In 2017, AccorHotels launched AccorLocal, a local services app designed for people to use anytime — not just when they’re traveling or staying in an Accor property.
Both hotel brands and Airbnb want travelers to think of them for the entire journey and even in their daily lives. Expect to see more of that this year and beyond.
With AccorLocal, the company is taking advantage of a hotel space, especially the lobby, that is alive 24/7. “This is a far-reaching, disruptive approach on what a hotel is today,” a spokesperson told HOTELS. “Beyond providing accommodations to travelers, hotels are striving to become essential to enhance the daily lives of as many people as possible. Hospitality must evolve towards more flexibility and be able to open the gates to non-travelers for a drink, a yoga course, a fitness room, etc.”
Through strategic partnerships, AccorHotels is offering its expertise in new playing fields. It has a 50% share in co-working space company Nextdoor. In entertainment, the AccorHotels arena in Paris is one of the world’s five largest concert halls and sports arenas. Bringing hospitality services directly at home is also something it is exploring.