Following its development in Germany, Louvre Hotels Group opened 39 new hotels in France and abroad since January (representing an additional 5,200 rooms). The number of new hotels has increased constantly, twice as much as the year-earlier period. The Group should exceed its initial expansion target of 76 new hotels in 2012 (7,416 rooms), including 51 outside of France. The emerging countries are a key growth engine, and the Golden Tulip brand spearheads the Group’s international expansion.
Over the past six months, the Group has expanded its international footprint to include five new countries: Russia, Algeria, Lithuania, Austria and Georgia. The projects in these new regions will open between 2012 and 2013 and will operate mainly under the Golden Tulip brand. This will bring the number of countries in which Louvre Hotels Group operates to 45.
Following the opening of Golden Tulip hotels in Paris and Lyon in 2011, the Group currently has about ten projects underway in the main cities of France, and the next openings are scheduled for Troyes and Mulhouse in the second half of 2012. Projects are also underway in Marseille and Montpellier and active searches are being conducted in Lille, Nantes and Toulouse.
The Campanile brand in France us undergoing a "repositioning," and about fifteen projects are underway. The growing importance of the Group’s historical brand enables it to respond better to the expectations of partners and customers, especially with the development of “Nouvelle Génération” (“New Generation”) hotels, which now focus on downtown areas. Two properties recently opened in the city center of Amiens and Lyon Oullins.
At the same time, the Group continues to renovate hotels in France through the CAP 50 project. The Group started work on two new hotels in May 2012 (Première Classe Boissy Saint Léger and Lyon Ouest Tassin). The pace will accelerate in the second half as the Group strives to fully renovate about fifty Campanile and Première Classe hotels by year-end 2013.
