B&B HOTELS: Fabrice Collet hands over the reins to Céline Vercollier, appointed Chief Executive Officer
In March 2025, the hotel group separated the roles of Chairman and Chief Executive Officer by appointing Céline Vercollier to the latter position. Fabrice Collet, who became Executive Chairman, believes that the necessary support has come to an end and that the CEO is now ready to take on the full role of Chief Executive Officer.
This appointment marks the departure of Fabrice Collet, CEO and then Chairman for a period of ten years, after succeeding the charismatic Georges Sampeur, who was at the helm for several decades. In agreement with the Supervisory Board, Fabrice Collet has announced that he is leaving the Group to devote himself to new personal projects.
Over the past year, Céline Vercollier has continued to develop the group, surrounding herself with a new management team to consolidate its position as the European leader in budget hotels. Revenue grew by 12% over the period and B&B HOTELS is approaching the symbolic milestone of 1,000 hotels in 20 countries (currently 940 hotels in 19 countries). The range of offerings has been expanded with a new brand, B&B Home, dedicated to medium and long-term stays, which now has eight properties open with a target of 60 sites by 2030.
Since 2019, Goldman Sachs' private equity division has held control of B&B HOTELS, after acquiring the group from PAI Partners for approximately £1.9 billion. The last shareholder to date, after a series of LBOs involving various investment funds, Goldman Sachs has made no secret of its desire to find a buyer for the entire group, entrusting Morgan Stanley with the task. The bank is waiting to find a buyer who will value the company at the expected level, i.e. around double the initial acquisition price.