TravTalk India Online Magazine
The hospitality firm, which currently operates 55 properties across India and South Asia, plans to add six new hotels to its network this year, two of which will debut in leading tier II markets in India, says Mark Willis, CEO – India, Middle East, Africa & Turkey, Accor
Lipla Negi
Every disruption comes with its own set of changes. While the pandemic changed the hospitality business, Accor used the transformation to drive growth, creativity and innovation. “As we speak, we have 26 properties (5,146 keys) and more properties are in the pipeline,” shares Mark Willis, CEO – India, Middle East, Africa & Turkey for Accor.
Accor currently operates 55 properties across India and South Asia, with 10,306 keys. As the brand continues to strengthen its portfolio in the country, Willis gives an insight into the new, advanced and immersive world of Accor where sustainability and hospitality go hand-in-hand.
Mid-scale & economy brands in spotlight
Willis says India is a “very resilient market” and showing “strong signs of recovery”. “We are constantly looking at opportunities to continue our expansion in the Indian market, across all segments and brands. Our mid-scale and economy brands, Novotel and ibis, have an extremely high brand recall in India and a strong focus on the meetings and conventions market, as well as the weddings and social events. The Novotel network, with 21 operational hotels, forms the largest network of mid-scale hotels in the country, with hotels in key cities such as Mumbai, Delhi, Bengaluru, Chennai, Goa and Hyderabad. We also continue to look for the right partners as we expand our luxury brands such as Raffles, Fairmont and Sofitel, after the overwhelming response we received for Raffles Udaipur last year.
Expansion and partnership
Over the next 24 months, we are expecting to add six new properties to the network, two of which will debut in leading two-tier markets within India – Novotel Bhubaneshwar Janpath Road and Novotel Jodhpur ITI Circle. We will also continue to expand our ibis and ibis Styles brand in partnership with InterGlobe Hotels by adding three more hotels in the next two years to the existing portfolio of 20 hotels.
Domestic travel remains the driving force
We believe domestic travel will yet again be a crucial driving force for not just Indian tourism, but markets all across the globe. With evolving guidelines still in place for international travel, domestic travel will be leading the business and entertaining staycation, workcation and small MICE demands for top leisure destinations. Travellers are now looking for meaningful experiences under one roof to create deeper connections with their loved ones and the environment, and our hotels, especially in the leisure destinations that are currently in demand.
Technology takes the lead
India is a very resilient market that is showing encouraging signs of recovery. We are confident that our industry will bounce back to full recovery soon. Innovations brought in by technological advancements have made operations more cost-effective and enhanced guest experience. There is a lot of potential in this area.
