Accor Asia offers culturally sensitive hotel experience

Paris-based hotel group Accor is eyeing to open over 189 hotels in Asia by 2030.

French hotel giant Accor is focusing on fostering culturally sensitive experiences for hotel guests, following their huge expansion across the Asia-Pacific region.

Andrew Langdon, Chief Development Officer of Accor Asia, said that the company’s geographical focus spans various nations, with considerable activity in Japan, Singapore, Thailand, Indonesia, and the Indo market this year. Yet, with the Asian Pacific region known for its cultural tapestry, creating an experience that resonates with each market is crucial.

“We will be signing a record number of hotels this year, we're targeting almost two sides, 60 hotels and 15,000 keys throughout 14 of our brands, throughout the 14 countries of Asia,” he said, “We want our product, our brands, in all of the destinations that our guests expect to go and visit. And so in short, there is no single country. It is wherever our guests intend to go.”

Accor strives to offer stays that are “culturally sensitive” to where the hotels are placed, acknowledging that modern guests crave authentic, culturally-aware experiences that genuinely reflect their chosen destination.

“Our hearts, which are our staff that work in the hotels, are very much from the local neighborhood in which they work. And it's that authentic and heartless attitude, which we deliver to our guests in the hotel, at the end of the day. Create cultural awareness and also the inviting attitude and experience that our guests can receive no matter what hotel it is in or where it is in Asia,” Langdon said.

Langdon cited the company’s new brand, the Handwritten Collection, which seeks to rebrand existing, traditionally-operated hotels, and embed them within Accor’s vast network while ensuring they retain a strong local essence.

“One has been in Phuket, which recently opened, and we have a third for the one in Singapore. So obviously, that's going to help us create some more unique actual experiences to our guests. But at the same time, we have a number of brands, where they are infused with the local culture in their design, these are the Mercure and grand Mercure brands as well,” he said.

Langdon sees geopolitics and market factors as primary challenges in achieving their target expansion, adding the high interest rate, environment and inflation, that will have some impact in terms of the future actual development of hotels, as well as to travelers.

However, he pointed out that Asia’s middle class is one of the fastest growing middle classes globally, making it a magnet for both domestic and international travelers.

“The opportunity side and the outlook is very, very strong. And this has been reflected, as I previously mentioned in our record year, in terms of the new hotels that we have signed,” he said, “ So we are very optimistic in terms of the growth, in terms of the opportunity in the region. And we are very excited to obviously be at the party and to be providing our services to our guests throughout Asia.”