INTERVIEW - SOAZIG DRAIS, DIRECTOR OF DEVELOPMENT FRANCE, MINOR HOTELS: "PARIS HAS BEEN ON MINOR'S RADAR FOR THE LAST TEN YEARS, FOR OUR ENTIRE PORTFOLIO OF BRANDS"
Having just opened three new hotels in Paris, the Minor Hotels group has appointed Soazig Drais as Director of Development for France, to oversee the deployment of the group's expansion strategy in the country. |
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INTERVIEW - SOAZIG DRAIS, DIRECTOR OF DEVELOPMENT FRANCE, MINOR HOTELS: "PARIS HAS BEEN ON MINOR'S RADAR FOR THE LAST TEN YEARS, FOR OUR ENTIRE PORTFOLIO OF BRANDS"
Having just opened three new hotels in Paris, the Minor Hotels group has appointed Soazig Drais as Director of Development for France, to oversee the deployment of the group's expansion strategy in the country. |
Category: Europe - France - Careers
- Interviews and portraits
- Appointments - Interviews - Industry leaders
Interview made by Guillaume Chollier on 2024-07-19
 Soazig Drais has been appointed Director of Development France for Minor Hotels
Photo credit © Minor Hotels
A graduate of the Institut Paul Bocuse (now Institut Lyfe) and with an MBA in hotel management from ESSEC, the Frenchwoman boasts a wealth of experience, and has done so since she started at Fundotel in 2013, where she was, among other things, responsible for the development of Meininger in France.
After joining Horwath HTL Paris in 2015, where she oversaw hotel advisory for France, she joined Christie & Co to relaunch and develop the firm's advisory practice in 2018. To her credit, she has over 200 projects and publications to her name, ranging from feasibility studies, strategic advice, operator searches and financing solutions to valuation assignments, for a wide range of assets and key players in the international hotel industry. Soazig Drais has worked on projects throughout Europe, as well as in West Africa and Iran.
In 2021, she will join easyHotel as Head of Development, reporting directly to the CDO, until her arrival at Minor Hotels Europe & Americas in September 2022.
Soazig Drais talks to Journal des Palaces about Minor Hotels' ambitions and strategy for development in France.Journal des Palaces: You have just been appointed Director of Development France for Minor Hotels Europe & Americas. How do you see your job?Soazig Drais: It's a very challenging position because our aim is to become one of the most dynamic players in the hotel industry, both in the countries where we currently operate and in those where we want to expand, as in the case of France.
As you may know, recently, we have debuted in the French capital with the opening of three four-star hotels in January 2024. These three hotels have joined Minor Hotels' portfolio of six properties under four different brands in France, located in Marseille, Lyon, Toulouse, and Nice. So, we currently operate 9 hotels in France, representing more than 1,400 rooms.
I'm working to expand our brands’ presence in France. This will help us to boost our performance, which was already very positive in the first quarter of 2024 thanks to the pricing strategy implemented for the B2C segments.What is your definition of a luxury hotel?In my opinion, a luxury hotel is a property that goes beyond the ordinary to offer an exceptional level of service, comfort, and attention to detail. It is a place where every element, from architecture and interior design to amenities and guest service, is meticulously cared for to create an experience of the utmost excellence and sophistication. This is the case of our Anantara Plaza Nice, a landmark property in the heart of the French Riviera. This hotel is a true gem, combining the elegance and charm of a historic building with the contemporary design and comfort of a modern luxury hotel.What are your objectives in this new position?I have major objectives to reach, such as strengthening our presence in France in three main ways: - Expanding our urban and lifestyle brands in France's top 12 cities, while strengthening our market share in Paris, which remains our priority market for growth.
- Develop our luxury brands in Paris, on the Côte d'Azur and in targeted destinations.
- Increase our presence in leisure destinations: top 5 ski resorts, coastal areas and wine regions.
At the global level, as part of Minor Hotels Europe & Americas, we are pursuing an expansion plan with the following three main objectives: - Strengthen our position in the luxury segment, leveraging our Anantara brand and Minor's extensive expertise in this segment. To this end, we have opened the Anantara Plaza Nice in France in December 2022. In 2024, we have already opened the Anantara Palais Hansen in Vienna, and in 2026 we will launch the Anantara Royal Vila Viçosa Resort in the Alentejo.
- Reinforce our pre-eminence in the luxury resort segment, particularly with our Tivoli brand. The brand is expanding in Southern Europe with recent openings in Spain and Italy.
- Pursue strategic expansion in the urban segment in major cities in France, the UK, the Nordic countries, the Netherlands, and the main US capitals.
What is the Group's DNA, and how is it reflected in each of your brands?Above all, we are destinations in the heart of the world's cities, allowing you to experience local life in each country where our hotels are located.
We cater for both individuals and businesses, from overnight travellers to those wishing to discover a city for longer. We offer a full range of services to make every stay a memorable one.
Each brand is different: they don't all cover the same regions or have the same universes, but what they have in common is that they bring together travellers who want to be immersed in the towns where they are staying.How do each of them stand out from the competition?Our aspiration remains steadfast: to uphold our position as one of the most active players in expansion in the hotel industry. Recently, we have announced our ambition to open over 200 properties in the next three years, representing an addition of more than 30,000 rooms to our global portfolio. Minor Hotels currently holds a strong pipeline worldwide, which will be reinforced through targeted brand diversification, geographical expansion and contractual flexibility -management, leases, owned and franchise agreements.
More technically, our asset management model is more flexible and versatile than that of the major international hotel chains, which provides us with a compelling competitive advantage. We always try to find a creative win-win situation with our investment partners, and flexibly sign management, lease, and franchise contracts. Our purpose remains the same: prioritizing long-term relationships and creating value for both parties.
Our centralized business model allows us to deliver an excellent service to our customers, and a high added value to owners who are looking for a top-notch operator. Our current worldwide room breakdown by contract type is at it follows: 64% lease, 24% management & franchise and 22% owned. In France, we have a balanced operating model, with 55% of our portfolio under a lease contract and 45% under management agreement.NH has just opened three new sites in Paris: Gare de l'Est, Opéra and Champs-Élysées. What needs do these new properties meet?We made our debut in the French capital with the opening of three four-star hotels. One of these hotels will be renamed NH Collection in 2025, following a renovation programme (NH Collection Paris Champs-Élysées). This addition is part of Minor Hotels' strategic growth plan to establish a presence in key European cities such as Paris, the second most visited city in the world.
Those three hotels, which are to be refurbished, will offer travellers 400 guest rooms to enjoy the French capital, as well as a restaurant and bars to enjoy the local gastronomy. Right in the heart of the city, the hotels are located in some of the most renowned areas for shopping, dining and sightseeing, and close to the main tourist sites such as the Louvre, Opera Garnier and the Champs-Elysées. Those various micro locations will cater to leisure and business guests, seeking for great service, room amenities and an outstanding breakfast.What do you think makes the French market attractive for Minor Hotels?France is one of the most attractive destinations for international tourism - whether for business (Paris is ranked No. 1 by the ICCA), or for leisure thanks to its rich cultural heritage and diverse landscape. At Minor, we believe that France is a key market on the global hotel scene.Is this a market of opportunity, or is it part of a strategy already developed by the Group?The French market has shown an excellent performance, with year-over-year RevPAR growth of 10% across the country, driven mainly by a record increase in average daily rates (ADR). Paris has benefited the most from this positive growth, recording a year-on-year RevPAR evolution of 17%, while all 12 major cities have recorded double-digit evolutions. Paris has been in Minor’s radar for the past decade, across all of our brand portfolio.
We now identify a clear opportunity in the dynamic growth of the market, especially in the luxury and high-end segments.Is Paris the main focus for Minor's development in France?Paris is one of the focuses of our strategy due to its significant growth and relevance as a global tourist destination, beyond its current Olympic pull. This does not mean we will neglect our presence in the coast and other key spots. While we secured a comfortable position in the upscale segment, we are keen on settling our luxury & lifestyle brands in the market.
Other cities such as Lyon, Toulouse, Nice, Strasbourg, and Bordeaux are also on our radar due to their remarkable performance. As I said, in addition to the big cities, we are also considering leisure destinations such as the French Riviera and the northern & Atlantic coast, which have shown dynamic growth. Mountain areas that have a high potential for attracting ski tourism is also another of our destinations of interest for the firm's expansion, in addition to the wine-growing areas spread throughout the country.Are Corsica and the French overseas territories also part of your plans?Given their tourism potential, Corsica, and the French overseas territories are in our radars for future opportunities to expand our presence in key regions of the country that present interesting opportunities for our expansion.What criteria does Minor use to determine the destinations in which it will expand? Are these criteria the same for an Anantara property as for an NH Collection property, for example?Minor evaluates several criteria to determine destinations, including RevPAR evolution, market demand, existing tourism infrastructure, and long-term growth potential. We also consider economic and political factors that may influence market stability and development. Although the basic market criteria apply to all our brands, the final decision is also based on the positioning of each brand. For Anantara, we would specifically analyse the luxury potential of a destination, through their amenities and demand metrics.
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