Mama Shelter opens its first location in Asia

Mama Shelter, the hotel brand launched in 2008 by the Trigano family and since acquired by the Accor group, will open its twentieth hotel in early 2025 in Singapore, the first Asian address for the group, which is aiming for fifty addresses "within two to three years", according to CEO Cédric Gobilliard.
"We've just opened the 19th Mama in Dubai. Next year we'll have Zurich and Singapore, then in 2026 Cape Town, Los Angeles, Medellin in Colombia, Casablanca, Lake Como in Italy... We're aiming for 50 within the next two to three years, and I think we can potentially go up to 100," explains the European head of Ennismore, Accor's lifestyle unit which oversees Mama Shelter.
"It's a brand that reassures people, because we have the codes and the business model. It's also a brand that brings something new to the dynamism of cities, with our ability to attract locals, and that appeals to investors," he assures us, interviewed in mid-December by AFP.
The first establishment was launched in Paris by Serge Trigano, head of Club Méditerranée in the 1990s, co-founded by his father Gilbert, and his sons.
Away from the touristy districts, the establishment relied on Philippe Starck's decor, a festive atmosphere and a catering offer developed by a Michelin-starred but accessible chef (Alain Senderens) to stand out from the crowd.
After a first participation in 2016, Accor has increased its stake to 100% in 2021, but the Triganos are still at the helm, hired as advisors.
The clientele is "fairly young", between 20 and 25% business customers and many locals, for a "mid-range" price, summarizes Cédric Gobilliard.
"Our core target is the restaurant business. That's what takes up most of our time when we're preparing an opening, seeing what we're going to put on the plate and around the plate, because people also come for the atmosphere," he explains.
After some setbacks, notably in Los Angeles, the group decided to offer 70% local specialties and only 30% French "signature" recipes.
For development, "we're aiming for cities that have the capacity to attract travelers and a sufficiently large population to enable us to attract locals and have a great atmosphere every night", sums up Cédric Gobilliard.
"In France, we've pretty much done the rounds. We opened Nice this year - it was a sell-out - and Dijon last year, with a brunch that serves between 200 and 300 diners every Sunday", he adds.
In the Paris region, Mama Shelter has just announced a fourth location near Disneyland Paris, scheduled for 2028.