Avignon (84) The third establishment under the Mercure brand in Avignon is innovative in conquering different customer profiles. For the investor, hitherto best known in the world of wine, it is also a question of diversifying his activities.

In the same way that they agreed not to jostle the companies engaged in the construction and renovation work of their hotel, the owners of the Mercure Avignon TGV took the necessary time before inaugurating their establishment. The third hotel under the Mercure brand in the city, this one, the opposite of its two older brothers located near the Palais des Papes, is located on the outskirts of the city, in a business zone where there are nearly 400 companies.

Taking over the base of an Express by Hollyday Inn opened in 2004 then becoming Kyriad a few years later, this new Mercure has undergone two years of work. The construction of an extension added 25 new rooms all with terraces, for a total of 115 cls, an outdoor swimming pool, a Phytomer spa, meeting rooms, a private lounge, a coworking space and even a delicatessen. In total, € 15 million were mobilized in the operation. An investment wanted by the Boisset group, a major player in the world of wine, particularly in Burgundy and acquirer of the place in 2018.

“From the start, two axes were defined, that of moving upmarket with a 4-star and the other of an orientation towards the leisure clientele with the creation of family rooms equipped with kitchenettes”, Explain Nicolas Inglese, the director.

Accor franchises soon to become the majority

With six hotels and a business center located between Bourg-en-Bresse and Sophia-Antipolis, the Boisset group is preparing in 2022 to reverse the order of its franchises, Accord becoming majority in front of Louvre Htels by a game of change of teaches. As for the projects, discretion is the order of the day. “The hotel and the table constitute a bit of a continuity of our activity, highlighted Olivier Level, general manager of the helicopter. The will to Jean-Claude Boisset is to diversify its activities by combining property value and quality in the development of the hotels that we take over. With a particularity, the importance that we attach to the human being by giving our teams more possibilities to express themselves and assume a real social responsibility. It is rare that, six months after an opening, the team of department heads is still in place. Here it is! ”

From traditional catering in the heart of Avignon (Cuisine & Comptoir), the chef Julien valente to choose to bring a real local personality the table Les Gustaves. A concept which should inspire the hotel group and which is followed with great interest by Accor, just like the efforts made in terms of personalization of the decor or even the attention to detail to bring the regional dimension of the hotel. “Here, we are completely in phase with the philosophy that Mercure wishes to develop, by associating the modernity of the equipment and a strong local anchoring ”, conclusion Jean-Baptiste Roussel, director of franchise operations for Provence.

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