Accor is kicking off the year with an encouraging development outlook and a full schedule of new hotel openings in Southeast Asia, Japan & South Korea and around the world
While 2020 was a year of unprecedented challenges – not the least of which were felt among the travel and hospitality sectors – Accor maintained a steady pace of development and continued to sign new projects, leading to a robust roster of new hotel openings throughout 2021.
“As we are all too familiar, 2020 had a profound impact on our day-to-day lives and the hospitality industry as a whole; even so, the early stages of a global rebound will be material and significant,” said Agnes Roquefort, Global Chief Development Officer. “Despite the delays and temporary closures we experienced due to the pandemic, we continued to experience sustained momentum across our development pipeline and are optimistic that the worldwide rollout of Covid-19 vaccines will lead to renewed trust in travel and a much greater sense of personal safety for the entire global population.”
Accor’s sound financial capacity, worldwide reach, and unrivalled portfolio of brands not only kept the company in a solid position to weather the challenges of 2020, but its development capabilities and organisational model allowed the Group to focus on providing support and service to its owners, developers and partners.
Across Southeast Asia, notable openings include V Villas Phuket – MGallery, a 24-pool villa resort, which will offer five distinctive dining outlets, a swimming pool and a spectacular spa & wellness centre on Thailand’s renowned island of Phuket. Over in Manila, the new Admiral Hotel Manila – MGallery is set to offer a portal to the city’s golden era with a blend of modern Spanish and Art Deco design. Visitors to Singapore will also be able to experience the country’s first MGallery address with the opening of Orchard Hills Residences Singapore – MGallery, an urban wellness retreat which is perfectly situated near to Gardens by the Bay, Marina Bay, Singapore Botanic Gardens and Suntec Convention Centre. South Korea will welcome two standout luxury hotels in 2021. The Fairmont Ambassador Seoul is set to debut next month with its 326 rooms & suites offering stunning panoramic views of the city skyline, and a collection of venues for unforgettable social gatherings such as the hotel’s rooftop restaurant and bar. The capital city will also be home to the new Sofitel Ambassador Seoul Hotel & Serviced Residences, set to open in late 2021. The hotel and serviced residences will boast an unmatched outlook over Seokchon Lake Park and feature 563 rooms and suites, an allday-dining restaurant and bar, indoor swimming pool, outdoor Jacuzzi, fitness, spa as well as meetings and events spaces.
“We are really pleased to be welcoming such an exciting collection of new hotels to our region in 2021. While the last 12 months have been a challenging period for our industry, we remain very confident in the future outlook for the tourism sector. We are delighted to be in a position where we can further strengthen our network in Southeast Asia, Japan & South Korea, thanks to the trust of our owner partners and expertise of our team. These new hotels will allow our guests to experience a greater array of destinations with the brands that they love. We really look forward to welcoming back our loyal guests and delivering limitless experiences at our latest addresses,” said Garth Simmons, Chief Executive Officer, Accor, Southeast Asia, Japan and South Korea.
The lifestyle category is set to be one of Accor’s most vibrant segments over the coming years, with the number of lifestyle hotel openings expected to triple by 2023. Moreover, Accor’s lifestyle segment currently accounts for roughly five percent of the Group’s annual revenue, while representing 25% of the company’s development pipeline by value. The recently announced joint venture with Ennismore, expected to close in Q2 2021, will contribute to a richly diverse platform set to become even more exciting this year with uniquely stylish new properties opening their doors, including Mondrian Shoreditch London; JO&JOE Vienna Westbahnhof; SO/ Sotogrande Resort & Spa; SLS Dubai and 25hours Dubai.
Accor’s luxury segment will also make headlines in 2021 with the Banyan Tree Doha in Qatar and new Raffles openings in Udaipur and Jeddah. Fairmont will see the muchanticipated opening of the Fairmont Century Plaza in Los Angeles, along with Fairmont Windsor in England; Carton House, a Fairmont managed hotel in Dublin; Fairmont Ramla Riyadh; Fairmont Ambassador Seoul; and, Fairmont Tagazhout Bay in Morocco. Sofitel will bring French sophistication to several new destinations including Seoul, Hangzhou, and Adelaide.
Conversion opportunities also presented themselves in 2020 and will continue to be a growth driver in 2021 and beyond, as Accor has emerged as the partner of choice among independent hotel owners attracted to the company’s renowned flexibility and ease of transition, its unmatched spectrum of brands, and its welcoming culture that celebrates authenticity, diversity and entrepreneurialism.
Across the Group’s unrivalled brand portfolio, leading brands for conversion opportunities include The House of Originals (Luxury), MGallery (Upper Premium), Mövenpick (Premium), Grand Mercure (Premium), Mercure (Midscale), ibis Styles (Economy) and greet (Budget). Not surprisingly, these seven brands account for 43% of Accor’s opening pipeline over the next five years. For example, MGallery will welcome several new hotels in key gateway locations this year, including Orchard Hills Residences Singapore – MGallery, The Silveri Hong Kong – MGallery, and The Porter House Hotel – MGallery in Sydney, Australia.
All of the Group’s new properties are expected to open in full compliance with Accor’s ALLSAFE hygiene and cleanliness label. The ALLSAFE label was established by Accor in mid 2020 to give guests the assurance of a third-party verified standard of hotel cleanliness and hygienic requirements. These standards were developed with and vetted by Bureau Veritas, a world leader in operational testing, inspections and certifications.
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