French Hotel major Accor changes name to AccorHotels

MUMBAI: French hospitality major Accor has changed its name to 'AccorHotels', in line with its website, as a part of its digital transformation strategy. The hotel chain has also changed its logo and adopted a new motto: Feel Welcome.

"..Accor becomes AccorHotels and proudly re-assumes its role as a pioneer hotelier that never stops innovating and surprising, at the cutting edge of digital technology, but while remaining a hotelier, first and foremost," Sébastien Bazin, AccorHotels Chairman and CEO said in a press statement.

AccorHotels had unveiled a $280 million digital development strategy late last year to engage guests directly via mobile channels and fight the rising clout of OTAs, which eat into margins with commission fees ranging from 10 per cent to 25 per cent of the cost of the room.

The hotel chain, which owns brands such as Sofitel, Novotel, Grand Mercure, Pullman and Ibis, has around 3,700 hotels worldwide.

AccorHotels is scripting separate digital plans for each region. India is one of the top three countries in the Asia Pacific region where Accor will expand its presence. From 32 operational hotels in the country now, it plans to have 100 by 2020.