A few days after his speech at the Hospitality Operator Forum, Fabrice Collet, CEO of B&B HOTELS, had the opportunity to give a concrete illustration of the ambitions of the French group. The opening of the 700th B&B HOTELS establishment in Guimarães, Portugal, reflects two key trends for the group: growth and CSR.

"We have recently taken concrete steps to improve the sustainability of our business, with the ambition of making responsible travel accessible to all. The opening of our 700th hotel in Guimarães, Portugal, is a case in point. It is hybrid wood-concrete composition has reduced the carbon footprint of its construction by over 60%, and half of the hotel's materials will be reusable at the end of their life cycle. B&B HOTELS has one of the lowest carbon footprints on the market: 2.11 kg of CO2 emitted per room per day! We will continue our efforts to make sustainable change accessible to everyone."He emphasised at the opening of the establishment.

"To construct our B&B HOTEL in Guimarães, we worked closely with our partners to assess and minimize our environmental impact. Our aim was to adopt a sustainable economic approach, with a focus on reusable materials. This project is the outcome of collaboration among designers, builders, and several partner companies, all of whom provided solutions to meet our sustainability requirements. It is the first hotel in the network built using this system." Declared Lucía Méndez-Bonito, CEO of B&B HOTELS Iberia.

In concrete terms, the establishment has been eco-designed according to the CREE Buildings principle, using recycled plastic collected at sea as one of its materials. The construction method also relied heavily on standardised hybrid prefabricated parts, which reduced the nuisance associated with the site (waste, noise and carbon footprint).

After arriving in Portugal in 2018, this opening marks the official tripling of the B&B HOTELS portfolio in 10 years.

A few hours later, the Grésy sur Aix (73) establishment was inaugurated.

"Its architecture, eco-sustainable materials and green, visible signage make it easy to see that comfort, peace and quiet, air conditioning and excellent bedding are all close at hand and within easy reach of your wallet, with a room costing €65 for one night for 2 people. Emphasised Éric Poulet in a post, who attended the inauguration of the hotel as a neighbour.

These openings set the course for the growth of the group, which recently went on the offensive in the United States. You can find out what Fabrice Collet had to say on these subjects at the Hospitality Operator Forum on Hospitality ON in a few days' time.