Accor’s midscale Novotel brand has teamed with four international design teams to create a new brand vision.
Following a worldwide design pitch, Novotel chose four winning concepts that will be brought to life at Novotel locations around the globe, shifting Novotel from a standardized brand. Accor said this week the new Novotel will provide flexibility to its owning and franchisee partners, allowing each to choose and customize an ideal style that best suits the character of the destination.
“Our goal is to achieve a signature hotel experience, without standardization, from check-in to check-out – a major evolution for the brand and a leading approach in the midscale segment,” said Nadège Keryhuel, vice president for the Novotel brand.
Accor said the brand’s new design partners exhibit a strong vision on the evolution of societal behavior and recent consumer trends across Europe, Latin America, Middle East, and Asia. During the new design strategy’s global call to action, design teams were invited to submit concepts that included a lively social hub that would appeal to locals as well as guests, and a modern, intuitive and ageless design that incorporates high-quality, sustainable materials.
The design teams and their winning submissions include:
RF Studio: adaptable, sustainable, easy to renovate, this concept delivers a homey feeling and unexpected atmosphere; guests are encouraged to discover a new way of hotel living and feel like they are at the heart of a village.
Metro: modelled around Novotel’s ‘Time is on your side,’ this modern design concept features natural tones and raw materials, inviting guests to enjoy a multifunctional and flexible space that evolves throughout the day.
Sundukovy Sisters: This concept blends business with pleasure and mixes well-being among unique ‘co-living’ spaces that embrace lively, social surroundings, current trends and timeless comforts.
Hypothesis: With a focus on reducing not only physical waste, but also reducing wasted space and time, this design concept allows guests to achieve the balance they seek during their stay.
“We pushed the boundaries to conceive modern, intuitive design ideas, where the way we organize the space, the decor and every single object or element serves a specific purpose,” said Damien Perrot, global senior vice president of Design at Accor.
Over the next several years, the new designs will appear at a number of Novotel locations worldwide. Highlights include: Novotel Moscow Comcity (Sundukovy Sisters), Novotel Lviv Centre (Hypothesis), Novotel BH Savassi (Metro), Novotel Canela (RF Studio), Novotel Victoria Island Lagos (Sundukovy Sisters), Novotel Kinshasa (Metro), Novotel Vladivostok (Metro), Novotel Mexico City Insurgentes WTC (Sundukovy Sisters), Novotel Criciúma (Metro) and Novotel St Petersburg Airport (Sundukovy Sisters), among many more.