Articles tagged “accor”

With the sharing economy accounting for almost one in three vacation beds in Australia, the impact of Airbnb and Stayz is being widely questioned. But with hotel occupancy levels and room prices still rising, hotels and lobbying groups' efforts to restrict private rentals seem like an overreaction.

Wouldn't it be nice if a hotel room could enhance your sleep, whip you into shape or make you relax? Four Seasons, MGM and Swissôtel are among the brands experimenting with accommodations designed to make guests feel healthier.

In other words, don't expect AccorHotels to be vying for Wyndham's European vacation rental business anytime soon.

That AccorHotels is using the Internet of Things and other innovative tech to create more personalized and accessible guest rooms is an idea we can definitely get behind. But we wonder what the company's plans might be to incorporate loyalty into the initiative. It would be crucial in adding value for Accorhotels, property owners, and guests.

This is a sign of a much bigger shift in the entire travel industry where travel brands no longer want to just be "travel" brands. Hotels don't want to just be hotels. Instead, they want to be platforms for offering you experiences whenever and wherever you may be.

Signs that this experiment wasn't going well were already evident. But given that the online travel agencies aren't faring so well, either, at the moment, we wonder: Does this mean there might be something fundamentally wrong with this type of intermediary relationship? How do hotels and online travel agencies need to evolve to survive then?

While part of the goal of Belmond's new branding campaign is to establish itself as an entity apart from its former Orient Express moniker, we wonder if the images it presents may be just a little too reminiscent of its former self.

While some of the deals done by AccorHotels have raised eyebrows, this one seems like a good strategic fit. The Orient Express brand is known the world over and will give AccorHotels a greater presence in the luxury space.

Europe’s largest hotelier continues to pursue CEO Sébastien Bazin's goal of diversification. Valued at about $117 million, Gekko Group will help AccorHotels grow its business-to-business services.

So much for taking a summer vacation. This year, the hotel industry was busy making major moves and investments, as well as launching new brands, properties, and policies.