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MEININGER Hotels Accelerates Expansion, Targets 50 Properties by 2030

September 4, 2026 by Amara Nambinga

Extérieur de l’hôtel Meininger Paris - Photo : MEININGER Hotels

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MEININGER Hotels is pursuing sustained growth ambitions.

The group, which blends the codes of traditional hospitality and hostel-style accommodations, closed its 2026 fiscal year (April 2025 to March 2026) with revenues exceeding €200 million, while reporting almost 4.6 million guest nights, up by about 2% year over year.

The average occupancy rate stood at nearly 80%, in a context marked by softer demand due to the absence of major international events and rising living costs.

“We have recorded solid growth in our revenue and earnings compared with the previous year. This performance underscores the structural robustness of our business model,” said Ajit Menon, CEO of MEININGER Hotels, in a release.

The group’s group bookings segment remains a growth driver for the company. It now accounts for between 20% and 25% of revenue and rose by 10% in the last fiscal year.

Expansion Driven by New Openings

The group currently operates 37 hybrid hotels across 27 European cities, representing nearly 6,000 rooms and over 21,000 beds. Its target is now to reach 50 properties by 2030, with a priority given to Southern and Eastern Europe markets.

After the opening of a new hotel in Barcelona on June 25, several inaugurations are already planned: Edinburgh and Tel Aviv in 2026, Strasbourg in 2027, followed by Madrid, Dublin and Porto in 2028.

For the 2027 fiscal year, MEININGER Hotels is targeting around 5 million guest nights. The group expects to benefit from a more favorable calendar, driven by major international trade shows, sporting events and international artists’ tours.

Alongside its real estate development, the brand continues investing in digital transformation. Its chatbot named MILA now handles a substantial portion of recurring customer inquiries, while online check-in roll-out aims to streamline arrivals and enhance operational efficiency.

The group also plans to roll out Mobile Key, enabling guests to access their room via their smartphone. This feature is expected to be available network-wide by the end of 2028.

Investments are also directed at internal tools, with the phased deployment of a new cloud-based HR platform intended to harmonize recruitment processes and employee management.

Renovations Planned in Paris, Marseille and Strasbourg

Beyond new openings, MEININGER Hotels is also advancing the modernization of its existing properties.

Renovations have already taken place in Frankfurt, Salzburg, Amsterdam and Copenhagen.

The MEININGER Hotel Berlin Mitte Humboldthaus has benefited from a full renovation of its rooms and public spaces, including the creation of a new bar.

In 2027, several properties will similarly undergo work, notably those in Munich, Vienna, Marseille and Paris.

According to Thomas Hagemann, COO of MEININGER Hotels, these renovations aim to harmonize the group’s standards and to offer a consistent guest experience across the entire portfolio.

Employee Retention and ESG Commitments

The group also highlights its achievements in human resources.

In 2026, staff retention rose by more than 10%, while the number of applications increased by 20%. MEININGER Hotels’ teams now bring together employees from around 90 nationalities.

On the environmental front, the company continues monitoring its greenhouse gas emissions to guide its CO₂ reduction actions.

For 2027, it plans to strengthen environmental training for its teams and to conduct climate risk analyses at certain properties to better integrate these issues into its development strategy.

Published by Amelia Brille TourMaG.com Editor
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Rocco Forte Hotels Renovates Its Historic Properties in Florence and Rome

September 3, 2026 by Amara Nambinga

Rocco Forte Hotels rénove ses adresses historiques à Florence et Rome - Depositphotos.com, AnnaNepaBO

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Rocco Forte Hotels poursuit ses investissements dans ses établissements italiens.

À Florence, l’Hotel Savoy a achevé une rénovation complète menée sur trois ans, avec un investissement de plus de 9 millions d’euros.

À Rome, l’Hotel de Russie vient de finaliser la dernière phase de sa rénovation, consacrée notamment à ses espaces d’accueil et de réception.

Les deux projets ont été pilotés par Olga Polizzi, directrice du design de Rocco Forte Hotels, en collaboration avec le Studio Ferrari à Florence et le Studio Moschino à Rome.

9 million euros invested in Florence

Located on the Piazza della Repubblica, the Savoy Hotel reimagined its interiors around local materials and craftsmanship: Arabescato marble, stone, wood, bespoke parquet floors and textiles.

The 46 rooms and suites affected by the renovation have been redesigned with more flexible layouts, notably to accommodate families and groups.

The project also extends to the dining spaces. The Irene restaurant reopens with a new décor and a Tuscan cuisine offering imagined by Fulvio Pierangelini.

A new bar, Artemisia, completes the offering with a cocktail menu created by Salvatore Calabrese in collaboration with Federico Pavan.

The hotel also strengthens its local experiences with the Suite & Beyond program, which notably includes private tours of Palazzo Strozzi, calligraphy classes, and visits to Florentine leather workshops.

In Rome, a renovation centered on the guest experience

At the Hotel de Russie, the renovation focuses primarily on the arrival and reception areas. The new layout now distinguishes three zones: the entrance, the front desk, and the concierge, with a conversation space.

More than 90% of the furniture and finishes have been custom-made with Italian artisans and manufacturers. The project combines walnut woodwork, contemporary materials, and historic pieces.

Through these two renovations, Rocco Forte Hotels aims to strengthen the local identity of its properties while modernizing the experience offered to its upscale clientele.

Written by Amelia Brille TourMaG.com Writer
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From Camping to Hospitality: Huttopia Opens Two New Properties at Lake Aiguebelette

August 30, 2026 by Amara Nambinga

Philippe Bossanne, cofondateur d'Huttopia entouré du directeur d'Huttopia Domaine du Lac, des élus de la région, dont le maire de Lépin-Le-Lac - Photo CE

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« This is an event for the group » announced Philippe Bossanne, co-founder of Huttopia, this Thursday, July 9, on the occasion of the inauguration, not of one but of two new sites on the shores of Lake Aiguebelette in Savoie.

The group strengthens its regional presence with the simultaneous opening of two new addresses: Huttopia Domaine du Lac – Maison Ronde, combining hotel service with nature-oriented accommodations, and OnlyCamp Le Ferrand, a campsite dedicated to tents, vans and other caravans.

With this double inauguration, Huttopia now brings the number of its establishments around the lake to four, alongside Huttopia Lac d’Aiguebelette and OnlyCamp Les Peupliers.

In total, the group says it has invested nearly 20 million euros around Lake Aiguebelette since its arrival in 2017, « without resorting to public funding » insists Philippe Bossanne.

La Maison Ronde rénovée : hôtel 3 étoiles de 13 chambres, réception, bar, terrasse... - Photo CE

The flagship project concerns the transformation of Huttopia Domaine du Lac – Maison Ronde.

« The overall project cost us nearly €9 million » specifies Philippe Bossanne during the inauguration.

It includes notably the revival of La Maison Ronde. Built in the 1920s–1930s as a hotel, the establishment later became a holiday center in the 1950s before closing its doors for almost three decades.

« I didn’t even know that this building stood right next to the Le Curtelet campsite, which we had acquired », recalls the founder. Fascinated for a long time by its architecture, he eventually decided to undertake a rehabilitation project that he now acknowledges as particularly ambitious.

« Wanting to rehabilitate this building wasn’t very reasonable », acknowledged Philippe Bossanne at the inauguration. The leader explains that he quickly realized the project would exceed the initial estimates.

For several decades, the building remained abandoned. In 2020, Serge Grollier, the Mayor of Lépin-le-Lac, took the matter in hand again and launched a call for proposals: « When we visited La Maison Ronde in 2020, we found a real ruin, with many brambles on the site, but we were convinced it needed to be brought back to life », he recalled during the inauguration.

In 2022, the choice fell on an operator who wished to transform the site into a youth hostel, but the project did not go through. It was in 2023 that the search for investors was restarted and Huttopia was approached.

« It is a success when you see the quality of the result obtained by Huttopia and the companies that contributed to the projects, after only seven months of work, five of which were carried out in the mud due to heavy rains. Opening for the 2026 season is a real feat » added the Mayor.

The new Domaine du Lac combines hotel, hotel lodges, canvas-and-wood tents, and chalets

L'espace de séminaire associé à l'offre hôtelière permet de diversifier l'offre sur le Domaine du Lac - Photo CE

« We do not have a financial shareholder demanding dividends every year. This allows us to reinvest and carry out this type of project », explained the Huttopia co-founder, asserting a participatory family capitalism.

If the Domaine du Lac is operated under a 90-year lease, Philippe Bossanne acknowledges that the challenge now is economic. « The balance of such a project is not obvious. It will have to appeal and attract a lot of people »

The new Domaine du Lac now combines several activities on a single site: a 13-room 3-star hotel in La Maison Ronde along with 12 wooden hotel lodges, 59 outdoor accommodations (32 wooden chalets and 27 canvas-and-wood tents), a café, a beach, a jetty, water activities as well as an old hunting pavilion converted into a seminar space capable of hosting up to 80 people.

« This hotel offering with our hotel lodges and the seminar space will allow us to fill the wings during the shoulder seasons, and perhaps in autumn as well. We must always pursue the project’s viability. » states the group’s founding president.

The establishment will be open from April to mid-November and aims at both local clientele—particularly from Lyon and Chambéry—and international visitors. The Maison Ronde could also, in a later phase, develop a dining offer for local customers: « We have planned it, but for now it is not on the agenda. »

A development built around the lake

Vue sur le lac d'Aiguebelette depuis le Domaine du Lac - Photo CE

The history of Huttopia at Aiguebelette developed gradually.

Philippe Bossanne explains that he was first approached by local officials to develop the first Huttopia campground on the lake: Huttopia Lac d’Aiguebelette opened in 2017.

The success of this installation then led the group to take over Les Peupliers, and, during a real estate visit, the OnlyCamp Le Curtelet campsite, which has become today Huttopia Domaine du Lac.

In addition, there is a fourth address, adjacent to Les Peupliers, the OnlyCamp Le Ferrand, inaugurated on this same day in its new configuration.

The two sites will also be brought together next year to become OnlyCamp Grands Peupliers.

OnlyCamp Le Ferrand: €1 million invested

OnlyCamp Le Ferrand a bénéficié d'une rénovation l'hiver dernier pour 1 million d'euros - Photo CE

The OnlyCamp Le Ferrand campsite also underwent an investment of more than €1 million.

The works mainly focused on infrastructure, the complete renewal of networks, the creation of a new sanitary block, the modernization of the living center, and the development of a dining offer.

Faithful to its philosophy, the site is dedicated to bare pitches. « We decided to make it a 100% pitch campsite, where people arrive with their tent, caravan, van or motorhome », explained Philippe Bossanne.

The site now has 190 bare pitches spread over four hectares, with direct lake access.

For Axel Pénin, the managing director of OnlyCamp, this strategy responds to a sustained demand from traditional campers. The brand network, now with 104 destinations, favors bare pitches, simple yet high-quality facilities and a deliberately affordable pricing policy: « A family with two children can spend a week in the heart of summer for less than €250 », he notes.

A single rate is applied across all OnlyCamp campgrounds, regardless of location.

Pitches for two people are offered at €12 (no swimming) or €15 (with swimming) in off-peak season, then €17 and €24 between July 1 and August 31.

Huttopia Le Domaine du Lac – Maison Ronde under the spotlight

Published by Céline Eymery Editor-in-Chief – TourMaG.com
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Relais & Châteaux: Two French Properties Among the Ten New Entrants

August 27, 2026 by Amara Nambinga

Relais & Châteaux s'agrandit avec l'arrivée de dix nouveaux établissements - Photo : Maison des Cimes

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The Relais & Châteaux association officializes the accession of ten new properties in the hotel and gastronomy sector joining its network.

These incorporations illustrate the brand’s commitment to celebrating the cultural diversity and heritage of each region.

Laurent Gardinier, president of Relais & Châteaux, reiterates the organization’s stance: « Our Association has embarked on a sustainable path, one that contributes, through dining and hospitality, to building a world that is more respectful, more supportive, and in harmony with living beings. »

Among the ten new entrants are two French establishments. Beginning with La Maison des Cimes in Malbuisson, in the Jura, which will open in August 2026.

Located on the shores of Lake Saint-Point, this eight-room hotel (including two suites), from 250€ per night, is led by chef Matthias Marc. It houses the fine-dining table La Table des Cimes and the traditional bistro Le Bistrot des Bûcherons (to open in November 2026).

Inside and outside, Relais & Châteaux La Maison des Cimes adopts the local architectural codes. True to the spirit of the building once a carpenter’s workshop, wood reigns on the walls and floors of the six rooms and two suites, each offering a Nordic bath on its balcony.

And then, Megève Bois, a 13-room chalet (including 1 villa and 5 suites), from 700€ per night, which provides direct access to the La Princesse ski lifts, leading to Mont d’Arbois. It features a gourmet restaurant, The Andrew, and a second refined Franco-Italian dining option, Le Simon, as well as a well-equipped spa (steam sauna, Himalayan salt relaxation room, body and facial treatments, including a ritual immersion in a heated Alpine hay bed).

Who are the other new members?

The collection welcomes eight more addresses with varied profiles :

– Verride Palácio de Santa Catarina (Lisbon, Portugal): This 18th-century palace restored comprises 18 rooms and suites, along with a roof-top terrace overlooking the Tagus. The cuisine is led by chef Fabio Alves across the Suba and The Lisbon Club 55 restaurants.

– Masseria Auraterrae (Polignano a Mare, Italy): This 18th-century historic estate in Puglia features 22 rooms and a restaurant that highlights seasonal Adriatic produce.

– Quintonil Restaurant (Mexico City, Mexico): This two-Michelin-starred dining destination under chef Jorge Vallejo with his partner Alejandra Flores offers a contemporary interpretation of traditional Mexican cuisine.

– Relais Villa Corallo (Sant’Omero, Italy): Nestled in the Abruzzo region, this 19th-century 11-room residence presents terroir-focused cuisine from Zunica 1880, a Michelin-starred restaurant.

– Hiiragiya (Kyoto, Japan): Run by the same family for seven generations, this 23-room ryokan offers an immersion into traditional Japanese hospitality, with dinners served in a Kyo-Kaiseki style room.

– Villa Florhof (Zurich, Switzerland): This historic building underwent three years of renovation under Lalique’s direction. It offers 13 rooms and a gastronomic dining room led by chef Christian Jürgens.

– Wilderness Reserve (Sibton, United Kingdom): This 2,500-hectare estate in Suffolk presents several lodging formats (manor, cottages, and thatched-roof houses) totaling 29 villas and 8 rooms, complemented by the dining rooms The Dining Room and Fire Feast.

– The Nell New York (New York City, United States): Located at 10 Rockefeller Plaza, this Art Deco-inspired hotel with 134 rooms (opening planned for autumn 2027) houses a fine-dining restaurant on the 17th floor with views of the Rockefeller Center, a 325 m2 spa, and a tasting salon.