AccorHotels announced that it secured the highest total number of new room signings for the Middle East and Africa. Last year alone, AccorHotels signed 30 new hotels, including seven takeover agreements, adding more than 8,700 rooms to the group’s regional portfolio. This year has also begun with a dynamic start with the signing of nine hotels, including landmark agreements for the introduction of SO/ in Uptown Dubai, the expansion of MGallery in the UAE with the MGallery Old Town and the recent acquisition of South African based Mantis Group, a collection of boutique hotels and eco lodges located on all seven continents.
Commenting on these accomplishments, Olivier Granet, chief executive officer (CEO) AccorHotels Middle East and Africa, said: “2017 was a remarkable year for AccorHotels, defined by our robust expansion strategy. Our success underscores the continued confidence of our most valued partners and guests across the Middle East and Africa and it begins with a fully engaged team providing operational support, expertise in a variety of disciplines and transparent and open dialogue.”
“We are very proud that we entered the region over 40 years ago and are humbled to be part of the very fabric of the destinations in which we operated in,” he continued. “In the UAE alone, we were the first major global hospitality company to introduce economy and midscale brands to the market, fuelling a need for affordable accommodation combined with international standards. We continue this momentum by bringing some of our most innovative and disruptive concepts such as Mama Shelter, 25Hours Hotels and SO/, through which we hope to reinvigorate and transform the travel and hospitality experience for all travellers to the region.”
In the first quarter of 2018, AccorHotels signed nine hotels. In April, AccorHotels signed an agreement to debut SO/, a vibrant luxury lifestyle brand with the SO/ Uptown Dubai, encompassing 188 rooms and 215 branded residences. The Group’s upper upscale portfolio was further strengthened by the signing of a franchise agreement for the 164 room MGallery Old Dubai, part of the on-going evolution of a historically significant area of Bur Dubai.
The signings across 2017 and 2018 bring AccorHotels Middle East & Africa committed network (operational and pipeline) to over 300 hotels, representing 80,000 rooms across 30 countries in the region. The milestone follows a major expansion strategy by the Group’s regional operations in recent years.