🇫🇷 FRANCE
🇫🇷 ⚖️ Wine Fraud | €1.8 Million in Assets Seized in Fake Châteauneuf-du-Pape Case
A wine producer and merchant in Occitanie is suspected of concealing 679 hectolitres of wine from the 2020-2022 harvests, subsequently marketed through an intermediary under the prestigious Châteauneuf-du-Pape appellation. According to French police, the scheme allegedly generated revenue 14 times the wine’s original value. Investigators have seized more than €1.8 million in assets, including a €1.6 million chalet in Megève. The case is expected to be heard before the Béziers judicial court.
✨ Appointment | Quentin Ducroz takes the helm at Chalet Hôtel Le Prieuré & Spa
Quentin Ducroz took up his position as General Manager of Chalet Hôtel Le Prieuré & Spa in Chamonix on 1 October 2026. Part of the Best Mont-Blanc group, he joins the property after 16 months at Rivage Hôtel & Spa in Annecy, where he successively served as Food & Beverage Director and Deputy General Manager.
🏨 Development | Adonis launches Symon(e), a new four-star hotel concept
Pascal Bataillé, founder of the Adonis group, is preparing to launch Symon(e), a new lifestyle hotel brand inspired in part by Mama Shelter. Four openings are announced for 2027 in Poitiers, Roissy, Deauville and Nice Airport, with properties ranging from 130 to 177 rooms. The stated objective is to reach 25 hotels within four years.
⚖️ Management | Senior management departures at L’Isle de Léos
According to reports in celebrity publications, including Voici, Emmanuel Borla, General Manager of L’Isle de Léos in L’Isle-sur-la-Sorgue, has tendered his resignation, while the property’s Human Resources Director has also departed. The departures come amid reported workplace tensions, with the magazine referring to a complaint alleging workplace psychological harassment against the former General Manager. These allegations must be distinguished from facts established through judicial proceedings.
🏗️ Development | Nexity and Icade develop a B&B Hotels property in Bron
Nexity and Icade are jointly developing a 96-room hotel within the ZAC de la Clairière development area in Bron, near Lyon. Acquired off-plan under a VEFA agreement by Whiterock, the future property will operate under the B&B Hotels brand. Covering approximately 2,500 sq m, it will provide 70 parking spaces. Construction began in late September and is expected to take approximately 22 months.
🏨 Delayed opening | Hampton by Hilton Bordeaux-Mériadeck now expected in 2028
Completed in late 2023 but never opened, Hampton by Hilton Bordeaux-Mériadeck could finally welcome its first guests in early 2028. The 120-room property, affected by its owner’s financial difficulties, is expected to be sold before opening. It would retain its Hilton branding, with a delay of almost four years compared with the original schedule.
💼 Acquisition | Mickael Abitbol acquires Hôtel Aboukir in Paris
Mickael Abitbol, through his family holding company, has acquired both the freehold property and the operating business of Hôtel Aboukir, located at 134 rue d’Aboukir in Paris’s 2nd arrondissement. According to Business Immo, the transaction is valued at €5.9 million. The investor plans to reposition the asset as a four-star hotel.
🌍 INTERNATIONAL
🇬🇧 ✨ Appointment | Sharon Thandi named General Manager of TRIBE London Canary Wharf
Sharon Thandi has been appointed General Manager of TRIBE London Canary Wharf. With 20 years of experience in the UK hospitality industry, she has previously held positions at Pullman London St Pancras and several Novotel properties. She brings extensive expertise in hotel operations, commercial performance and team leadership.
🇺🇸 ✨ Appointment | Kristine Cox appointed to lead Islamorada Resort Collection
Davidson Hospitality Group has appointed Kristine Cox as Managing Director of Islamorada Resort Collection in the Florida Keys. Her remit includes Amara Cay Resort, La Siesta Resort & Villas and Three Waters Resort & Marina. She will oversee financial performance, operational excellence and the long-term development of these properties.
🇪🇺 📈 Performance | European hotel RevPAR rises 7.5% in September
In September 2026, European hotels recorded occupancy of 79.2%, up 1.4 percentage points, while average daily rate (ADR) increased by 5.6% to €151.60. Revenue per available room (RevPAR) reached €120, representing a 7.5% year-on-year increase. Spain (+11%), Germany (+8.7%) and Belgium (+6.7%) recorded the strongest growth, supported in particular by major international events.
🌍 🧬 Trend | The longevity market attracts hospitality operators and investors
The development of longevity clinics and medically supervised wellness services is opening up new opportunities for hotel operators. According to Business Research Company, the market could grow from €4.79 billion in 2025 to €8.55 billion in 2030, representing estimated annual growth of 12.2%. This trend is progressively bringing upscale hospitality, real estate and private healthcare services closer together.
🇨🇭 💧 Restaurants | Debate in Switzerland over free tap water
In the Swiss canton of Vaud, a Green Party politician is seeking to make jugs of tap water free of charge in restaurants, citing the right to water. Unlike the practice in France, tap water served at the table may be charged for across much of Switzerland, with Ticino among the notable exceptions. The proposal has divided restaurant professionals.
🇸🇳 🏨 Opening | Mangalis prepares Yaas Hotel Dakar République
Mangalis Hotel Group has announced the forthcoming opening of Yaas Hotel Dakar République, located in the heart of the Plateau district, close to institutions and embassies. The property will offer 74 rooms, three meeting rooms and a rooftop venue named Altitude. The new address strengthens the group’s Senegalese portfolio, where it is already present through the Noom and Yaas brands.
LTH Analysis
The increase in European RevPAR confirms the decisive role of average room rates in driving hotel revenue growth, although performance continues to vary between destinations and according to the events they host.
In France, the announced transactions illustrate three distinct investment approaches: developing a new brand with Symon(e), creating a new-build hotel asset in Bron, and acquiring an existing Paris property for repositioning.
Conversely, the Hampton by Hilton Bordeaux-Mériadeck case demonstrates that completing a hotel building does not guarantee its commercial opening. The owner’s financial strength and the structure of hotel operations remain critical factors.
Finally, growth in the longevity market offers diversification opportunities for upscale hospitality, while raising questions about the boundaries between wellness services, accommodation and medical activities.
