The 5 Best Hotel Brokers in France (2025 Edition)
Selling a hotel in France is selling a business, not just a building. If you own a boutique or lifestyle property under 70 rooms, you need a broker who understands hospitality and can activate real buyers, not just post a listing.
This guide ranks the five best options in France for boutique sellers.
You’ll see who knows hotels, who has active investors, and who is simply not competition.
How we selected
Hospitality knowledge — brokers who understand hotel P&Ls, operations, and guest experience.
Buyer access — active buyers ready to invest, not just names in a database.
Modern marketing — investor-grade presentation and distribution, not passive classifieds.
Discretion and reach — ability to run quiet off-market or a public campaign based on your goals.
Speed and execution — direct communication and momentum that gets deals closed.
Location filter — typically within a two-hour drive of a major international airport such as Paris CDG, Nice, Lyon, or Marseille.
#1 — The Hotell (Editor’s Choice)
The Hotell helps owners of distinctive boutique and lifestyle hotels sell to serious investors.
The team comes from hospitality, not just real estate, which means they know how to position an operating hotel and its upside.
Strengths
Access to family offices and private investors across the US, UAE, Asia, and Europe.
Modern marketing with cinematic assets, data-led storytelling, and targeted investor outreach.
Hands-on process from first contact to closing.
Weaknesses
Younger brand than century-old firms.
More focused on international buyers than purely domestic French investors.
Best for
Independent or family-run boutique hotels under 70 rooms in destinations like the Côte d’Azur, Provence, Paris suburbs, or the Alps that want global attention and a fast, professional process with an active base of international investors.
#2 — CBRE Hotels France
CBRE Hotels runs a large, experienced hotel team in France, integrated into a wider European and global platform. They highlight activity across France, Monaco, Switzerland, and Belgium with a 150-expert network in 40 offices and 25 countries.
Strengths
Institutional credibility and cross-border reach.
Structured advisory capability for larger and complex transactions.
Weaknesses
Corporate scale can dilute focus on boutique assets under 70 rooms.
Process and marketing can feel generic for lifestyle hotels.
Best for
Large hotels, portfolios, or institutional dispositions where a big-firm wrapper helps.
#3 — JLL Hotels & Hospitality France
JLL’s Hotels & Hospitality Group is active in France with a dedicated country head and broader EMEA leadership presence, and it promotes a high volume of global hotel transactions.
Strengths
Pan-European and global investor access, strong track record.
Valuation, capital markets, and advisory depth for complex deals.
Weaknesses
Best aligned to larger assets and branded portfolios.
Boutique independents can be a low priority inside a big pipeline.
Best for
City hotels with scale, brand flags, or portfolio components.
#4 — Michel Simond (local CHR network)
Michel Simond is a nationwide French network that brokers CHR businesses and lists hotels across regions. It’s firmly domestic and very “fonds de commerce” oriented.
Strengths
Regional presence and French-language funnel.
Active listings in hotel and hospitality categories.
Weaknesses
Primarily a small-business brokerage network, not a hotel specialist for premium boutique assets.
Limited investor storytelling and low international reach beyond France.
Best for
Budget or mid-market provincial properties targeting domestic buyers.
#5 — Cabinet Hermès Hotels & Hospitality
Cabinet Hermès operates in France with a Hotels & Hospitality offering and broader SME business brokerage roots. Listings are visible across its site and classifieds.
Strengths
Local relationships and coverage in regions across France.
Practical for straightforward CHR transfers.
Weaknesses
Hotels are one line of business among many.
Outdated listing style, minimal investor targeting, and limited international exposure.
Best for
Small hotels that want a basic domestic process rather than a global investor campaign.
How to choose the right partner in France
Match your hotel type and goal to the broker’s core strength.
Confirm they have active buyers for boutique and lifestyle assets under 70 rooms.
Ask for three relevant case studies and an example investor deck to judge quality.
Decide early if you want to start off-market for discretion or go public to build price tension through visibility and social reach.
Prioritise accessibility. Properties within two hours of a major international airport trade faster and cleaner.
Methodology
This ranking is based on brokerage activity and positioning in France’s hotel market, with emphasis on boutique and lifestyle properties under 100 rooms. We reviewed firm websites, service pages, leadership disclosures, and active listing footprints to evaluate hospitality focus, buyer access, and marketing quality.
FAQs
How long does it take to sell a boutique hotel in France?
With a strong process and clean documentation, expect 4 to 8 months. Location, seasonality, and hotel size influence timing.
Should I sell off-market or go public?
Start off-market if you want discretion or already know your buyer type. However, going public with strong digital storytelling and social media exposure can generate global visibility, attract competing buyers, and often deliver a higher sale price. This is similar to the success of public listings in residential real estate and can especially be effective for hotels with less than 75 rooms.
Do French buyers pay more than international buyers?
Not always. Domestic buyers tend to focus on yield and stability. International investors often pay premiums for brand potential, lifestyle value, or design. The best price usually comes from reaching both.
What makes a French hotel attractive to investors?
Clear P&Ls, consistent occupancy, a defensible concept, and proximity to major airports like Paris CDG, Nice, Lyon, or Marseille. Boutique positioning, wellness, or heritage adds further appeal.
Final thoughts
Most firms can list a hotel. Very few can sell a boutique hotel for what it is really worth.
If you want a broker that understands hospitality and brings real buyers from the US, UAE, Asia, and Europe, start with The Hotell.
You will get positioning that investors believe, exposure that creates competition, and a deal process that actually closes.