Bordeaux, Lille, Lyon, Le Mans, Toulouse, Marne-la-Vallée (Seine-et-Marne)… Little by little, the Eklo hotel chain is charting its course and accelerating: it announced on Monday April 17, fundraising of 35 million euros. Three funds (Swen Capital Partners, Aquiti Gestion and Bpifrance) will enter its capital, held so far by the founder, Emmanuel Petit, a former executive of Accor, and four partners – including Gérard Pélisson, founder of Accor, deceased March 6. The Banque des Territoires will invest 15 million euros in the Eklo property.
This is further proof of the good health of the hotel market, which has recovered particularly well from the two dark years of 2020 and 2021. In France, the sector saw a 9% increase in revenue in 2022, compared to the reference year of 2019 (before the crisis linked to Covid-19), according to the report of the firm In Extenso. The sector, whose growth is driven by the return of foreign tourists and the sharp rise in room prices, is now of interest “all classes of investors”, and especially “those who bet on office real estate”, today in difficulty, explains Olivier Petit, partner of In Extenso.
With this fundraising, Eklo, whose head office is located in Bordeaux, plans to increase from nine hotels today to 21 within five years, or 12 openings over the period. Launched in 2014, the company, which currently employs 150 people, is positioned in the “budget” hotel segment (between 60 and 100 euros per night) – occupied, in particular, by Ibis, B & B, Kyriad or Campanile. . But by renewing the concept, with attention paid to the decoration, the atmosphere, and a variety of offers (single rooms, hostel-style dormitories, or family rooms).
The growing “lifestyle hotel industry”
Like many new players, Eklo claims to be part of the “lifestyle hotel industry”, a somewhat catch-all but growing segment launched by Mama Shelter hotels. The concept: the hotel is not only a place to sleep, but also a place to live, which must attract customers from outside to eat, work in a coworking space, attend concerts or events … Thus, at Eklo, a third of the income comes from the bar or restaurant.
Each time, Eklo owns the walls and the business – contrary to the trend observed in other groups, which prefer to focus on the management of establishments owned by investors. A heavier operation, more risky, but potentially ” more solid “according to Emmanuel Petit, the founder of Eklo. “We prefer to control our walls, it allows us to create more value. And then, the real estate part remains at a reasonable cost, we do not do luxury hotels”, explains the one who relies heavily on wooden construction – five of his establishments were designed with this material.
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