Accor Hotels is one of the largest hotel companies in the world with more than 4,900 hotels in over 110 countries. It has launched it’s 39th brand with the first greet property opening in Burgundy, France. greet is described as a lifestyle brand that will be community based, responsible and non-standardized. It will consist of hotel conversions in the economy segment. A key brand element will be second hand objects and decorations as well as items from sustainable suppliers. 

Accor believes in offering a variety of hospitality services of all styles and budgets and has acquired a dizzying aray of brands, from luxury brands like Raffles or Sofitel to bargain basement budget brands like ibis budget and F1. 
More recently, Accor has focused on lifestyle brands to cater to the changing desires of travels and a younger generations, with hostel-like JO&JOE or Mama’s shelter. Into this segment of budget and lifestyle, the new brand “greet” is being positioned. 

In sharp contrast to the cookie-cutter ibis brand, greet will be non-standardized and give operators a lot of flexibility how they design their property. Accor is targeting the conversion of existing hotels. While I appreciate individuality in a hotel – brand standards do ensure certain minimum standards are kept and a consistent experience is delivered. I typically turn to individual boutique hotels if I want to soak up the local culture – not one of the big hotel companies…

greet will also focus on sustainability, suggesting owners upcycle materials and give second-hand objects a second chance as decoration. Accor will also provide access to sustainable suppliers. Sustainability is a big deal in Europe and it’s not surprising that the largest European hotel company encompasses that trend in their latest brand. 

The social and community aspects are also part of the brand standard and all greet properties have to offer at least a large communal table for special occasions. 

Each property also has to have at least 20% of their rooms with capacity for families or groups of 4-6 people, positioning greet in the trendy, upscale hostel segment. 

Accor is expecting to open 300 greet properties in Europe by 2030, with openings in Marseille, Lyon and Paris soon. The first greet outside France will be in Darmstadt, Germany, later this year. 
I’m excited about a new hotel brand in the (tired) economy segment that focuses on sustainability. One reason that I’ve stayed frequently at ibis or ibis styles properties is that the tight brand standards ensure that my minimum expectations from a hotel are consistently met. I’m not a fan of conversion brands with “flexible” (aka low) brand standards, especially at budget brands, because even a small miss can mean that minimum expectations are not met. 
I’m sure to give greet a try when I have a chance to stay at one and will let you know how well the brand is doing!