Hotel group Accor has outlined a series of brand expansions set for 2020, including the largest Sofitel in the Middle East, a Pullman in Paris and a flagship Movenpick in Basel.
Sofitel Dubai Wafi will have 595 rooms, 10 event venues and a ballroom, as well as a swimming pool, spa and gym. It will be the biggest Middle Eastern hotel for the luxury brand, which already has five properties in Dubai.
The 957-room Pullman Paris Montparnasse (pictured below) will reopen after a two-year renovation, showcasing a 25th-floor rooftop venue, 740 sqm ballroom and 3,200 sqm of meeting spaces.
Meanwhile a 264-room property in Basel is set to be the new flagship Movenpick hotel. Accor acquired the Swiss company in 2017 for $567 million.
Other Accor openings next year will include the 202-room Ibis Baku – the brand’s first address in Azerbaijan – an MGallery 200 metres from the entrance to Pompeii Archaeological Park, a 25Hours in Florence, an Adagio aparthotel in London’s Stratford, a Jo&Joe in Rome and a Swissotel in Bern.
Paris-based Accor has almost 40 brands, with two lifestyle chains – Tribe and House of Originals – launching last month.
It is currently rebranding its Le Club Accorhotels loyalty programme as Accor Live Limitless, with more emphasis on providing perks around hospitality and events.
The group reported a 34.2 per cent increase in revenue for the first quarter of 2019, bringing in €987 million.