President of Bordeaux Métropole Hoteliers’ Club and Director of Operations for Seeko’o Hotel, Séverine Perrier shares her expert insight on the local hotel sector.
We take an inspiring in-depth look at a unified and agile sector, ever ready to adapt to new ways of life.
Launched in 2019, the Hoteliers’ Club [CHBM] takes on a range of tasks, without acting as a trade union.
Absolutely, the CHBM is first and foremost a non-profit organisation which can be summed up in four goals: to drive, facilitate, communicate and promote. We come together as a collective of hotel managers to work on common issues while maintaining a role in building awareness among hotels. Over the years we have acquired a legitimacy which now enables us to offer advice to institutional partners and act as a key contact for transmitting information in both directions. With our 80 members, and alongside a whole fabric of economic players including BEAM, we form links in the same chain acting to promote and defend Bordeaux as a destination.
Can you put a figure to the current hotel offer?
Right now, Bordeaux Métropole boasts 188 hotels and residences, for a total of 13,307 rooms. The majority of these establishments are 3- or 4-star, (47%), and we have six 5-star hotels. Our region benefits from a significant development which enables us to meet the demand for major event organisation.
How does the local hotel offer relate to the business tourism sector?
Both sectors are moving forward together, and it’s in everyone’s best interest to develop smooth transversal communication! As a practical example, imagine a call for tender opens up for Bordeaux as a destination. BEAM informs the Hoteliers’ Club of the publication, and even if we cannot take the place of an agency, we then do everything possible to encourage hoteliers to actively engage their associates and thus maximise our chances of winning the bid. This is a win-win relationship, because together we promote a destination while putting the local economy to work!
Collaboration seems to play a central role…
Solidarity is a fundamental value upon which the hotel sector and all tourism players rely! This network is made up of various entities, which are nevertheless complementary at the level of the visitor pathway: the Tourist Office, Bordeaux Airport, BEAM, the Hoteliers’ Club, public transport, soft mobilities and so on. Our rare form of cohesion is also illustrated by the creation of the “Bordeaux Bienvenue” [Bordeaux Welcome] brand, of which we are a member.
Launched by the Bordeaux Métropole Tourist and Conventions Office, the aim of this scheme is to offer visitors a tailor-made welcome and a memorable experience in our region. Let’s not forget that business tourists are future ambassadors par excellence. When they are satisfied with their experience, when they realise the outstanding strength of our ecosystem and its smooth workings, there is every chance they will return on a personal basis!
What are the strengths of the local hospitality offer?
Its diversity, firstly, given the range of independent hotels, chains and brands. This heterogeneity addresses the demands of a wide range of visitors. Secondly its strong environmental commitment. Bordeaux’s hotels are committed to a CSR policy, which is embodied, among other aspects, by a high proportion of certifications, including the “Green Key”. Within the Hoteliers’ Club, more than 60% of our members are now certified. Our visitors are increasingly attentive to environmental responsibility, which has become a genuine requirement for hospitality establishments, and logically, a selling point.
What are the current major trends in the sector?
Without question, the experience by all means, coupled with the local aspect. Establishments will be trying to bring an experience of Bordeaux and in Bordeaux to the stay, with local products for breakfast, by sharing tips and smart deals, and offering an introduction to life in the neighbourhood, etc.
At present, hospitality is reaching outwards to welcome the wealth of talents the metropolis and its outskirts have to offer. This mindset works in both directions, by hosting events but also by encouraging local inhabitants to take part. The days when you went to a hotel just to sleep are long gone! The latest trends are also adapting, of course, to present-day mentalities and ways of life, as can be seen with the co-working spots that are opening up here and there.
