Accor announces the arrival of the brand Mondrian with two properties in France which also bring the group to a new milestone of 3,000 properties in Europe.

Two units in Accor's native France to start

The brand will be launched with two properties in France that will open in 2021 after being refurbished. Properties in Cannes and Bordeaux are being refurbished in preparation  for receiving the Mondrian brand. The brand will then spread to other European markets.

The Grand Hotel Cannes on the Croisette will be the first. The property built in 1963 will be fully refurbished and will reopen with 75 rooms on 11 floors, a restaurant, a bar, a 4,000 m² garden, modular meeting rooms and a private beach.

The second property will be in a 19th century building in Bordeaux. Works to transform it will begin in Spring 2020. The project is for 97 rooms on 3 floors, with a restaurant, a 460 m² bar lounge, a spa, a meeting space and a 225 m² open-air terrace.

A lifestyle and upscale-luxury concept

Mondrian is a lifestyle brand with upscale positioning that is focused on culture and cultural events:

Mondrian is always at the heart of the most captivating cultural scenes in the world, serving innovation and creativity for everyone. These hotels offer guests a stylish haven in collaboration with the biggest names in the industry and ground-breaking F&B and nightlife concepts. (Official press release: January 14, 2020)

As mentioned in our article about new hotel rands in 2019, the lifestyle hotel industry is a very promising growth axis for Accor. The group has a dedicated division because, as Cédric Gobilliard, Senior Vice President Lifestyle Division chez Accor, mentioned at the Paris Asset Forum>hospitality, this type of asset is important as it responds to customer demand to "experience places to live, to experience the local culture". This need is expected to "double in the next three years" (Cédric Gobilliard). In 2019 alone, two brands joined the group: TRIBE and greet.

The launch of a new brand makes it possible for the French hotelier to both grow its presence in both the lifestyle segment and the upscale-luxury segment. The group is also investing considerable sums in this niche, for example, the 2016 takeovers of the brands Fairmont, Raffles, and Swissôtel, and Mövenpick in 2018. The hotelier announced in a press release dated January 14, 2020 that it had quadrupled the number of properties under development between 2016 and 2019, and plans to multiply that figure sevenfold by 2023. Moreover, a complete overhaul of its brand Sofitel was begun in 2019, further reinforcing its offensive strategy on the luxury segment.

Be the leader in 25 European countries in 2023

Accor has adopted the brand Mondrian further to its acquisition of 50% of the capital of SBE, owner of the brand, in October 2018. This acquisition had already led to earlier partnerships, such as the creation of The House of Originals in the United States, London and Istanbul.

The brand's launch in France is in keeping with Accor's acceleration of growth in Europe. Already the leader on the continent, the group wishes to occupy first place in terms of number of hotels and rooms in 25 European countries, and thereby become an unavoidable actor in European tourism. As of January 31, 2019, the group held first place in the ranking of European hoteliers. According to data from Hospitality ON, on that date the group held a portfolio of 2,734 properties representing 297,707 rooms in Europe, for a volume up by +2.2% between 2018 and 2019.

Early January 2020, the group claimed a portfolio of 340,000 rooms in 39 European countries. In 2021 it will be opening its very first Novotel in Albania, a major addition to the Group’s offering in Southeast Europe.  In three years, the Group’s luxury brands have gained footholds in nine new countries in and close to Europe: Bosnia Herzegovina, Croatia, Estonia, Israel, Latvia, Monaco, Ukraine, Azerbaijan and Kazakhstan.

Franck Gervais, CEO Europe, Accor, declared abot this development:

Accor is bolstering its leadership of the European hospitality market by placing meaning and the customer experience at the heart of its approach. Accor has achieved its goal of advancing its luxury range in Europe and has succeeded in offering a portfolio of brands as wide as it is varied.