With a new name, an expanded distribution platform, strategic digital acquisition and a revamped consumer app, the company now known as AccorHotels is making changes like never before.

Business travelers remain a key target audience as the company moves forward, according to Jean-Luc Chretien, executive vice president, digital services development, AccorHotels, and co-CEO, Fastbooking, a company AccorHotels acquired this year to enhance its digital capabilities.

“Business travelers already represent more than half of our customers,” Chretien said, adding the hotelier’s rebranding from Accor to AccorHotels is part of a strategy to emphasize the company’s identity and expertise. “With our new name we claim that we’re first and foremost hoteliers, and proud of that. Our competitive environment is shifting further and further into the digital arena and becoming increasingly impersonal. So our expertise as hotel operators and our 180,000 people in touch with our customers every day are our key strengths.”

The new name debuted in June and accompanies a new slogan: “Feel Welcome,” which Chretien calls “a link between all our brands.”

Also in June, AccorHotels announced the transformation of its distribution platform into a more open marketplace, allowing the presence of independent hoteliers not owned or operated by AccorHotels. “We have received a very good response from independent hoteliers in many countries and a lot of requests to join our platform, despite the fact that we have not launched the platform commercially yet,” Chretien said, just before the new platform launched in July.

The expanded platform benefits travelers by providing more options, he added. “It will cement AccorHotels.com’s position on the Internet by featuring a much larger choice of destinations and hotels — 10,000 in the long run.”

The independent hotels added to the system will likely appeal to business travelers, according to Chretien. “We shall primarily look at hotels in the midscale, upscale and luxury categories, as AccorHotels already has a very large choice of economy hotels in its portfolio. We will also look at quality. We shall use the hotel’s TripAdvisor rating and ask it to at least reach the same average score of AccorHotels properties in each category. Hotels will also be systematically visited to control the [accuracy] of their description and services.”

To improve the overall guest experience, Accor launched a new version of its app to eventually replace the company’s other branded applications. The new edition has been downloaded 3.4 million times, according to Chretien, and is designed as a work in progress. “Updates every three weeks will ensure the AccorHotels app is constantly improved and enriched at a sustained pace,” he said. “We will be enhancing [the app] with content about services and activities inside and around the hotels. The AccorHotels app will thus be a true travel companion, used before, during and after the guest stays.” The new features this year include a “wallet” component, allowing users to register their credit cards for fast booking and payment.

AccorHotels’ growth isn’t limited to the virtual world; the company is also expanding its inventory of hotel rooms — especially in the Asia Pacific market. “More than 40 percent of our expansion last year was in the region, and it will continue,” said Chretien, adding the five-year goal is to create a company “that’s connected, that offers a whole range of modern services and whose development strategy is always ahead of its time.”

ADAGIO/ADAGIO ACCESS
Demographic: Midscale and budget travelers seeking apartment-style accommodations for extended stays
Offerings: The Adagio and Adagio Access brands comprise 96 “aparthotels” in 11 countries in Europe plus Brazil and the United Arab Emirates. Each apartment includes a full kitchen, hotel services and free WiFi or broadband Internet connection. Adagio targets midscale travelers, while Adagio Access offers more economical prices.
Highlight: The Adagio Paris Opéra’s 99 apartments range from two-person studios to two-room apartments accommodating four people. Guests staying longer than a month receive a welcome pack with local organic products.

GRAND MERCURE
Demographic: Business and leisure travelers in Asia Pacific
Offerings: Operating in the region for more than 20 years, Grand Mercure includes 14 Mei Jue properties (Chinese adaptation of the brand) as well as Grand Mercure Apartments, offering luxury accommodations in Australia and New Zealand.
Highlight: The 288-room Grand Mercure Shanghai Central features two restaurants, a bar, a spa and five meeting and event rooms within walking distance of the main railway station.

HOTELF1
Demographic: Budget travelers in France
Offerings: Formerly Formule1, hotelF1 is a basic, value-priced option for cost-sensitive travelers, with 238 hotels in France.
Highlight: hotelF1 Marseille Valentine, located in a business district, offers budget-priced accommodations with free WiFi and free indoor parking.

ibis Adelaide check-in lounge © Accorhotels

IBIS/IBIS STYLES/IBIS BUDGET
Demographic: Budget-conscious travelers
Offerings: The main ibis brand operates 1,031 hotels in 59 countries. Ibis Styles, with 277 hotels in 24 countries, offers room rates that include breakfast and Internet access, while ibis Budget, the most economical of the three brands, offers no-frills options at 537 hotels in 17 countries.
Highlight: A short walk from Central Station, the 77-room ibis Styles Amsterdam Central Station offers free WiFi and breakfast.

MAMA SHELTER
Demographic: Travelers who prefer a hip, stylish ambience
Offerings: Mama Shelter’s six hotels in France, Turkey and the United States feature guestrooms with 27-inch iMacs, free movies and WiFi, and organic skincare products custom-made in conjunction with Absolution.
Highlight: Mama Shelter Los Angeles, located in West Hollywood, features guestrooms in three cheekily named sizes (Medium Mama, Large Mama and XXL Mama) as well as a restaurant, bar, coffee shop and a gift shop stocked with travel essentials and offbeat gifts.

MERCURE
Demographic: Midscale business and leisure travelers seeking accommodations in city centers and scenic, non-urban areas
Offerings: Mercure has 711 hotels in 54 countries, with contemporary décor that reflects local design.
Highlight: The 144-room Mercure London Bridge in England’s capital lies within walking distance of many attractions and offers free WiFi, a bar and restaurant and four meeting rooms.

Hotel Muse Bangkok – MGallery Collection © Accorhotels

MGALLERY
Demographic: Travelers seeking an upscale hotel experience with one-of-a-kind settings
Offerings: With 71 hotels in 22 countries, MGallery properties feature architecture, interior design and service that vary by destination and fall into three categories: Heritage reflects the historic nature of the setting, Signature emphasizes the property team’s personality, and Serenity provides relaxing space in a natural or urban setting.
Highlight: At the 19-room Hotel Francés in Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic, guests can sip Champagne as they explore the city’s historic colonial heart by horse-drawn carriage, followed by a candlelit dinner at the historic hotel.

NOVOTEL
Demographic: Midscale business and leisure travelers who prefer central locations in cities and tourist destinations
Offerings: With 414 hotels in 61 countries, Novotel features clean, contemporary design; eco-friendly materials; free WiFi; and on-site dining and meeting space plus leisure facilities like fitness areas, swimming pools and gardens. Suite Novotel offers all-suite accommodations at 31 hotels in 10 countries.
Highlight: Novotel Panama City, one of the brand’s newest properties in Latin America, has a fitness center, two meeting rooms and a restaurant that exhibits the work of local artists.

Pullman Phuket Arcadia Naithon Beach infinity pool © Accorhotels

PULLMAN
Demographic: Business and leisure travelers looking for a sophisticated hotel experience with a technological edge
Offerings: The brand has 93 hotels in 26 countries focused on providing high-tech connectivity throughout, from public areas to guestrooms. Restaurants feature open kitchens, and the Co-Meeting concept provides one-stop contacts and assistance for groups.
Highlight: The 240-room Pullman Hanoi, located in a popular business district, offers a large swimming pool and panoramic city views from upper floors.

The Sebel Melbourne Flinders Lane, Executive Suite © Accorhotels

THE SEBEL
Demographic: Travelers seeking apartment-style accommodations in Australia and New Zealand
Offerings: Sebel operates in 21 locations in Australia and New Zealand. Each apartment has a separate living area, dining table and access to the Sebel Lounge.
Highlight: The Sebel Sydney Manly Beach, less than 20 minutes from Sydney’s Central Business District, offers two outdoor swimming pools and six meeting rooms.

SOFITEL
Demographic: Upscale business and leisure travelers
Offerings: Billed as the “only French luxury hotel brand with a presence on five continents,” Sofitel operates more than 30,000 rooms in nearly 40 countries. Sofitel Legend properties are set in historic buildings, and Sofitel So blends French luxury with local culture.
Highlight: The 173-room Sofitel Agadir Thalassa Sea & Spa, located on a private beach in Morocco, includes a spa and three restaurants.

THALASSA SEA & SPA
Demographic: Travelers interested in health, beauty and spa services
Offerings: Thalassa’s 18 locations in France, Italy, Morocco and Bahrain combine postcard-perfect scenery with the latest trends in health-minded spa treatments and operate in conjunction with other AccorHotels brands.
Highlight: Sofitel Bahrain Zallaq Thalassa Sea & Spa, on a scenic waterfront in the Kingdom of Bahrain, offers 14 treatment rooms, sauna, hammam, freshwater swimming pool and a studio for yoga and Pilates.