The Accor hotel group is based in Europe and as of 2017, has 4,195 hotels in 92 countries, making it one of the largest hotel chains in the world. With hotels from budget brands like ibis to luxury hotels like Sofitel, they cover a wide price range, yet they get very little coverage from travel bloggers – read on to get all the facts and figures of the Accor group!
Regions: Accor’s distribution is almost opposite to all the large US chains, with 73% of their hotels located in Europe, 18% in Asia and only 9% in the Americas. While that certainly explains the lack of attention in the US, Accor does offer great reach in Europe and Asia, often being the only major chain present! You will find multiple properties in most large cities in Europe and Asia and a presence even off the beaten path! With a coverage of 92 countries, you will find them in more places than most chains!
Brands: Accor has been on an acquisition spree over the last few years and now has 27 brands, second only to Marriott! The largest Accor brand is ibis, with its sub-brands ibis styles and ibis budget, accounting for about half of all Accor hotels. The mid-scale Novotel and Mercure brands make up over 30% of the properties. The luxury segment has grown the most and now includes the Sofitel and Thalasso brands, as well as the recently acquired Raffles and Fairmont for a total of over 200 properties, providing one of the broadest ranges of hotels from budget to luxury! I find the Accor hotels to be generally more stylish than their US counterparts. While the colorful decor might not be to everybody’s taste, even their budget properties are fresh and modern, making for an enjoyable stay. I also found their brands to be very consistent, especially the ibis brand – a reliability I otherwise only found with the Marriott brands! You can find out more about their brands by clicking on the highlighted names!
Price: Compared to most of the other large chains, the majority of the Accor hotels fall into the budget category, with over 50% of the properties. While a lot of the US chains have going down-market into the fast growing mid-scale, limited service segment, the budget segment in the US is mostly covered by Choice and Wyndham. Interesting to note that Accor acquired the Motel 6 group in the US in 1990, but after renovating the hotels nicely, divested again in 2012. The share of mid-scale and up-scale full-service hotels at 40% is comparable to Marriott and IHG, giving it a broad price range and plenty of choice at the upper end!
Bottomline: The Accor group should be on the list for anybody traveling a lot in Europe or Asia – it will often be the only chain represented. With very competitive pricing in the economy and mid-scale segments and aggressive sales promotions, they can provide great accommodation at low prices as an alternative to independent hotels. Check out their brands and my hotel reviews for more information – Accor is worth considering in your travel plans!
You can see all the data, based on their June 2017 publication, below:
