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AccorHotels, the world’s leading travel & lifestyle group, announced that it secured the highest total number of new room signings for the Middle East and Africa. Last year alone, AccorHotels signed 30 new hotels, including seven takeover agreements, adding more than 8,700 rooms to the Group’s regional portfolio. 2018 has also begun with a dynamic start with the signing of nine hotels, including landmark agreements for the introduction of SO/ in Uptown Dubai, the expansion of MGallery in the UAE with the MGallery Old Town and the recent acquisition of South African based Mantis Group, a collection of boutique hotels and eco lodges located on all seven continents.
Hand-in-hand with this achievement is a dedicated team of operators ensuring the success of each opening. From Design & Technical Services, Talent and Culture (Human Resources), Operations, Food and Beverage, Sales and Marketing to a fully-fledged pre-opening team and task force, AccorHotels builds confidence with owners by delivering the brand successfully to the market.
The relationship continues well beyond opening with on-going communication, transparency, and delivering top line performance and high guest satisfaction through an engaged colleague workforce.
Commenting on these accomplishments, Olivier Granet, Chief Executive Officer (CEO) AccorHotels Middle East and Africa, said: “2017 was a remarkable year for AccorHotels, defined by our robust expansion strategy. Our success underscores the continued confidence of our most valued partners and guests across the Middle East and Africa and it begins with a fully engaged team providing operational support, expertise in a variety of disciplines and transparent and open dialogue.”
“We are very proud that we entered the region over 40 years ago and are humbled to be part of the very fabric of the destinations in which we operated in,” he continued. “In the UAE alone, we were the first major global hospitality company to introduce economy and midscale brands to the market, fueling a need for affordable accommodation combined with international standards. We continue this momentum by bringing some of our most innovative and disruptive concepts such as Mama Shelter, 25Hours Hotels and SO/, through which we hope to reinvigorate and transform the travel and hospitality experience for all travelers to the region.”
In 2017, key signings included the introduction of two new disruptive lifestyle brands, Mama Shelter and 25hours Hotel to the Middle East to debut in Business Bay and One Central respectively. AccorHotels also announced significant key projects, including the signing of an agreement to expand the Raffles Hotels & Resorts brand with PALM360, a spectacular two-tower development on the Palm Jumeirah, the largest Sofitel brand in the region with Sofitel Wafi in Dubai and the expansion of the Fairmont brand in Egypt with Fairmont Cairo.
The Group successfully rebranded, renovated and reintroduced regional projects in 2017 including Le Grand Amman in Jordan, later to become Sofitel Amman, as well as the midscale Mercure Dubai Barsha heights Hotel Suites & Apartments, the largest Mercure property in the world. AccorHotels also announced the first entry of the Swissôtel brand to the UAE market, the first Fairmont property in Morocco with Fairmont Royal Palm Marrakech and the first ibis Styles brand in Kenya with ibis Styles Nairobi.
AccorHotels has continued this strong momentum of growth in the first quarter of 2018 with the signing of nine hotels. In April, AccorHotels signed an agreement to debut SO/, a vibrant luxury lifestyle brand with the SO/ Uptown Dubai, encompassing 188 rooms and 215 branded residences. The Group’s upper upscale portfolio was further strengthened by the signing of a franchise agreement for the 164 room MGallery Old Dubai, part of the on-going evolution of a historically significant area of Bur Dubai.
The signings across 2017 and 2018 bring AccorHotels Middle East & Africa committed network (operational and pipeline) to over 300 hotels, representing 80,000 rooms across 30 countries in the region. The milestone follows a major expansion strategy by the Group’s regional operations in recent years.
ABOUT ACCORHOTELS
AccorHotels is a world-leading travel & lifestyle group and digital innovator offering unique experiences in more than 4,300 hotels, resorts and residences, as well as in over 10,000 of the finest private homes around the globe. Benefiting from dual expertise as an investor and operator, AccorHotels operates in 100 countries. Its portfolio includes internationally renowned luxury brands such as Raffles, Sofitel Legend, SO/, Sofitel, Fairmont, onefinestay, MGallery by Sofitel, Pullman and Swissôtel, the mid-range boutique hotel brands 25hours, Novotel, Mercure, Mama Shelter and Adagio, and very popular budget brands such as JO&JOE, ibis, ibis Styles and ibis budget, as well as the regional brands Grand Mercure, The Sebel and hotelF1. AccorHotels provides innovative end-to-end services across the entire traveler experience, notably through the acquisition of John Paul, world leader in concierge services.
With an unmatched collection of brands and rich history spanning close to five decades, AccorHotels, along with its global team of more than 250,000 dedicated women and men, has a purposeful and heartfelt mission: to make every guest Feel Welcome. Guests enjoy access to one of the world’s most rewarding hotel loyalty programs – Le Club AccorHotels.
AccorHotels is active in its local communities and committed to sustainable development and solidarity through PLANET 21, a comprehensive program that brings together employees, guests and partners to drive sustainable growth.
Accor SA is publicly listed with shares trading on the Euronext Paris exchange (ISIN code: FR0000120404) and traded in the United States on the OTC market (Ticker: ACRFY) in the United States.
Press contact:
Aditi Mane
Finsbury
+971 50 738 4146
aditi.mane@finsbury.com
