Accor makes ‘significant progress' in 2013 as UK hotels outperform rest of world

The group’s latest financial results reveal that the UK properties operated by French hotel company have been outperforming their global counterparts.

UK hotel occupancy in the upscale and midscale sector was 86.1 per cent, compared with an average of 74 per cent worldwide. For economy hotels, the UK saw occupancy at 86.1 per cent – again well above the 75.9 per cent global average.

Revenue per available room was also strong for the UK properties with an average rate of £75 for upscale and midscale properties and £46 in the economy sector.

“The progress we have made this year has been very encouraging,” said Accor’s managing director for the UK and Ireland, Thomas Dubaere. “We continue to open hotels in key locations, strengthening our network across the UK and Ireland, and we are committed to investing in our employees and their development.

“Through our sustainability programme, we are proud to focus our efforts on protecting the planet, its people and the environment. I am confident that this success will continue into 2014 and beyond.”

New openings​

Accor was recently named the Eco Hotel Group of the Year at the AA Hospitality Awards 2013. This accolade reflects the success of Planet 21 - Accor’s sustainable development strategy which defines 21 commitments and ambitious goals, including a program to inform guests and employees and encourage them to contribute to reinventing hotels, sustainably.

In terms of new hotel openings, this year Accor has opened:

• Ibis Styles, London Excel (7 January)
• Mercure, Milton Keynes (22 January)
• Ibis Styles, Blackpool (26 March)
• Adagio, Liverpool Central Village (26 March)
• Ibis, Brighton (15 July)
• Ibis Styles, Birmingham (16 September)

In September, Accor announced the signing of the Novotel London Brentford. The hotel will be operated under an agreement with Brentford Hotels Limited, a subsidiary of the Pedersen Group, and is due to open in 2015 - the same year as the new-build Novotel in Canary Wharf.

The Group’s pipeline includes a number of new hotel openings, including Belfast; Ibis Styles, Enfield; Ibis Styles, Liverpool; Ibis Styles Edinburgh, two Ibis hotels also in the city and ibis Cambridge.