Accor 2021 hotel openings will include additions to the company’s lifestyle, luxury and conversion categories.

The company reports that it was able to maintain a steady pace of development and continued to sign new projects resulting in a “robust roster” of new hotel openings this year.

“As we are all too familiar, 2020 had a profound impact on our day-to-day lives and the hospitality industry as a whole; even so, the early stages of global rebound will be material and significant,” said Agnes Roquefort, global chief development officer. “Despite the delays and temporary closures we experienced due to the pandemic, we continued to experience sustained momentum across our development pipeline and are optimistic that the worldwide rollout of COVID-19 vaccines will lead to renewed trust in travel and a much greater sense of personal safety for the entire global population.”

Lifestyle a vibrant segment

Accor expects its lifestyle hotel openings to triple by 2023. The segment currently accounts for roughly five percent of the Group’s annual revenue, while representing 25 percent of its development pipeline by value.

The recently announced joint venture with Ennismore, expected to close in Q2 2021, will contribute to a diverse platform that will include several stylish new properties opening their doors this year, including Mondrian Shoreditch London; JO&JOE Vienna Westbahnhof; SO/Sotogrande Resort & Spa; SLS Dubai and 25hours Dubai.

Fairmont brand strongly represented in luxury segment expansion

The Fairmont brand leads Accor’s luxury segment growth in the year ahead. 2021 will see the opening of the Fairmont Century Plaza in Los Angeles, Fairmont Windsor Park in England, Fairmont Ramla Riyadh, Fairmont Ambassador Seoul and Carton House, a Fairmont-managed hotel in Dublin.

Accor 2021 openings also include the Banyan Tree Doha in Qatar and Raffles’ properties in Udaipur, India, and Jeddah, Saudi Arabia. In addition, Sofitel hotels will open in several new destinations including Seoul (South Korea), Hangzhou (China) and Adelaide (Australia).

Conversion opportunities continue to grow

Conversions will continue to be a growth driver in 2021. Across Accor’s portfolio, leading brands for conversion opportunities include The House of Originals (Luxury), MGallery (Upper Premium), Mövenpick (Premium), Grand Mercure (Premium), Mercure (Midscale), ibis Styles (Economy), and greet (Budget).

These seven brands will account for 43 percent of the company’s opening pipeline over the next five years. For example, MGallery will welcome properties in key gateway locations this year, including Orchard Hills Residences Singapore – MGallery, The Silveri Hong Kong – MGallery, and The Porter House Hotel – MGallery in Sydney, Australia.

All of the Group’s new properties are expected to open in full compliance with Accor’s ALLSAFE hygiene and cleanliness label.