France's B&B Hotels launches U.S. expansion with Florida debut

FRENCH HOTEL CHAIN B&B Hotels launched its U.S. expansion with the opening of its first property in Orlando, Florida. The 218-room hotel, located near Universal Studios, will be followed by additional hotels in Miami and Jacksonville, Florida. The mid-scale brand plans to establish 400 hotels across the U.S. within the next 10 years, representing $4 billion in real estate value, B&B Hotels said in a statement.

“We are thrilled to bring B&B HOTELS to the United States and to offer travelers affordable high-quality accommodations," said Valerio Duchini, B&B Hotels’ U.S. CEO. "We're also eager to engage with real estate investors here who share our vision for growth. Drawing from our success in Europe, we aim to establish ourselves as a prominent player in the U.S. market."

B&B Hotels rebrands existing properties and constructs new ones, the company said. Batipart, a private equity firm based in Luxembourg, partnered with B&B Hotels for the Orlando property, with plans to renovate the hotel to improve the guest experience.

Portfolio expansion 

Founded in Brest in 1990, B&B Hotels presently operates more than 770 properties in 17 countries. It added 170 hotels and achieved revenue of $1.3 billion in 2023, the statement said.

B&B aims to increase its portfolio to 3,000 properties over the next decade, leveraging its asset-light, flexible business model. This strategy facilitates rapid expansion through the rebranding of existing hotels and new construction, providing real estate investment partners with valuable acquisition opportunities, according to the company.

Since 2019, U.S.-based financial services company Goldman Sachs has been the primary shareholder of B&B Hotels.

In January, Starwood Capital Group, a U.S.-based private equity firm, acquired 10 Radisson Blu properties in London, totaling 2,053 rooms, from Edwardian Hotels London, chaired by Jasminder Singh.