Accor Launches New Economy Brand Greet

Accor wants to open 300 new Greet hotels across Europe by 2030 as part of an attempt to reenergize the economy segment.

News of the new brand leaked out earlier this year with a story in French newspaper Le Figaro. Since then Accor has opened one hotel, in the Burgundy region of France and has plans for others in cities like Paris and Rennes. The first Greet — styled as greet — outside of France will be in Darmstadt, Germany.

Hotel owners will have considerable flexibility in how they kit out the properties, thanks to a non-standardized approach. Interestingly, one of the few requirements will be that 20 percent of rooms can accommodate between 4 and 6 people. This opens up the potential to capture more of the family and group markets, similar to what hostels do.

Accor has more than 4,900 hotels spread across 110 countries and according to a spokesperson, Greet is the 39th accommodation brand in its portfolio.

Greet will become Accor’s 39th accommodation brand.

Riding the Zeitgeist

Greet sits on the bottom rung of Accor’s brand portfolio alongside the likes of Ibis and Jo&Joe.

But while Ibis and its various iterations offer a more traditional economy approach — even with its new look — Greet aims to be something different.

“By granting greater flexibility and freedom to hotel owners, Accor is seeking to support its franchisee partners and create positive and virtuous hospitality that is attentive to customer needs and to society’s new considerations,” the company said.

When any of the big hotel companies launches a new brand there are always questions over how different it can really be to others and — especially in the lifestyle segments — whether it can really compete with independents.

With Greet, Accor is really pushing the sustainable and environmental angle, especially through the interior decorations.

“Each hotel owner is free to express himself while staying true to the three ways of being Greet: by salvaging objects sourced via second-hand networks or from eco-responsible suppliers; by upcycling unusual decorative items, and by revisiting these objects to repurpose them and give them a second lease of life,” Accor said.

The hotel company has partnered with homeless charity Emmaüs and recycling company Valdelia to help hotel owners source second-hand furniture.