Accor’s Love Hotels Deal in Singapore Raises Eyebrows — and Admiration
Photo Credit: Fragrance Hotel Selegie Singapore rooftop pool. Accor Hotels.
Skift Take
Accor’s latest Fragrance deal shines a spotlight on two owners that became tycoons by operating love hotels. It is a swift and smart move by the global chain. We bet Accor competitors are calling the other love chain, Hotel 81.
Accor Hotels caught the Singapore hotel industry by surprise with its latest deal with Global Premium Hotels, which operates Fragrance Hotel, a low budget brand that has a tinge of sleaze as many of its properties rent by the hour and are commonly used for sex.
These so-called love hotels exist everywhere in the world; Singapore is no exception. In the Lion City, the two kings of this segment are Fragrance Hotel and Hotel 81, each now boasting more than 20 low budget properties throughout Singapore’s neighborhoods, some even in or near the city center.
Of the two, the general view is Fragrance is less savory. Time Out Singapore described it this way in an article, “Although its street reputation is not quite as unsavory as that of Hotel 81, the Fragrance Hotel chain is also known for its clientele, even as it has been trying to shed this image.”
Make no mistake that both chains are legitimate businesses, built over 20 years. Relieving people of a basic need made their fo
