Tag Archives: Accor

Accor announced the signing of Grand Mercure Dubai Downtown, the latest addition to its portfolio of premium hotels in partnership with Gulf Hotels Group. The signing ceremony was held during the Future Hospitality Summit. This agreement marks the rebranding of Gulf Court Hotel Business Bay as the Grand Mercure Dubai Downtown, a strategic move to strengthen the hotel’s competitive position in Dubai’s dynamic hospitality market. Gulf Hotels Group stands as one of the most respected and pioneering hospitality companies in the Middle East and Africa. With a history spanning over five decades, Gulf Hotels Group is synonymous with luxury, innovation, and service excellence. The rebranding of Gulf Court Hotel Business Bay is another step in Gulf Hotels Group’s mission to uphold its legacy while adapting to market demands and opportunities. Gulf Hotels Group has been managing the property for several years, and with this rebranding, the Group will continue to manage and oversee the hotel’s operations, ensuring the same level of excellence for which it has become renowned. The hotel will now benefit from Accor’s global reach, loyalty, sales and distribution platforms, and brand recognition, further enhancing its appeal to both leisure and business travelers. Set to open in 2025, the hotel brings Grand Mercure’s modern flair and passion for local culture to the city’s vibrant Downtown and Business Bay areas – strategically positioned near Dubai International Airport, financial and business districts, as well as key leisure hubs and tourist attractions. Featuring a prime location with views over the iconic Burj Khalifa and Dubai Canal, Grand Mercure Dubai Downtown will offer 270 keys comprising 239 rooms and 31 suites ranging from standard, deluxe, superior and grand deluxe. The hotel provides …

Accor together with executive travel managers and buyers from 17 leading international corporations, have launched the Accor Global Leadership Council (GLC), an innovative advisory board aimed at reimagining the future of corporate travel and meetings. Established to create a forward-looking vision for business travel and corporate meetings, the GLC connects business leaders responsible for corporate travel across diverse industries with senior executives from Accor. Council delegates include representatives from sectors such as financial services, engineering, manufacturing, transportation, energy, professional services and technology. The GLC discussed shifting corporate and traveller expectations; the importance of recognition, personalisation and B2B-focused loyalty; the evolving importance of sustainability; emerging traveller trends; the role and impact of distribution and pricing; and a deep-dive on areas of Accor’s business and brands. The Global Leadership Council delegates, who have a combined employee base of over 2.7 million travellers, unanimously agreed the top three priorities for business travel are: 1. Traveler experience and well-being – including corporate employee engagement, wellness, traveller security and digital efficiencies. 2. Cost management and optimization – including program compliance, pricing, cost-reduction and cost avoidance. 3. Sustainability – including sustainable action, carbon budgets and DEI (diversity, equity and inclusion) Antony Meguerdijian, SVP Sales, Middle East, Africa, Asia-Pacific at Accor said: “The dynamics of international and corporate travel in the Middle East, Africa, and Asia Pacific region are evolving rapidly. It is essential for both our clients and hospitality businesses to adapt to new demands and priorities. The new GLC, and the program of client and commercial partner events we host across the region, are critical forums for sharing insights and collaborating on solutions that meet the changing needs of travellers and delegates. Travel and tourism …

Accor signed a partnership agreement with Egypt’s Q Real Estate Development Company to develop a new Novotel property; Novotel Sidi Abd El Rahman to debut in Egypt slated to open in 2027, featuring 240 spacious and modern rooms as well as a host of thoughtful wellbeing and entertainment offerings. Novotel Sidi Abd El Rahman is the latest announcement for Egypt’s northern coastline, which has seen a rise in development in recent years, transforming the destination from a domestic hotspot to a global travel destination. Accor’s partnership with Q Developments marks the Egyptian real estate company’s first hotel project in Q North, a well-established, mixed-use development, located just minutes away from luxury coastal development Marassi. The hotel is accessible by a one-hour 30-minute drive from Alexandria Borg el Arab International Airport and a three-hour drive from Cairo. Boasting a low-rise build and seafront location, Novotel Sidi Abd El Rahman will offer guests well-appointed, comfortable and modern accommodations, ensuring guests can take time to rest and reenergise. The hotel will feature one restaurant, a trendy café, a pool bar and a rooftop bar – offering panoramic vistas across the Mediterranean Sea. Energizing wellness and entertainment offerings will include a cutting-edge fitness centre, spa, outdoor swimming pool and padel courts – capitalising on the sport’s rising popularity in the region. Water sports activities will also be available to guests from the beachfront. While primarily aimed at leisure travellers, Novotel Sidi Abd El Rahman will also cater to the MICE market with a 600 square metre ballroom – perfect for weddings and celebrations – and four 50 square metre meeting rooms primed for conferences and team-building activities. Present at the signing, Duncan O’Rourke, Chief …

Accor has been saying ‘ALL Thanks To You’ over the month, at a series of appreciation events hosted by the formidable Accor sales teams. Designed to acknowledge and recognise the value its partners, clients and corporate advisors bring to Accor, the events, hosted in Dubai, Riyadh, Abidjan, and Istanbul proved to be a momentous success, with over 1000 travel partners across a wide range of industries, coming together to enjoy the Accor hospitality. The coordinated events were also an opportunity for Accor to showcase its brands, new hotels, and introduce new key executives across the sales and business events teams. The Group’s ALL Meeting Planner programme, where year-round, event organisers can earn points and use these to cover up to 15% off their event bill and access redemption rewards, including world-class experiences, was also highlighted. Continuing the theme of thanks and appreciation, the Sales team, along with representatives from over 80 hotels across Middle East, Africa and Türkiye visited with key clients in each destination to update on the Group’s commitment to sustainability, which includes removing all single-use plastic items from the guest experience and reaching net zero carbon emissions by 2050, Hotel refurbishments and new developments. Paul Stevens, Chief Operating Officer, Premium, Midscale & Economy Division, Middle East, Africa and Türkiye at Accor, said: “Our ALL Thanks to You appreciation events held across key destinations within the Middle East, Africa and Türkiye region were a great success. “The gatherings were a celebration of the strong bonds that unite us with our trade partners and clients acknowledging our heartfelt gratitude for their invaluable support and loyalty to Accor. “In a world where relationships matter more than ever, we look forward to continuing to …

Accor announced the launch of HERA, Accor Travel Advisor Program – a new worldwide loyalty and rewards program exclusively for travel advisors. Available now at HERA.Accor.com, the new program includes more brands, more features, and more capabilities as well as an enhanced digital experience with easy and efficient online tools for booking, tracking and reviewing activity. Other key features of HERA include informative and educational resources on Accor’s participating luxury and luxury lifestyle brands and hotels – including those sitting within the global lifestyle collective Ennismore. The new program generously rewards travel advisors for bookings while allowing them to increase their productivity, performance, and client satisfaction. “We are beyond excited to introduce HERA, a competitive and differentiated program that delivers the capabilities, personalization and rewards that the travel advisor community both needs and wants,” said Pascal Visintainer, Senior Vice President Global Sales, Luxury & Lifestyle, Accor. “Our aim is to inspire loyalty among leading travel professionals, by equipping them with all the resources they need to seamlessly create bespoke luxury travel experiences for their clients and granting them valuable Reward Points to use freely on their own time. With easy-to-use tools for travel planning, an efficient booking system, and plentiful rewards, we are confident that HERA, and therefore participating hotels sitting within Accor’s Luxury & Lifestyle division, will be a top choice of travel advisors around the globe.” HERA takes Accor’s ability to support and recognize travel agents up a notch and replaces the Group’s former Famous Agents program, with all previous travel advisor data, history, and Reward Points seamlessly migrated to the new platform. Using their personalized HERA member ID, travel advisors will earn Reward Points with each room …

The Ministry of Tourism in Saudi Arabia has signed a strategic partnership with Accor to nurture and develop Saudi talent within the hospitality industry. Through the “Tamayyaz by Accor” program, the collaboration seeks to offer fresh graduates and talented individuals a clear path for career advancement, expedite nationalization by identifying essential roles in each department, cultivate internal talent, implement onboarding programs, and design career growth plans. Upon completing the 6-month program, 256 trainees will be employed in their preferred departments within the hotels. To mark this partnership, the Ministry was represented during the signing ceremony by the Deputy Minister of Tourism for Human Capital Development, Engineer Mohammed Muin Bushnag, while Accor was represented by Jean-Jacques Morin the Group Deputy Chief Executive Officer, Premium, Midscale and Economy division, in the presence of several officials. Engineer Mohammed Muin Bushnag, Deputy Minister of Tourism for Human Capital Development stated, “This partnership with Accor marks a significant milestone in our efforts to grow Saudi Arabia’s tourism sector and create job opportunities for our citizens. With “Tamayyaz by Accor”, we are confident that Saudi talent will be well-equipped to succeed in the ever-evolving world of hospitality.” “Tamayyaz by Accor” encompasses three distinct tracks: Hospitality Specialist, Hospitality Operations, and Hospitality Leadership. The Hospitality Specialist track exposes local talent to the foundations of non-operating hotel departments such as Talent and Culture, Marketing, Finance, Business Development, and Guest Experiences. Meanwhile, the Hospitality Operations track targets departments like Food and Beverage, Front Office, Housekeeping, Culinary, and Engineering. The Hospitality Leadership track concentrates on fostering leadership skills by applying the Accor Leadership Framework. This track includes leadership shadowing, global leadership programs, and training initiatives funded by the Ministry of Tourism. Additionally, …

Ennismore and Banyan Tree Group and part of the Accor Group, have inked a landmark deal with Dubai Holding, to open Banyan Tree Dubai in November 2023. Sébastien Bazin, Chairman & Chief Executive Officer Accor, signed the agreement with Amit Kaushal, Group Chief Executive Officer of Dubai Holding. Banyan Tree Dubai will replace the existing Caesars Palace Dubai and following a phased stage of brand related upscaling improvements, the repositioned resort will feature 179 rooms, including 30 suites and a brand-new four-bedroom villa with its own private entrance, pool and beach. A key focal point of the resort will be its wellness offering with the signature Banyan Tree Spa featuring its own reception, relaxation area, gym, indoor and outdoor yoga spaces, dedicated F&B space, private mini rainforests, hydrotherapy pools and treatment rooms. The resort will have five restaurants and bars, each carefully curated through a collaboration between Ennismore’s in-house F&B concept studio, Carte Blanched, and Banyan Tree Group, to offer guests a diverse culinary experience. Banyan Tree Dubai will also include 96 private residences comprising one-, two-, three- and four-bedroom units with a dedicated lobby, outdoor swimming pool and access to the hotel’s facilities. As part of a long-term strategic partnership agreement between Accor and Banyan Tree Group signed in 2016, Banyan Tree Dubai will be co-operated by Banyan Tree Group and Ennismore, following a similar operational model applied in Banyan Tree La Cigale Doha, Qatar and Banyan Tree AlUla, Saudi Arabia. Sébastien Bazin, Chairman & Chief Executive Officer Accor, said: “We are thrilled to be at the beginning of a promising development partnership between Accor and Dubai Holding, and the announcement of the opening of a stunning Banyan Tree …

According to a report from Accor, highly-personalised service is becoming the key differentiator for travel advisors. The report, titled ‘Tailor-Made Touch or Digital Efficiency?’, looks at the strategies, technologies and trends impacting leisure travel advisors in the recovery and beyond. It says that while continually digitally transforming their operations is of course vital, even more important is to develop the services and nurture the partnerships that can help them delight and connect with their customers on a level that is beyond what alternative intermediary models can achieve. The report, focused on the European market, outlines how the pandemic accelerated the transformation of the leisure travel intermediary market, with the widespread adoption of digital technology and many key players shifting their models in a bid to become platform businesses or b2b technology providers. It supports the notion that, used properly, technology from messaging platforms to payments and artificial intelligence can be travel advisors’ best friend, helping them to optimise their capacity with a wide variety of inventory; access powerful digital distribution channels; better understand their customers, market themselves and provide more sophisticated and efficient services. However, it argues that even more key to travel planners’ success as they evolve is the ability to get close to their customers, to provide the high-touch personalised service now expected by travellers. Saskia Gentil, SVP Sales, Europe & North Africa at Accor, explained: “Consumers increasingly value the ability of travel advisors to remove the stress from their trip, tailor it to their preferences, plan every last detail in a flexible way, and be the reassuring presence that takes care of problems when they arise. “The ability to provide this bespoke level of service is a …

The first standalone residence in the Ennismore portfolio outside of The Americas is set to open in 2026, featuring panoramic views of Palm Jumeirah and the Dubai skyline. Highlights include a Small Little Secret Club, an exclusive clubhouse for homeowners with private F&B concept, chef’s table, entertainment lounge, infinity pool and a boutique fitness studio with treatment rooms. These 113 prestigious homes were 100% reserved within 30-days of their release. Accor provided an update on the progress of its fast-growing, branded residences business line. Currently, Accor is welcoming residents home at some 40 branded residence communities around the world, with another 100+ projects under development, across 20 distinct brand collections. By 2027, the company expects to have more than 150 branded residences in operation, an increase of more than 300%. These properties are supported by Accor One Living, the company’s industry-first platform focused on the development, design and operation of mixed-use projects and branded living communities. Through Accor One Living, homeowners, guests, and partners are connected to Accor’s diverse ecosystem of brands, expertise, and solutions – creating a constant flow of new opportunities to live, work, and play. “The intersection of private residences and lifestyle brands is one of our most compelling areas of growth right now – two areas in which Accor leads the global hospitality industry and is continuing to push forward,” said Jeff Tisdall, Chief Business Officer, Accor One Living. “Around the world, we are seeing strong demand for homes that are anchored by the comforts and promises of a beloved brand experience, providing a sense of belonging and community. This is particularly true for our lifestyle brands, where we see an important and growing segment of …

Rua Al Madinah Holding company signed an agreement with Accor for the operation of multiple premium and luxury hotels within Rua Al Madinah Project, which is currently underway, at the area just east of the Prophet Mosque in Madinah. Under the terms of the agreement, Accor will operate three hotels which would add over 1,000 hospitality units to the city of Madinah, which include 142-keys Fairmont and 120-keys Fairmont residence, in addition to 466-keys Swissôtel hotel and 328-keys Novotel hotel. “We are delighted to partner with a leading hospitality group that’s known in the world over for its bespoke and inimitable style,” said Al Juhani, Rua Al Madinah Holding Company CEO. “The three new brands will enhance the appeal of the project’s master plan and help us offer a broad selection of hospitality options to the city’s visitors, providing something for everyone that meets their need and budget and enrich their experience.” Rua Al Madinah Holding aims to enrich the experience of all visitors to Madinah and contribute to the achievement of Vision 2030’s goals of raising the holy city’s hospitality capacity to be able to accommodate 30 million visitors by the year 2030. The signing took place on the sidelines of Future Hospitality Summit, in Riyadh from 7-9 May. The agreement was signed by Ahmed Al Juhani, Chief Executive Officer of Rua Al Madinah Holding company, and Duncan O’Rourke, Accor’s CEO for the Premium, Midscale, and Economy Division for Middle East, Africa, and Asia Pacific. As one of the world’s largest hospitality groups, Accor operates more than 5,300 properties in over 110 countries.