Minor Hotels strengthens its expansion strategy in France, the Netherlands and other French-speaking European countries with the appointment of Alexis Boudrand

Minor Hotels, a leading global hotel owner and operator, announces the appointment of Alexis Boudrand as Development Director for France, the Netherlands and other French-speaking European countries. Alexis is an experienced professional in the hospitality and real estate sector with more than 20 years of experience in operations, strategic hotel consulting, hotel valuations and development in these markets.

Alexis brings to Minor Hotels a strong track record in driving the growth of international hotel groups. His career includes key roles at Accor, both in operations and head office, where he worked with Ibis in Paris before moving into consultancy. He then spent ten years with JLL Hotels & Hospitality Group, where he gained experience in strategic consulting, hotel valuations, feasibility studies and contract negotiations. He then spent four years as Head of Advisory at CBRE Hotels, where he led hotel valuation and advisory activities and advised major industry stakeholders.

In his new role, he will report to Yuan Fang, Senior Vice President Development of Minor Hotels Europe & Americas. In line with Minor Hotels“ expansion strategy, Alexis will lead the company's efforts to secure new hotel deals, with a focus on franchise and management agreements in French-speaking countries and the Netherlands, or through leases in key strategic markets and locations. His assignment supports the group's ”asset right" approach, which focuses on flexibility for each market and project. Minor Hotels' portfolio was historically strong asset-heavy, but is now moving to a more asset-light model, focused on franchise and management agreements. This enables faster growth while offering greater profitability and scalability for partners.

Through its franchise model, Minor Hotels offers small- and mid-sized hotel owners conversion solutions supported by global distribution systems, advanced technology, a strong loyalty programme and powerful brands, while maintaining each hotel's local identity. With the recent launch of new brands, Minor Hotels now counts 12 brands and offers an extensive portfolio of soft brand options across all segments: iStay Hotels by NH in the midscale segment, Colbert Collection in the upper-upscale segment and Minor Reserve Collection in the luxury segment.

France strengthens its position as a key pillar in Minor Hotels' European expansion

France remains the most visited country in the world, with consistently high demand ensuring a steady flow of travellers. This demand is driven by a balanced mix of leisure and business tourists attracted by France's rich cultural and gastronomic attractions. This diverse tourism segmentation offers numerous opportunities for different hospitality models. In addition, the French hotel market, characterised by fragmentation and a large number of independent hotels, offers significant opportunities for conversions that enable low-cost operational optimisation.

Minor Hotels' expansion plan in France focuses on development across the country under its broad portfolio of brands. This strategy builds on the group's presence in priority cities such as Paris, Lyon, Marseille, Nice and Toulouse, where brands such as NH, NH Collection, nhow and Anantara have already proven to deliver strong results and distinctive guest experiences. The strategy focuses not only on major cities, but also on regional destinations with strong growth opportunities for hospitality, driven by cultural tourism, gastronomy and leisure travel, such as Provence, Normandy and the Loire Valley.

In terms of the luxury segment, Minor Hotels focuses heavily on destinations such as Paris or beach resorts on the Côte d'Azur, aiming to attract high-end travellers looking for exclusive experiences. The group is also committed to expansion in ski destinations, with both luxury and lifestyle options tailored to the needs of winter travellers.

Strategic strengthening of leadership for long-term growth

“Alexis” appointment is an important step forward in our growth strategy in French-speaking countries and the Netherlands. His in-depth knowledge of the sector and these markets, combined with his development expertise and strong network, will strengthen our ability to build solid and sustainable partnerships with owners and investors in the region. We see a clear opportunity in France, where many owners and operators are looking for new franchise propositions and brands that bring something new to the market. Minor Hotels offers that alternative, along with strong distribution capabilities and competitive terms thanks to our scale in Europe," said Laia Lahoz, Chief Assets & Development Officer of Minor Hotels Europe & Americas.

This new addition to Minor Hotels' European expansion team underlines the group's commitment to sustainable and strategic growth, not only in the number of hotels but also in expanding into new markets.