With nearly 300 projects in the pipeline for the L&L division, is the Accor group’s priority resolutely to accelerate its presence in the high-end sector?
Absolutely, growing across both the luxury and lifestyle categories is one of the key priorities for the Group. With a spirit of conquest and a commitment to sustainable growth, Accor has become one of the largest operators in the luxury hospitality industry, and Ennismore is the fastest-growing lifestyle hospitality company in the world. On average, we are opening more than one luxury or lifestyle hotel project per week and signing about half a dozen L&L projects per month. By pioneering the art of responsible hospitality and connecting cultures with heartfelt care, Accor has become a worldwide force in hospitality and a trailblazing player for sustainable hospitality. Our ESG ambitions are charting the way forward, as we prioritize ethical considerations and achieve success while minimizing overall environmental impact. True luxury must be sustainable, and the experiences we offer are designed to respect the planet, support local communities, and preserve cultural heritage.
How can this be justified, if so: because investors are more attracted to luxury brands? Because the clientele in this sector is growing faster, relatively speaking, than in other segments?
Accor offers a full spectrum of brands, now counting more than 45+ brands across all segments from economy through to ultra luxury and everything in between. With global luxury travel spending estimated to reach $2.36 trillion by 2030, Accor is continuing to expand our luxury & lifestyle portfolio to meet the world’s accelerating demand for high-end and culturally relevant travel experiences. Currently, we are well positioned with a portfolio of 370+ luxury hotels and 180+ lifestyle hotels worldwide. We also have plans to open another 100+ luxury and lifestyle hotels over the next two years, with expectations of at least 50 new luxury and lifestyle project signings per year. So yes, we are pressing forward in the luxury space, deepening our presence among the world’s most coveted destinations, while leading investors and travelers to discover the most compelling opportunities in up-and-coming markets and yet untapped destinations.
We also have plans to open another 100+ luxury and lifestyle hotels over the next two years, with expectations of at least 50 new luxury and lifestyle project signings per year.
Can we consider the impact (fees) on the group’s results to be potentially more significant in the Luxury & Lifestyle sector?
Thanks to strong demand and international tourism flows, our Luxury & Lifestyle (L&L) division recently posted RevPAR up 8.3% compared with the first quarter of 2024, driven by prices and occupancy rates, which contributed two-thirds and one-third, respectively. Over the past year, our L&L brands did indeed outperform, demonstrating the resilience of this segment.
Are there brands in the L&L portfolio that hold underexploited potential?
While our approach across the luxury and lifestyle segments is centered around hotel management, we do selectively consider franchises to strategically reinforce our market presence. For trusted investors and partners who have experience in the luxury and lifestyle segments, we foresee a great deal of opportunity for expansion with our collection brands like Emblems and MGallery as well as with Sofitel on a case-by-case basis. Collection brands are truly changing the game, proliferating around the world at a rate of 25% per year (Source). Designed with owners in mind, Accor’s collection brands are adaptable, light, and respectful of each hotels’ unique identity while offering immediate access to the power of Accor’s sales, distribution, and loyalty platforms. We offer Emblems in the luxury segment and MGallery in the entry level luxury space; while Handwritten Collection has quickly become one of the world’s fastest growing collection brands.
Are all brands destined to reach a critical mass in terms of volume? Do you want to retain “iconic” brands that are very selective in their presence?
We certainly take a selective and thoughtful approach when it comes to introducing our luxury brands to new destinations, particularly with brands such as Orient Express and Raffles. We will be extremely judicious about how and where we grow these brands. When it comes to growth and development, it is important that we align each brand’s unique identity with both the local culture of the destination, and the evolving expectations of luxury consumers. Any new market we enter must be able to support our creation of sustainable luxury experiences where sophistication, heritage, and modernity coexist. We’re also placing a strong focus on personalization, wellness, and immersive lifestyle experiences that often speak to younger, digitally engaged audiences – particularly through innovative design, and bold brand expression. For example, we have just launched the first Italian-made luxury train, La Dolce Vita Orient Express, with eight curated itineraries blending art, landscapes, and three-star Michelin cuisine by Heinz Beck. Orient Express La Minerva, the brand’s first hotel in Rome, is now open, with Orient Express Palazzo Donà Giovannelli opening next year in Venice. By concentrating our launch within this single, culturally rich country, we are delivering an optimal and cohesive expression of the brand. This allows us to expand with authenticity, as we will do with Orient Express Corinthian, the largest sailing yacht in the world, setting sail in summer 2026.
Peut-on considérer que l’impact (en termes de redevances) sur les résultats du groupe est potentiellement plus significatif dans le segment Luxe & Lifestyle ?
Grâce à une forte demande et aux flux touristiques internationaux, notre division Luxe & Lifestyle a récemment enregistré une progression du RevPAR de 8,3 % par rapport au 1er trimestre 2024, portée à deux tiers par les prix et à un tiers par les taux d’occupation. Sur l’année écoulée, nos marques L&L ont surperformé, démontrant la résilience de ce segment.
Certaines marques du portefeuille Luxe & Lifestyle disposent-elles d’un potentiel encore sous-exploité ?
Pour les investisseurs de confiance ayant une expérience dans le luxe et le lifestyle, nous identifions un fort potentiel de développement pour nos marques « collection » comme Emblems et MGallery, ainsi que pour Sofitel selon les opportunités. Les marques de collection changent la donne, avec une croissance annuelle de 25 % dans le monde. Conçues pour les propriétaires, elles sont flexibles et respectueuses de l’identité propre de chaque établissement, tout en donnant un accès immédiat à la puissance des plateformes de vente, de distribution et de fidélisation d’Accor.
Toutes les marques ont-elles vocation à atteindre une masse critique en volume ?
Nous adoptons une approche sélective et réfléchie pour le déploiement de nos marques de luxe, notamment Orient Express et Raffles. Nous serons très exigeants quant aux modalités et aux lieux d’implantation de ces enseignes. Il est essentiel que l’identité singulière de chaque marque s’accorde à la culture locale et aux attentes en évolution des clientèles de luxe. Chaque nouveau marché doit pouvoir soutenir des expériences de luxe durable, où raffinement, héritage et modernité coexistent. Nous accordons une attention particulière à la personnalisation, au bien-être et aux expériences immersives qui séduisent souvent une clientèle jeune et connectée. Par exemple, nous venons de lancer le premier train de luxe fabriqué en Italie, La Dolce Vita Orient Express, avec huit itinéraires alliant art, paysages et gastronomie étoilée Michelin signée Heinz Beck. Le premier hôtel Orient Express La Minerva, a ouvert à Rome, et Orient Express Palazzo Donà Giovannelli ouvrira l’année prochaine à Venise. Ce positionnement nous permet de nous développer avec authenticité, à l’image du projet Orient Express Corinthian, plus grand voilier de croisière au monde, qui prendra la mer à l’été 2026.
Our hotel investors look to Accor to not only drive the performance of hotel assets but also to successfully extend their management solutions and brands to these other avenues – such as residences, coworking, flexible office space solutions, and private club concepts – as well as geographically and market driven features such as golf and ski.
Is greater diversification in L&L offerings on the agenda, or are developments in cruise and rail merely opportunistic?
Audacious as ever, Accor will continue to shape the future of luxury and lifestyle travel, setting new benchmarks in hospitality, crafting meaningful journeys that immerse guests in local culture, history, and artistry, and ensuring each stay is an unforgettable experience. We are catering not only to travelers, but to locals who want to stop into our hotels and work on their laptops, or meet up with friends at our award-winning restaurants and bars. We are creating membership clubs for our hotel spas and fitness centers and even private residential communities for homeowners. Our hotel investors look to Accor to not only drive the performance of hotel assets but also to successfully extend their management solutions and brands to these other avenues – such as residences, coworking, flexible office space solutions, and private club concepts – as well as geographically and market driven features such as golf and ski. So the answer is yes, continued diversification is absolutely on the agenda, and we will connect more guests, homeowners, and partners to Accor’s diverse ecosystem of brands, expertise, and solutions – maintaining a healthy flow of new opportunities to live, work, and play.
Which are the priority areas for development?
We continue to strengthen and grow our L&L brands across regions where we have a leadership position – while boldly breaking new ground in up-and-coming markets. For example, in India where the hospitality market is rapidly developing, Accor is the third largest international hotel group in terms of rooms and our luxury portfolio is flourishing. We recently opened Raffles Jaipur and Fairmont Mumbai, while Fairmont Udaipur Palace will open later this year. Several more incredible hotels in the country are also in the works, such as Fairmont Agra, Fairmont Shimla Fagu, Fairmont Goa Shiroda, Sofitel Jaipur Jawahar Circle, Raffles Goa, Raffles Ranthambore and Sofitel Legend Sukh Bagh Jaipur. The Middle East also remains a high priority market for Accor. In Saudi Arabia, where we have been on the ground for 30+ years, we are the largest hotel operator in the country. Raffles Jeddah and SLS Red Sea are two of our highest profile openings in the Kingdom this year. Popular urban destinations such as Singapore, Bangkok, Vietnam, and Tokyo continue to be in high demand for our luxury and lifestyle brands, while resort and nature destinations are thriving due to a strong desire among travelers for connection with local culture and outdoor experiences. Raffles Sentosa Singapore opened earlier in the year and Fairmont Tokyo opened earlier this month (July 2025). Meanwhile, we look forward to the future openings of Fairmont Bangkok Sukhumvit, Hyde Suites Seminyak Bali, and Raffles Tokyo to name a few.
Is the West, generally speaking, already “saturated” in the high-end segment? Are people turning their attention primarily to the East?
There is no question that tourism as well as luxury development in the East are both thriving and Accor has a robust pipeline of projects underway throughout Asia. Yet in our experience, there are geographic differences in hospitality investment expectations that contribute to the notion that the West is now fully saturated. Accor has an ambitious growth plan for its luxury and lifestyle brands across North America and other leading city center locations and resort destinations throughout the The Americas region. For example, Fairmont will soon add a new hotel in the USA, Fairmont New Orleans; With the successful debut of Raffles Boston, Raffles is eyeing markets such as New York, Los Angeles, San Francisco, Hawaii, and Miami for future growth. Meanwhile, Europe will always be a stronghold for Accor, it is our home market and we continue to be the largest operator on the continent. In addition to our first two Orient Express hotels in Italy, we look forward to The Hoxton, Florence and Raffles Lake Como opening in 2028. This year we will open Fairmont Cheshire, The Mere; The Hoxton Edinburgh; and The Hoxton Dublin. We recently opened Fairmont La Hacienda Costa del Sol in Andalucía, Spain and SLS Barcelona. We look forward to launching our first luxury hotel in Portugal with Sofitel Porto in 2028.
