GLOBAL LEADERS: Sébastien Bazin

OUR WORLD IS changing at an unprecedented pace. Accor has done an incredible job in adapting to the rapidly changing guest, partner and talent expectations and I have total confidence that Accor will continue to redesign and reimagine hospitality in 2022.

Last year, we celebrated the 30-year anniversary of Accor’s history in the Pacific region. In November alone, we won the naming rights for Stadium Australia and announced plans for a new strategic loyalty partnership with Qantas, the first of its kind in the Asia Pacific region. Our journey here began with one brand, today this number has grown to 17. What’s more, with a portfolio of almost 400 hotels and more than 30 in the pipeline, Accor has become the largest hotel operator in Australia and New Zealand. We are on a growth trajectory, and I am truly excited for what 2022 will bring.

This momentum is notably being fuelled by the lifestyle segment, which is proving to be one of the most resilient. The rebound is accelerating, and I expect this pace to be maintained into this year. Guests are increasingly looking for authentic and meaningful experiences. These hotels are destinations in their own right and when combined with their bespoke F&B offerings, they become the heartbeat of the community in which they operate. It’s all about serving guests beyond the hotel room and providing an augmented hospitality experience, which is at the heart of Accor. In the Pacific region alone, we have plans to launch new lifestyle brands with Mondrian, 25hours and SO/ in the coming months.

I also firmly believe that ‘workspitality’ will continue to grow as a concept, and we are focusing on developing this. What I mean here is either co-working, hotel office(where you enjoy a hotel room during the day) or hybrid meeting services. Our hotels are creating spaces that are lively, flexible, community-based and creative, while also practical, filling the need for a work-life balance. Again, it all comes back to adaptability, and this is another way in which we are reimagining our offering to align with shifting customer habits and redesign the guest experience.

As we adjust to the new world we live in, many travellers have also continued to rediscover their home countries. This year we are ensuring we develop even more offerings that meet the needs of local clientele. Let me emphasise, we cannot create the hospitality of tomorrow without first ensuring it rests on sustainable foundations, and that is my absolute highest priority right now.

My vision is clear and unwavering: to continue driving strategic actions and making changes that will move our company towards a contributory model where we give back more than we take. At Accor, we commit to a ‘net positive hospitality’. We are working on concrete solutions based on four strategic pillars: social uplift, optimisation of natural resources, preservation of the planet through food-based initiatives and the evolution of our relationship with our communities. For me, it is imperative we focus on thinking holistically about our entire business and deploy our reflex-like agility to work together to build a sustainable future for hospitality. This won’t be easy, I know, but I am confident the future is bright. n

Number of hotels and rooms (Globally): More than 5,200 hotels and 775,000 rooms

Number of hotels and rooms (Asia-Pacific): More than 1,100 hotels and 203,000 rooms

Number of hotels and rooms (Australasia): 395 hotels and over 60,000 rooms

Year first hotel opened (Globally): 1967

Year first hotel opened (Asia Pacific): 1982

Year first hotel opened (Australasia): 1991

Brands in the organisation: 40+

Head office locations: Paris, Singapore, Shanghai, Sydney