Nearly 300 more hotels for a total of 50,000 rooms added to its portfolio, the 1,000 mark passed by Mercure, 330 % more eco-certified hotels in one year to reach 36 % of its labelled stock, but above all a record number of signatures In 2024, Accor will have had a productive year in terms of development. Its global network now includes more than 5,680 hotels and 850,000 rooms in operation, plus 1,381 planned openings, representing 233,000 rooms to come.
Although the growth in its offer has been slower than that of its American competitors - +6.9% for Marriott and +7.1% for Hilton, compared with +3.5% for Marriott - the French group is following a trajectory driven more by the value generated by its hotels than by volume. Its Luxury and Lifestyle division for example, grew by +7.5% in terms of number of rooms, compared with +2.8% for the hotels in its Premium, Midscale and Economy (PME) division. Sébastien Bazin, Accor's CEO, makes no secret of the fact that he is not interested in "net growth per room". the alpha and the omega "of its strategy to give priority to to contribution, to better 'fees per room " as explained at the Group's last results presentation.
Last year, the Group opened an average of one luxury or lifestyle hotel every week, while signing up six new projects a month. Enough to continuestrategic acceleration in the luxury and lifestyle sector through its Raffles, Sofitel and Fairmont brands and the whole galaxy of contemporary brands of the Ennismore entity, from Mama Shelter and Delano to 25Hours and The Hoxton.
As a result, Accor currently has more than 280 establishments in the pipeline for its Luxury and Lifestyle division. Among these developments, a key moment planned for this year, the revival of a legendary brand with the opening of the Orient Express La Minerva hotel in Rome, in conjunction with the introduction of the first La Dolce Vita trains in Italy. At the same time, the luxury brand Emblems Collection is now up and running with the announcement of its first developmentsElatos Resort in Greece and Hotel Bellevue Cortina d'Ampezzo in Italy, both due to open in 2026.
Like the Emblems Collection, brands that focus on the conversion of existing hotels, such as MGallery or the Handwritten Collection, have helped to strengthen the Group's offer. by attracting new establishments to its fold. As a result, 58 % of Accor's new hotel projects in 2024 involved this type of development, as the Mercure or Tribe brands are also conducive to conversions.
Focus on luxury and lifestyle, with premium as a priority
Responding to the demand for designer hotels at affordable prices, Tribe is continuing to expand, with 20 hotels now open. 40 more plannedThe Handwritten Collection, one of the latest brands launched by Accor, includes more than 25 hotels worldwide and will be strengthening its presence in Europe over the coming months with more than 10 openings planned, from Amsterdam to Saint-Jean de Luz, via Heraklion and Calvi.
Both will help to expand the global network of the Premium, Midscale and Economy (PM&E) division, alongside Accor's major brands such as Pullman, Novotel and ibis, which " are among the drivers of the group's international growth" explains Camil Yazbeck, Director of Brand Development for the PM&E division. While ibis will be entering its 80th country this year and ibis Styles will pass the 700 hotels mark, the emphasis is on strengthening the offering of premium brands such as Pullman, Swissôtel, Mövenpick and Grand Mercure. A segment with the promise of higher revenues that has seen an increase of more than 150 % in signatures from 2019. " With a strong pipeline, a diversified portfolio of brands and an owner-centric approach, Accor is perfectly positioned to deliver a new wave of hotel growth in 2025 and beyond." Camil Yazbeck concludes.
