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Paris-based AccorHotels has changed its company name back to Accor.
Accor CEO Sebastien Bazin told investors on the company’s 2018 full-year earnings call that the change was made because Accor is an “augmented hospitality” company. The company has made a significant investment in home and villa rentals.
“We’re dropping ‘hotels’ because we’ve been doing so much more,” explained Bazin. “Of course, hotels will still be the core activities for Accor for the next 50 years, but we’ve added so much in terms of ecosystem.”
The group had previously rebranded as AccorHotels in 2015 for online marketing purposes, matching the name of the company with its Accorhotels.com website.
Also on Thursday, Bazin unveiled a revamp of Accor’s Le Club loyalty program, which will now be known as Accor Live Limitless. The Live Limitless platform will aim to offer members a broader array of rewards, services and experiences across Accor’s 30 hotel brands and collection of bars, restaurants and nightclubs.
Accor’s loyalty program currently has around 50 million members, up from approximately 25 million four years ago.
“We have many more loyalty members every year, which is satisfactory,” said Bazin. “But it’s only a good thing if they become active, and if we increase the number of bookings of loyalty members into the system. We have to face reality — having a greater number of members means absolutely nothing if you don’t engage with them in a frequent manner.”
Bazin added that Accor’s loyalty program members currently account for roughly 30% of overall bookings. The company aims to grow that share to 40%.
The Accor Live Limitless program makes its debut with a variety of high-profile partnerships, including an extension of Accor’s existing relationship with sports and music entertainment firm AEG, which will help Accor offer members access to event tickets and private suites at venues across Latin America, Asia and Europe.
Accor has also inked a loyalty program partnership with talent management firm IMG, which will provide access to immersive culinary and masterclass experiences.
A multi-year deal with the Paris Saint-Germain Football Club makes Accor Live Limitless the principal partner and official jersey sponsor for the team’s 2019-20 season.
Source: travelweekly.com
