Accor Worldwide Franchise News

100 VAE (Validation of Learning from Experience) certifications for better recognition of the hotel industry professions


3,500 traineeships a year to assist the professional insertion of young people


Training courses about the hotel industry’s new professions for 30 teachers every year


April 18, 2012 // Franchising.com // Today, Denis Hennequin, Chairman and CEO of Accor, and Luc Chatel, France’s Minister of National Education, Youth and Voluntary Organizations, will sign a major five-year partnership which aims to increase the employability of Accor’s employees, enhance the appeal of hotel and restaurant professions for young people and boost the efficacy of professional training through better interaction between schools and companies...

February 29, 2012 // Franchising.com // Accor and Foncière des Murs, which are both committed to ambitious sustainable development strategies, announce the signing of “green leases” for all the 152 buildings leased by Accor and owned by Foncière des Murs, reflecting the strong momentum behind their partnership and responsibility policy.
Accor is deeply committed to sustainability and established a Sustainable Development Department as early as 1994 with the chief aim of controlling the environmental impact of its activities. In 2011, Accor published a comprehensive study of its environmental footprint (available online on http://www.accor.com/fr/developpement-durable.html) which confirms the importance of controlling energy and water consumption and waste production in its hotels in order to reduce its impact on ecosystems...

July 07, 2010 // Franchising.com // Accor has sold Compagnie des Wagons-Lits's onboard rail catering operations in France, Italy, Austria and Portugal to Newrest through a joint venture owned 60% by Newrest and 40% by Accor.

Newrest and Compagnie des Wagons-Lits have pooled their expertise to grow their businesses by leveraging their strategically related capabilities in onboard rail catering and facilities management.

For Newrest, which is present in inflight catering, retail dining solutions and remote site management, the joint venture represents an outstanding opportunity to expand in the onboard rail catering market and to enter new countries, including Austria and Italy.

As part of Newrest, Compagnie des Wagons-Lits's onboard rail catering business will be better equipped to win new contracts and position itself as a leader in railway foodservices...

The Group reaffirms its commitment to reforestation and mobilizes employees in support of sustainable development initiatives April 20, 2009 // Franchising.com // For the 3rd Earth Guest Day, Accor has reaffirmed its commitment to reforestation. To be held this year on April 22, Earth Guest Day is a Group-wide initiative that aims to involve employees in sustainable development projects. By April 2010, some 1,000 Accor hotels will be actively involved in Plant for the Planet: Billion Tree Campaign, an initiative launched last year in association with the United Nations Environment Program. Accor's commitment to Plant for the Planet: Billion Tree Campaign This highly innovative global reforestation program is designed to finance seven tree-planting projects around the world...

Significant Progress in Implementing the Strategic Plan A Transformed, Less Cyclical Group

PARIS, August 28 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ --

Solid first-half revenue performance: up 5.2% like-for-like(1), up 11.8% in Services and up 5.1% in Hotels Improvement in operating margin: 0.8 points like-for-like, particularly a strong increase in Services (up 1.1 pt) Operating profit before tax and non-recurring items: EUR393 million, up 16.0% like-for-like and 25.0% like-for-like and excluding the impact of the return to shareholders Sharp improvement in profitability: ROCE(2) of 14.5%, vs. 12.8% at June-end 2007 Full-year target for operating profit before tax and non-recurring items: between EUR910 million and EUR930 million, up 16...

PARIS, August 27 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- Following extensive talks with the Colony/Eurazeo concert group, the Board of Directors of Accor noted at its meeting today that the concert group has expressed its full support for Accor's expansion strategy, which is based on two core businesses, Hotels and Services, and has no intention of seeking either de jure or de facto control of the company, thereby confirming the strategic partnership formed with Colony Capital in March 2005.

The Board of Directors also noted the commitments undertaken concerning compliance with the principles governing Board seats - particularly the requirement that the majority of members be independent directors - and the introduction of appropriate mechanisms designed to prevent any conflicts of interest arising from Eurazeo's other investments in the hotel industry...

July 25, 2008 // Franchising.com // Christophe Alaux will join Accor as Chief Operating Officer, Hotels France, effective August 11, 2008.

He will supervise the General Managers of the hotelF1, Etap, Ibis, all seasons, Suitehotel, Mercure, Novotel and Pullman brands, in addition to overseeing the Franchise Department and all support functions in France.

Mr. Alaux, 41, is a graduate of Institut d'Etudes Politiques in Paris and holds an advanced degree in Management.

He began his career in 1990 at PSA Peugeot Citroën as Labor Relations Manager in a production center. From 1994 to 1999, he executed a number of missions for Accenture to improve organization and performance. Mr. Alaux then joined Promodès, where he served as Vice President Organization and Human Resources for Continent before joining Carrefour France's Executive Committee as Vice President Organization, Systems and Supply Chain...

May 06, 2008 // Franchising.com // (Amsterdam) Under a Sale and Management-Back Agreement for € 92 Million

As part of the ongoing implementation of its "asset-right" strategy, Accor announced today that it has sold the Sofitel The Grand hotel in Amsterdam under a sale and management-back arrangement. The transaction is based on an enterprise value of €92 million.

Accor sold the Sofitel The Grand for a consideration of €60 million (€330,000 per room). The buyer has agreed to finance €32 million in renovation work. Including the renovation costs, the total price per room comes to €505,000.

Accor will continue to run the hotel under a 25-year management contract and retain a 40% interest in the owning company...

PARIS, May 5 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- The Accor Board of Directors has noted the disclosure by Colony and Eurazeo that, acting in concert, they have raised their interest in the Company to 17.52% of outstanding shares and 15.71% of voting rights and intend eventually to increase this stake to up to 30%. The Board feels that this initiative confirms Accor's favorable growth potential.

The Board has also noted Eurazeo's desire to be represented on the Board of Directors alongside Colony, which already has two representatives. Prior to any such decision, however, the Board would like for the two shareholders acting in concert to:Expressly confirm their support for Accor's expansion strategy, which is based on two businesses, Hotels and Services, and which Colony has been participating in through the strategic partnership formed with Accor in 2005...

Launch of three Pullman and two Mercure hotels
Two new Novotel hotels
Opening of Accor Vietnam representative office in Ho Chi Minh City

March 12, 2008 // Franchising.com // Accor, Vietnam's leading international hotel operator, announced today its largest expansion, with the launch of its upscale Pullman and mid-scale Mercure brands, and the expansion of its well-established Novotel brand.

Accor also officially opened today in Ho Chi Minh City, the first full representative office of an international hotel operator in Vietnam. The new office will support and drive the growth of the Accor hotels network from its existing eight hotels to at least twenty hotels by the end of 2010.

Pullman hotels for VietnamAccor announced today that three Pullman hotels would be developed in Vietnam - two in the country's northern Lao Cai region and one in Vung Tau...

February 14, 2008 // Franchising.com // Accor announced today the appointment of Michael Issenberg as Chairman and Chief Operating Officer of Accor Asia Pacific and as a member of Accor Executive Committee effective 4 February 2008. Mr Issenberg will take over from David Baffsky, who has served as Chairman of Accor Asia Pacific since 1992. "Since joining Accor in 1994, Michael Issenberg has played a pivotal role in the success of Accor's hotel and tourism network across the Asia Pacific region, and is tasked with increasing operational results and growth of the company's network, especially in China and India," said Gilles Pélisson, Chief Executive Officer of the Accor Group.

"He is a highly experienced leader who understands the strategic and operational business needs of Accor in the Asia Pacific region...

September 20, 2007 // Franchising.com // BEIJING – Accor, the most dynamic international hotel group operating in China, has signed 62 new hotels, boosting the number of hotels scheduled to be opened or under development by 2010 to more than 180 hotels (40,000 rooms).

This builds on Accor's current China network of 50 hotels and 15,017 rooms.

The rapid development program was announced today at Accor's annual 'World of Accor' expo at the Sofitel Wanda Beijing, which opened last month as the signature – and 50th – hotel for the group in China. As part of this expansion, Accor will open three additional hotels in Beijing by the time of the 2008 Olympics – Novotel & Ibis Phoenix Plaza and Mercure Wanshang Beijing...

Accor Sells Italian Food Services Business

As part of the disposal of its non-strategic assets, and as presented during its 2006 yearly results, Accor announces the sale of its Italian food services business to Barclay's Private Equity for 135 million euros. In 2006, this business contributed 312.3 million euros to Accor's consolidated revenue.

The disposal of the non-strategic Italian food services assets is part of the strategy of refocusing on Accor's two core businesses, Services and Hotels. In line with the commitment to optimizing the Group's financial structure, proceeds from the sale will be returned to shareholders.