Skift Global Forum Preview: Accor CEO on Future Hotels Being More Than Places to Sleep
Photo Credit: Accor CEO Sebastien Bazin (pictured) is leading the charge of transforming the Paris-based company into much more of a lifestyle brand meeting customers beyond just the walls of a hotel room. Skift
Skift Take
Accor has plenty of opportunities to transform itself into more of a lifestyle brand, but every one of its competitors is playing this strategy to some degree. Finding a way to stand out is easier said than done.
A downturn is a terrible thing to waste, business sentiment generally goes. Paris-based Accor certainly hasn’t wasted time accelerating plans to transform the hotel company.
The company faced a massive financial setback last year due to the pandemic and its significant exposure to Europe, where lockdowns lasted longer than markets like the U.S. and China. But Accor leaders went to work speeding up plans to beef up the company’s presence in the so-called lifestyle hotel sector, properties that focus more on local experiences and food and beverage outlets.
Accor also launched its own special purpose acquisition company and other endeavors focusing on revenue streams beyond the traditional hotel model. How much of that relates to the pandemic? Accor CEO Sebastien Bazin let Skift know in an interview ahead of his appearance later this year at Skift Global Forum, Sept. 21-23 at the TWA Hotel in New York City.
Answers have been edited lightly for clarity.
