Hotels should be refurbished completely every seven years - according to the general industry wisdom. In addition, rooms and areas that have frequent usage (passageways, restaurants and reception areas) should be over-hauled at least every five years. Unfortunately, this is not yet the norm in France.
As we note in the general article on the French hotel sector, France is dominated on the one hand by integrated chains and on the other, by a plethora of independent, small hotels. The latter have found profitability increasingly out of reach and the fall out over the last decade has been dramatic. Those that are surviving are discovering the value of re-investment.
The well-managed, prudent hotel provisions about 5% of its turnover for future refurbishment. But hotels that are strapped for cash, frequently suffer from poor access to funds. In most cases, their only recourse is a local bank, generally a dismal partner for business. French banks typically require 40% down-payment for a loan to refurbish. Ironically, the government introduced some regional subsidies targeting hotel refurbishment about five years ago.
But the assisted-loans are limited to 25% of total reinvestment and do not apply to chains or integrated hotels even if these are independent franchisors. Nevertheless, in 2004, an estimated 6% of French hotels were refurbished extensively. While this is still insufficient, it is a marked improvement from ten years ago.
Hotels in France have been criticised for their lack of innovation and original concepts. Numerous market studies repeat visitor frustrations with the old-fashioned concepts, equipment and decoration that characterises so many hotels. Internet access, DVD-players, flat-screen TVs and power-showers are common in French households today. But a visitor to a French hotel could still be faced in their room with a small TV suspended in a corner and a small bathtub in a dimly-lit bathroom.
But hotels are beginning to take notice of client demands - notably for improving the bathrooms. Top of the decoration list of 2005 are: natural fabrics and materials, especially wood and stone, visible parquet floorings, fireplaces and old-fashioned floor tiles. Colours preferred include either pastel or ‘natural’ tones with bright colours for decoration.
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Hotels should be refurbished completely every seven years - according to the general industry wisdom. In addition, rooms and areas that have frequent usage (passageways, restaurants and reception areas) should be over-hauled at least every five years. Unfortunately, this is not yet the norm in France.