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Huge year for Accor in SE Asia, despite pandemic – over 9,000 new rooms signed in 12 countries and 21 hotels opened
According to the latest report by Horwarth HTL, Accor SE Asia, Japan & South Korea signed more new hotel rooms than any other hotel operator in the region for 2020, with a total of 9,243 rooms signed across 12 countries (Cambodia, Indonesia, Japan, Laos, Malaysia, Madlives, Myanmar, the Philippines, Singapore, South Korea, Thailand, Vietnam). Vietnam leads the way, with 12 hotels, while Indonesia, South Korea, and Japan also showed strong growth for the Group. This represented Accor’s second best year on record in terms of keys signed, despite the impact of Covid-19.
The signings will see new lifestyle brands enter the region, and - in line with the group’s strategy to increase its footprint in luxury and premium hotels – one third of signings were in this sector. Flagship hotels include projects across the Fairmont, Pullman, Swissotel and Sofitel brands. In addition, Accor will introduce new brands to the region including Rixos all-inclusive resorts, Tribe boutique lifestyle hotels, and Hyde premium lifestyle hotels and resorts.
“The fact that our Development team can continue to deliver great signings in the midst of the worst crisis the travel industry has ever seen, shows that owners have confidence in the long-term future of tourism and that our world-class brands, powerful distribution platforms and ALL lifestyle loyalty programme continue to drive value for our owners and guests as the industry recovers,” said Garth Simmons CEO Accor SE Asia, Japan & South Korea. “While this past year has been tough, the longer this crisis continues, the larger the appetite for travel grows and we are convinced that when people can travel again, there will be huge demand.
“Pipeline growth is the foundation of our success and I am excited by the quantity of projects being signed, but more importantly, by the quality of the hotels and resorts being delivered, which gives me great confidence that the future of travel is very bright.”
Just some of the hotels in the pipeline include the Sofitel Hanoi EcoPark Resort & Spa & Sofitel Residences EcoPark Hanoi, Vietnam; Swissotel Kota Kinabalu, Malaysia; Pullman Okinawa Urasoe, Japan; Hyde Resort Hoi An Hotel & Residences; Novotel Phan Thiet; Movenpick Phan Tiet; Movenpick Ho Tram; and Mondrian Residences Hoi An.
Despite the pandemic, Accor opened 81 hotels globally in 2020, representing 29,0000 rooms, of which 21 hotels and 4,438 rooms were in SE Asia (15%).
Above: Novotel Phan Thiet is one of three major projects signed with Novaland to open in Vietnam
Some of the Group’s most exciting SE Asia openings for 2020 included Raffles Bali, Indonesia; Mondrian Seoul Itaewon, South Korea; Pullman Khao Lake Resort, Thailand; Pullman Phu Quoc Beach Resort, Vietnam; MGallery Hotel Perle D’Orient Cat Ba, Vietnam; and Mercure Kyoto Station, Japan.
Above: Raffles Bali provides the space, privacy and wellness that are the ultimate luxury today
“We have opened some outstanding hotels in 2020 and we can’t wait for international borders to reopen so that the world can discover them,” said Andrew Langdon, SVP Development Accor SE Asia, Japan & South Korea. “Travellers are increasingly going to be looking for new experiences and new destinations to discover and our resorts in Thailand and Vietnam certainly fit the bill. With space, nature and privacy being the new luxury, Raffles Bali will also be very popular when the island re-opens, as it offers just 32 villas, all with their own pools and endless ocean views.”
SE Asia is the Group’s strongest region in terms of branded residence projects, which comprise almost 6,000 keys in the pipeline across 19 projects under such world-renowned names as Raffles, SO, Pullman, MGallery and Movenpick. Currently, Accor has seven branded residences in SE Asia, making up 1,200 units and Vietnam has shown enormous growth for this kind of development.
“Branded residences are growing in popularity because they combine the best of luxury living with the facilities and services expected in the world’s best hotels,” said Andrew Langdon. “They bring access to high-end hotel services such as concierge, chefs, spas and gyms to a home environment and are very attractive for developers and investors who are looking to diversify their projects, supercharge their investment returns and attract the kind of buyers who are looking for VIP status, whether at home or while travelling.”
Accor is forecasting to open 31 hotels in 2021 and in the first quarter has opened the landmark Fairmont Ambassador Seoul, South Korea; Pullman Khao Lak Resort; and Ibis Budget Singapore Clarke Quay.
Accor continues to adapt to meet changing customer demand, including increased offerings in luxury and lifestyle, wellness, F&B and workspitality spaces so that when international travel resumes, it will be well placed to continue apace with its development. It is expected that SE Asia will lead the way in terms of growth with 150 projects in the pipeline.
