France Overtakes Italy in Luxury Hotel Bookings, Says Global Travel Collection

France has reclaimed its place at the top of the European luxury travel leaderboard, according to July booking data from Global Travel Collection. The network of international luxury travel advisors reported a 64% year-over-year surge in French hotel reservations—led by Paris, Nice, and Marseille—marking the first time since 2019 that France has edged out Italy.

The shift is notable for advisors mapping client itineraries in 2025. For the past two summers, Italy dominated the luxury segment, creating capacity crunches in hotspots like Lake Como and the Amalfi Coast. Now, with demand “spread more evenly across Europe,” as GTC president Angie Licea put it, France’s lead could indicate a redistribution of high-spend travelers across the continent, opening opportunities in both marquee cities and emerging luxury destinations.

Paris was GTC’s top performer with 2,710 nights booked in July, supported by perennial favorites such as Le Bristol Paris, part of Oetker Collection. But the French Riviera is also increasingly pulling in ultra-luxury guests. Nice secured 1,313 nights, buoyed by cliffside icons like The Maybourne Riviera, while Marseille accounted for 286 nights—a sign that the port city, once overlooked in high-end circles, is starting to appear on multi-stop itineraries. The trend may be fueled by a combination of post-Olympics interest in France, expanded airlift into the Riviera, and a strong pipeline of luxury openings across the country. For advisors, this creates a window to combine Paris with coastal escapes, wine regions, or less traditional stops without sacrificing rate or service standards.