurs are dropping the suggested tip on payment terminals, which customers find intrusive, Le Parisien reports. Several say tips have returned to the levels of a few years ago since they reverted to the traditional system. #Tipping #Restaurants #Paris
✨ Appointment | Lucas Gilliard took over as Managing Director of KFC France on 1 October, heading a network of more than 400 restaurants, most of them franchised. He succeeds Isabelle Herman, who has been appointed Chief Brand & Strategy Officer of KFC Europe. #KFC #Appointment #Franchise
✨ Appointment | Formerly with Sogeres and Compass Group France, Zoulikha Laoubi takes the helm of Léon, Groupe Bertrand’s seafood brasserie brand. #GroupeBertrand #Léon #Appointment
🌍 International
🏨 Opening | Dara Hotels Group and TUI Hotels & Resorts opened the TUI SUNEO Olympia Phnom Penh on 30 September, the brand’s first hotel in Cambodia. The former Olympia City Hotel by Dara, with 168 rooms, becomes the fourth TUI SUNEO in Asia-Pacific, operating under a management contract. #Cambodia #TUI #Opening
🏗️ Project | Philippe Starck has designed ASerra, a project of 25 suites and 22 villas with hotel services in the Serra de Grândola, near Melides, in Portugal’s Alentejo. Developed by Larfa Properties, it is due to open in the second quarter of 2028. The villas are already being sold off-plan from around €5.2m ($6m). #Portugal #Alentejo #PhilippeStarck
🏛️ Regulation | The Thai Hotels Association (THA) has submitted eight reforms to the government, including local taxation of OTAs such as Booking.com, the abolition of rate parity clauses and a national booking portal. It is also calling for tighter rules on visa exemptions and subsidised loans for small hotels. #Thailand #OTA #Distribution
📊 Strategy | Ten years after the $13.3bn acquisition of Starwood, Marriott International CEO Tony Capuano points out that the legacy brands have grown by almost 70% in five years and that Bonvoy has passed 300 million members. Another mega-deal? He rules nothing out, but sees no willing seller at present. #Marriott #Starwood #MarriottBonvoy
✨ Appointment | The Chedi Katara Hotel & Resort in Doha has appointed Joelle Dagher as PR, Communication and Marketing Manager, to strengthen the property’s profile with its audiences. #Qatar #TheChedi #Appointment
✨ Appointment | Nordic Leisure Travel Group, which is being acquired by Norwegian, has created the post of Chief Operating Officer and given it to Stefan Lincoln, who has been with the group since 1993. His remit includes the 24-property hotel division, with several projects planned from 2027. #Scandinavia #NordicLeisure #Appointment
🏗️ Construction | In Tunis, work on the Hôtel du Lac has been at a standstill since the summer and the site’s future use remains unknown. A like-for-like rebuild, a new building, a shopping centre or a hotel revival: theories abound in the absence of any official announcement. #Tunisia #HotelDuLac #Heritage
