At 34 years of age, Solenne Devys joins a very exclusive club of female directors in the hotel industry.
From a young age, following her Master of Sciences in Entrepreneurship at the Edhec Business School and a spell at LVMH, Solenne has felt the urge to become an entrepreneur and to see her own ideas come to fruition.
In February 2011, she teamed up with Olivier Devys on a crazy project: to develop a never-before-seen hotel concept built around the values of conviviality and generosity. She was entrusted with creating the brand. Today, she is to thank for the development of the brand, the group’s image, the choice of its partners and providers, its interest in local supply chains, CSR, design collaborations and communication.
The result is OKKO Hotels, a four-star hotel chain that offers its guests a “home from home” experience with around-the-clock access to the Club and a selection of snacks included in the price of a room.
The first hotel, which opened in Nantes in 2014, was a hit from the word go. Just as guests fell in love with it, the hotel industry was taken aback by this new player offering a designer, urban, trend-setting concept and unbeatable value for money.
She has had a passion for hotels since she was just a girl, and the interest that she developed early on in CSR in the hotel sector has remained a priority since the very start of her adventure.
In February 2021, Solenne celebrated her tenth anniversary at Okko Hotels, which now employs 170 people across the group’s head office and the 10 hotels that it operates around France.
“Since the birth of Okko Hotels, I’ve always held the firm conviction that it is possible for a hotel to be both environmentally and socially responsible, and I’m delighted to have the opportunity to continue developing these areas during this new phase in the company’s evolution. Despite the difficult times that our industry faces, I’m confident in the ability of Okko Hotels and our staff to stay the course and see the bigger picture in order to imagine the hotels of tomorrow,” says Solenne Ojea-Devys.
This year’s new projects include the development of bar facilities and a more expansive food offering, with the opening of several bars and rooftop lounges and the rollout of a food menu in the Clubs. The creation of a training school designed to offer genuine career pathways within the group is another of the objectives on the agenda for 2021. CSR remains a priority, meanwhile, with an ongoing drive to purchase local and organic produce and to introduce new anti-waste measures.
Two new hotels will also open their doors for the first time in 2021: in Lille in April, presenting 120 guest rooms spread across 3,000 m² at the site of a former Galeries Lafayette store; and in Nice in June, offering 135 guest rooms and 2 meeting rooms located only 5 minutes from the airport.
Further information: www.okkohotels.com
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