Choice Hotels Europe, Middle East and Africa will double its presence in France through a 20-year agreement with French family-owned operator Zenitude Hôtel Résidences.
Through this agreement, Zenitude will convert 33 of its hotels to Choice Hotels International brands, adding more than 4,000 international keys to Choice's Ascend Hotel Collection, Clarion and Comfort brand portfolios, according to a news release.
Choice first mentioned the deal in January but is only just releasing the details now that the deal is complete.
According to its website, Zenitude has hotels dotted around France. Its only non-French property sits on the Caribbean island of Guadeloupe, an island that is part of French overseas territory.
The agreement also adds the “possibility of introducing a long-stay brand,” according to a news release, which said the hotels in the agreement will join the Choice platform over the course of 2024 and 2025, with more than half expected to join by the end of this year.
Zenitude's first three hotel properties that will reopen as part of Choice brands include the 460-key Clarion Hotel Paris-Roissy Charles de Gaulle Airport — which is a conversion of the Zenitude Relais & Spa Paris Charles de Gaulle — the 100-key Hôtel la Valadière, Ascend Hotel Collection, in Juvignac, close to the city of Montpellier; and the 110-key Clarion Aparthotel Toulouse Blagnac Airport.
Zenitude, with the support of Choice, will start renovation projects for each of the hotels converting to Choice brands.
Jonathan Mills, the former CEO of Choice EMEA, previously spoke to Hotel News Now to underline the importance of growing in Europe following the firm’s 2022 purchase of Radisson Hotel Group’s Americas portfolio.
“For the EMEA region, the benefit of that deal is the ripple effect it is creating. It strengthens our region’s position,” he said at the time. “Our value proposition is that we are a pure franchisor. Franchising is our absolute focus, and that puts us in white space in Europe. Our hallmarks are an experiential focus for customers and a revenue-driving focus for owners.”
Mills left his role on Apr. 1, with David Beers, Choice's head of international operations, now serving as interim CEO for the region.
In the news release about the deal, Ricardo Losada Revol, senior vice president and general manager of Choice's international division, said: “Our new collaboration with Zenitude marks a significant milestone for our portfolio in EMEA and another great step in line with our international expansion strategy. Over the past 30 years, France has been a key market.”
Romain Lubrano, CEO of Zenitude, said it's important for his company to be able to face the technical, marketing and distribution challenges facing the hotel industry.
“Being supported by Choice Hotels, one of the leaders in the international hospitality industry, will enable us to meet these challenges, respond to customer needs by upgrading our hotels in France, and expand into the EMEA region,” he said.