Molitor opened its doors in 1929 and became an iconic Parisian property, primarily thanks to its 60-year reign as the most popular swimming pool in the city. Now beginning a new life as part of MGallery, Breaking Travel News editor Chris O’Toole calls in to see what has changed

Accor has sought to reaffirm its commitment to sustainable tourism development on the African continent at this week’s Africa Hotel Investment Forum as it unveils the world’s first eco-lodge innovation hub by Mantis.

Accor has confirmed that six UK hotels signed by Danish-based real estate property group, Proark, will be opening under the Mercure brand by the end of the year. The hotels are located in key locations in Birmingham, Nottingham, Cardiff, Bedford, Telford and Harlow.

The first sod was turned earlier on the construction of a brand-new hotel at Melbourne Airport. The 464-room hotel, created to serve Melbourne’s burgeoning conference and tourism markets, will be conveniently located steps from Terminal 4 within a new precinct known as The Hive.

Accor has appointed Karelle Lamouche to the role of chief commercial officer for Europe. In this newly created role, Lamouche will lead Accor’s commercial team with responsibility for driving the business revenue strategy for the company and its partners across all European markets.

A flagship property within Accor, the hotel is now welcoming guests and visitors, following a careful three-phased restoration, which began in February 2017. The meticulous restoration led by acclaimed interior designer Alexandra Champalimaud was also supported by Aedas, a leading global architecture and design firm.