AccorHotels in Talks to Acquire FCDE’s Stake in Groupe Noctis

AccorHotels and the FCDE (Fonds de Consolidation et de Développement des Entreprises) have confirmed that they are in exclusive talks about acquiring 100% of the latter’s minority interest in Groupe Noctis.

Laurent de Gourcuff, Groupe Noctis’ Chairman, CEO and majority shareholder, established the company in 2008 and has since grown it into a key player in the hospitality market covering three segments, namely events, catering and entertainment.

Groupe Noctis has almost 800 employees and a collection of exclusive venues in Paris, wider France and abroad. It treats its French and international customers to a choice of upscale and emblematic venues (Monsieur Bleu, Loulou, Pavillons des Etangs, YOYO, Château de Longchamp, Raspoutine, Castel, etc.), and organizes over 3,000 events a year.

The FCDE invested €11 million in Noctis over 2013 and 2014, to help it roll out its strategically important events business, in particular through acquisitions, enabling it to grow into one of the key groups in its market and build one of the most remarkable asset portfolios in Paris. Over the past four years, it has grown revenues by 250%.

It has signed agreements to open about 10 new venues including Restaurant Girafe (Cité de l’Architecture et du Patrimoine, Paris 16), Electric (Porte de Versailles, Paris 16), Compagnie 1837 (Saint Lazare train station, Paris 9), the rooftop restaurant at 52 Champs-Elysées (Paris 8). These projects will cement the group’s position in the hospitality market and rank it among the leading entertainment companies in Paris.

By investing in a top-tier Paris-based events, catering and entertainment specialist, AccorHotels is cementing its position in the City of Lights, a prominent destination for international and local customers seeking original and exclusive venues.

The operation under consideration will be submitted to employee representatives for consultation.

Laurent de Gourcuff, Groupe Noctis Chairman, CEO and founder, said, “The fact that the FCDE invested in our equity encouraged our business and financial partners, helped us transform our governance, added a more professional edge to our group’s management and opened the door to bank financing. The FCDE has been a very valuable partner for an entrepreneur such as myself, and has played a pivotal role in our development strategy’s success. Now we’re starting a new, decisive chapter in our story, with AccorHotels’ investment in our equity. It’s the best partner to team up with to push ahead with our bold development plans, and we’ll be able to share a leading group’s expertise in serving upscale customers and extract synergies with their various business lines. We are very proud to be associated with AccorHotels, which, under the leadership of its President and CEO Sébastien Bazin, is pursuing a bold, demanding and ambitious strategy.”

Sébastien Bazin, Chairman and CEO, AccorHotels, said, “We’re very excited about teaming up with Groupe Noctis, which has come to rank among the leaders in a fiercely competitive environment in only a few years. It’s more than an enviable address book: Laurent de Gourcuff and his teams have built a portfolio of distinctive venues with strong characters that are promoting Paris on the international scene. This alliance blends naturally into our plans to transform and boost AccorHotels with a view to catering to increasingly discerning customers’ wants and needs beyond the travel universe. Its expertise and ours complement each other, and pooling our assets will put us in a position to tap into growth opportunities and synergies in France and beyond.”

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