A slightly stressed businessman arrives at check-in, no doubt tired from his never-ending travels. He then gradually relaxes, loosening his tie, rolling up the sleeves of his white shirt before changing into a polo shirt to wield a shaker and blend into the hotel's atmosphere, mingling with its other guests. Obviously, as this is an advertisement, in this case for the new communication campaign by the Pullman brand, he leaves delighted with his stay, greeting it with a very audible "amazing".
This journey, from a tense check-in to a relaxed check-out, promotes the evolution of the brand, originally very business-to-business, towards hospitality more conducive to escaping the everyday. "Every Exchange Is a Trip": the new slogan for the Accor group's upscale brand evokes this idea of hotels designed as places for exchange. Where every stay is designed to spark new encounters and open new perspectives », explains brand communications.
To go further and demonstrate this new dynamic through action, the brand has launched a new event concept, Pullman xChange, developed in partnership with The House of Beautiful Business, a global community of over 50,000 professionals united by a more humanistic vision of the future of the business world.
" We believe it's possible to create a narrative that lifts spirits, and that is neither utopian, like that of Silicon Valley's transhumanists, nor dystopian, like that which predicts the imminent collapse of civilisation. explains Till Grusche, co-founder of The House of Beautiful Business. If we manage to offer something more compelling than Elon Musk's imaginationhe adds, So I believe we have an immense opportunity to shape a more beautiful future, in partnership with AI, serving all living systems, responding to this profound desire for a quest for meaning. ".
Immersive demonstration
Following a first edition in Dubai at the end of 2025, the second of these Pullman xChange took place in Paris last June, bringing together 150 participants at the Pullman Montparnasse. Without badges so as not to condition exchanges by individual titles, but rather to encourage informal conversations… The outline of this event: an immersive programme spanning 24 hours, covering themes from leadership and emotional connection to systemic thinking and creative collaboration. The enigmatic theme of this edition: The Source Code.
In fact, its translation materialised into six workshops where participants were divided and led, among others, by researcher Monika Jiang, systems thinker Laura François, and writer and curator Gianfranco Chicco. The high point of this Pullman xChange was an experiential gala dinner where this "source code", a sort of superior – or even divine? – spirit, was embodied by artist Lory Baldwin and welcomed the attendees by speaking to them in more or less these words: The code is within us and we are in the code. We are all friends here, swimming in the same pool of consciousness. . Or again “ Have the courage to face your challenges, to let go of your grip on the outcome and let the source code flow through you so that you can create freely, have the clarity to see in our finiteness the leverage to appreciate this unique and precious life Stoics or Epicureans, certain philosophers of Antiquity could only have agreed...
These flagship brand events are set to be repeated, whether with other global-scale editions or more intimate formats at the hotel level, as recently took place at the Pullman St. Pancras in London or the one in Riga. But they also, and above all, serve to highlight a reinvented Meetings & Events offering centred around more flexible and immersive spaces, such as the C2 space at the Pullman Paris Montparnasse, presented as the largest modular event venue in Europe. And this, while the brand is already, according to customer feedback mentioned by Accor, " ranked #1 in its competitive universe » for its facilities dedicated to meetings and events.
" This is a fantastic position to be in, and it continually pushes us to ask ourselves not only how we can host this or that meeting, but above all, how we can create the conditions for participants to have genuine moments of exchange.describes Natasha Mohammed, Pullman's global brand vice president. Today's business traveller is no longer the same as they were 10 or 15 years ago. The way business is conducted is no longer necessarily around a boardroom table. It's much more fluid, more interconnected, and our clients are asking for more adaptability and flexibility with spaces that can change configuration. "
Still in the idea of fostering encounters and exchanges, other markers will symbolise the evolution of the high-end brand. Particularly concerning catering with bars and restaurants designed to encourage meetings, while awaiting the launch, in autumn, of the new mixology concept Unexpected Pairings, namely the pairing of a cocktail. In Europe and North Africa, this new vision for Pullman is already tangible in many hotels. », explains Julie White, Sales Director Europe & North Africa for its Premium, Mid-Range and Economic division.
Towards the 200-hotel mark
Accompanying a shift towards more 'premium' hospitality, Pullman will also rely on a new service culture based on emotional intelligence through the 'Hosts of Pullman' programme. Rolled out globally from next year after a pilot phase conducted in eight countries, this programme aims, in a way, to bring back to life those old Pullman train couriers, always attentive and listening to guests. They are something akin to 'sweepers' in hospitality, to draw a parallel with football, neither receptionists nor concierges, but free to engage with guests to satisfy their expectations and enhance their stays.
To embody this new brand spirit, Pullman will also introduce a distinctive design element: "Pullman Portals" at the entrance to its hotels. These portals will materialise the passage between the outside world and the unique universe of each establishment, playing with light, sound, or touch. One of these has already been installed at Pullman Dubai, Jumeirah Lake Towers, with another set to open soon at the Pullman Hamilton in New Zealand. These design portals will then be integrated into future hotels or as part of renovations. Next, five or six more should appear in the coming 12 to 16 months, including in China and Australia », specifies Natasha Mohammed.
The brand's transformation also goes hand in hand with an acceleration of its international development. Hamilton, in New Zealand, but also Nanjing in China and Casablanca in Morocco: all these metropolises will welcome new Pullman hotels by the end of the year. While the brand already has 159 hotels in 41 countries, 67 other establishments are under development. Everything is therefore in place to reach the milestone of 200 hotels and resorts over the next five years.
