Accor, a leading hospitality group, is aiming a significant growth in its premium hotel portfolio across Europe and North Africa, with a robust pipeline across key brands including Pullman, Mövenpick and Swissôtel.
The group has signed 10 premium hotels across the region to date this year – six from Mövenpick, two from Pullman and two from Swissôtel – to take its premium pipeline to 46 properties totalling 7,360 rooms, all set to open by the end of 2027, Accor said.
Accor’s premium growth will strengthen the group’s presence in the Mediterranean basin, with locations in historic cities and sun destinations alike. An opportunity to broaden its offering to European travellers, it will also see growth in Eastern European destinations like Bulgaria, Czech Republic, Albania and Montenegro, it said.
Pullman Hotels & Resorts are Accor’s most premium offering. Consisting of 4-star and 5-star properties, the brand’s European and North African portfolio will be bolstered by nine new openings, adding 1,589 new rooms to the portfolio, including resorts in Guadeloupe and the anticipated Pullman Okol Resort Golf & Spa in Bulgaria. Other openings will include Albania, Croatia, Germany and Montenegro, where the Pullman Kolasin Breza will open its doors later this year.
Mövenpick’s pipeline leads the charge, with 23 upcoming openings in the region, bolstered by its flexibility as a conversion brand. With Swiss heritage dating back to the 1940s, the brand offers a mix of contemporary city and resort hotels that focus on making the ordinary extraordinary. Its European and North African expansion will see a mix of resorts and hotels opening in countries including Algeria, Croatia, Switzerland, Italy and Azerbaijan with the highly anticipated Mövenpick Winter Park Baku. The portfolio has grown in Central and Eastern Europe, with Mövenpick BalaLand Resort in Hungary, and Mövenpick Resort & Spa Fruske Terme in Serbia.
Swissôtel combines Swiss hospitality with intelligent design and local flair. Its growth is propelled in Eastern Europe with 14 properties totaling 2,334 rooms opening across destinations including Albania, Bulgaria, Czech Republic, Serbia, Moldova and Georgia, with the Swissôtel Tbilisi sitting as a highly anticipated opening. Swissôtel Kolašin in Montenegro will be another great addition to Central and Eastern European portfolio, located in the mountain resort and one of the country’s most prestigious tourism investments.
Philippe Bijaoui, Chief Development Officer, Europe & North Africa for Accor’s Economy, Midscale and Premium brands, added: “Our recent restructure has given us a laser-eyed focus, and driving our premium brands across the region is a key part of that. Currently our premium portfolio makes up 16 per cent of our overall pipeline and it continues to be a key area of focus for our development strategy where we see huge untapped potential. We’re also very confident in the ability of brands like Mövenpick, as an ideal conversion brand, to help increase our density in key locations.”
