Posts by author

b.courtin

99 posts
View Post
  • 2 min

Parvus Asset Management Becomes Largest Shareholder in Accor with 11.97% Stake, Ahead of Key Investors

📈 Parvus Asset Management Jersey Ltd holds 11.97% capital and 10.23% voting rights in Accor, surpassing Kingdom Holding Company (~7%), Qatar Investment Authority (~6.7%), and BlackRock (~5–6%). Parvus's non-interventionist stance raises questions despite no board aspirations. Founded in 2004 by Edoardo Mercadante and Mads Gensmann, Parvus manages about $11 billion in assets (as of April 2025). Known for a "soft" activist approach, Parvus focuses on European investments with medium-to-long-term strategies.
View Post
Share

The Matild and Klotild Palaces in Budapest, Built 1899-1902, Pioneer Mixed-Use Model with First Elevator.

🏠 Between 1899 and 1902, Matild Palace (south) and Klotild Palace (north) were built in Budapest in Neo-Baroque style. Architects Kálmán Giergl and Flóris Korb designed these 48-meter tower-crowned structures, inspired by English Baroque. The area featured Budapest's first elevator and a pioneering mixed-use model with retail, business halls, and luxury residences. Both palaces faced damage during the 1944–1945 Siege of Budapest, with the Klotild Palace hit hardest, leading to restoration efforts in the 1950s.
View Post
Share
View Post
  • 2 min

Groupe Barrière Expands Fouquet's Brand Internationally with New Luxury Hotel and Villas in Mykonos

📍 Groupe Barrière, renowned for its Fouquet's brand, is expanding its international luxury hotel portfolio to Mykonos, following successful entries into New York and Saint-Barthélemy. Fouquet's Mykonos, designed by Divercity Architects, includes 61 suites and 3 private villas on Paraga Beach. It features an indoor pool and a rock-face basketball court. Culinary and wellness experiences are offered in partnership with ROKA and Dr. Barbara Sturm, enhancing its appeal to global high-net-worth travelers.
View Post
Share

Whitbread to Dispose of Nearly 200 Restaurant Sites, Risking 3,800 Jobs Amid Strategic Shift to Hotels

📈 Whitbread plans to dispose of nearly 200 restaurant sites across the UK, speeding up a two-year process. Under its Accelerating Growth Plan, the company aims to convert restaurant spaces in 112 hotels into 3,500 guest rooms and add 10,000 new rooms by 2031. Around 3,800 roles are at risk, with £50 million already recouped from 50 disposals. A new F&B format is being tested, while trade unions criticize the "cruel redundancies.
View Post
Share
View Post
  • 2 min

Minor Hotels Launches Anantara Private Jet Journeys, Expanding Luxury Travel to Remote Resorts by 2027

✈ Anantara Private Jet Journeys, announced by Ian Di Tullio, CCO of Minor Hotels, offers luxury air travel to remote resorts. Routes include the Maldives, Sri Lanka, Thailand, Kenya, and Tanzania. This initiative aligns with a growing demand for seamless, immersive travel experiences. Minor Hotels plans to expand from over 560 properties to add 300 more by 2027, alongside launching two new brands to enhance its Anantara brand.
View Post
Share

Georges Nagelmackers Founded Compagnie Internationale des Wagons-Lits, Launching Orient Express on June 5, 1883

🚄 Georges Nagelmackers, a Belgian engineer, was inspired by George Pullman's sleeping cars during a U.S. visit in 1867. By 1876, he founded the Compagnie Internationale des Wagons-Lits, launching the first Orient Express on June 5, 1883, from Paris to Constantinople, with King Leopold II's support. The Orient Express became an icon in the 1920s, offering luxurious travel with notable figures like Agatha Christie aboard. The original hotel for travelers is now a future Louis Vuitton palace hotel.
View Post
Share
View Post
  • 2 min

Corvex Management Acquires 6% Stake in Whitbread, Presses for Strategic Review of £3.5 Billion Investment Plan

💰 In December 2025, Corvex Management, led by Keith Meister, revealed a 6% stake in Whitbread, urging a review of its £3.5 billion investment plan. Whitbread CEO Dominic Paul plans an update by April's end. Whitbread may sell 20% of its hotel properties, raising £1.5 billion, while a €2.3 billion share buyback is considered. This marks a shift to an asset-light model, differing from its historical approach. Whitbread's strategy may change as it remains an active acquirer.
View Post
Share

Palais Built by Frank Jay Gould in 1929 with 30 Million Francs, Survives Decades of Challenges and Changes

📅 Frank Jay Gould, an American billionaire, launched the Palais in January 1929 on the French Riviera, investing 30 million francs (about €20 million today), just before the global financial crisis. Co-founded with Édouard Baudoin and Joseph Aletti, the Art Deco palace faced stiff competition from the Casino du Ruhl. Despite high-profile acts, financial strains and a 1934 fire plagued operations, leading to its demise and later revival in 2004.
View Post
Share
View Post
  • 2 min

The Leela to Expand Luxury Hotel Portfolio with 10 New Projects, Including First International Venture in Dubai

🏨 In 2025, The Leela Palaces, Hotels and Resorts is a finalist in the Hospitality Awards, marking its place in India's growing luxury market. Founded in 1986, it operates 13 five-star properties across 11 cities, with over 3,500 rooms. Plans include 10 new projects, increasing their inventory to over 5,000 rooms, with three openings set for 2026 in Coorg, Jaisalmer, and Mumbai, plus an international debut in Dubai. The brand emphasizes "True Indian Luxury" to compete with giants like Indian Hotels and Oberoi Group.
View Post
Share