AccorHotels Chief Brand Officer: ‘We Need to Watch Google and Amazon Carefully’
Photo Credit: AccorHotels global brand officer Steven Taylor, right, was interviewed by Skift Founder and CEO Rafat Ali, left, at the inaugural Skift Tech Forum in Santa Clara, California, on Tuesday. Skift
Skift Take
Smart hotel brands like AccorHotels know that the real threat isn't Airbnb or even their fellow hotel companies. It's the Googles, Tencents, Facebooks, Amazons, and Apples of the world.
In the hospitality world, hotel brands like AccorHotels, Marriott, Hilton, and IHG aren't just competing with one another. The real competition is with technology giants like Google, Facebook, Amazon, and even Netflix.
And that's why a company like AccorHotels is transforming itself, said Steven Taylor, AccorHotels global chief brand officer, speaking at the inaugural Skift Tech Forum Tuesday in Santa Clara, California.
"We're watching large technology platforms very carefully," Taylor said. "They have ever- increasing influence in the travel space, and that's why we're focused on building these ecosystems of brands and loyalty to compete."
Large organizations like AccorHotels, he said, are at risk of having their direct access to customers disconnected because of the widespread presence of Amazon o
