Having recently positioned itself in the booming private flat rental market by acquiring stakes in Oasis Collections, SquareBreak and onefinestay, AccorHotels is now opening up to a new business related to traditional hotels: private concierge services. The hotel group has just announced the acquisition of John Paul, the world leader in this sector, which further strengthened its position at the end of 2015 by merging with American leader LesConcierges. John Paul has acquired this strategic position in its market by offering 'plus' services to customers of major brands in the financial, automotive, health, pharmaceutical and luxury sectors. At the same time, the company's clients also include large companies that use John Paul's expertise to improve the quality of life of their employees.
"To grow, we considered the financial route, but we were looking for 'smart money' through investment from a player that could support our growth. We received several offers from players in different industries. AccorHotels was a logical partner, as we share a common DNA with them - hospitality", explains David Amsellem, John Paul's current and future CEO. "We couldn't let this opportunity pass us by", emphasises Sébastien Bazin, the hotel group's CEO. With this operation, estimated at 150 million dollars, the hotel group is hoping to generate synergies between its customer database, in particular the 27 million members of its loyalty programme Le Club AccorHotels, and that of John Paul, with its 3 million end customers.
John Paul has equipped itself with powerful CRM (Customer Relationship Management) software, a data management platform incorporating behavioural profiling and 360° personalisation, and a network of over 50,000 partners in more than 50 countries. From day one, we have invested in technology to offer personalised services to as many people as possible," explains David Amsellem. Our business is 'augmented' concierge services, combining the qualities of the traditional concierge - the network, discretion - with the possibilities offered by new technologies."
According to David Amsellem, combining his company's expertise with that of AccorHotels could result in a "game changer". "This partnership with the leader in the fast-growing concierge services market enables AccorHotels to position itself as the best and most complete service provider, capable of accompanying travellers from one end of their journey to the other, from non-hotel offers to 24/7 service, thanks to an integrated and innovative solution, in the manner of a true 'travel companion'," said Sébastien Bazin.
