Accor’s MGallery brand is set to grow its portfolio in the coming years.

Accor’s MGallery Hotel Collection is due to land in Japan, Australia and Thailand by the end of 2021.

Since ditching Sofitel from its branding last year, MGallery Collection has been making inroads into markets less travelled as it expands both its presence and its key count.

We find out more.

MGallery Collection goes global

Accor’s stalwart soft brand, the MGallery Hotel Collection, is setting its sights on some unlikely locations for a host of new properties it hopes to bring under its umbrella in the near future.

While MGallery’s planned expansion will, of course, include new hotels in coveted destinations such as international capital cities, its strategy also plans on targeting less well-worn locations in a bid to coax its guests into tapping into their adventurous side, while offering the luxury standard of service that brand loyalists will expect.

With their expansion plans set to add between 12 and 15 new hotels a year to the collection, MGallery Hotel Collection is due to land in Japan, Australia and Thailand by the end of 2021, as well as gaining more of a foothold in the US market following their acquisition of 21c Museum Hotels in 2018.

MGallery’s engaged explorers

Jill Kallet Lustigman of luxury travel agency Protravel says, “Having the Accor brand behind some of these lesser-known locations and hotels will make them easier to sell to a less adventurous traveller. It’s much easier to say to a client ‘I know you don’t know this hotel, but it’s the same group as Fairmont or SLS.’ A client is much more likely to try it out feeling like there are standards in place.”

Accor calls these guests “engaged explorers” and positions them between their 30s and 50s. These are discerning travellers who are looking for experiences and are willing to get out of their comfort zone, to a certain extent, for the right hospitality experience.

Yohan Amiot, MGallery’s director of brand management, thinks the direction the brand is going hits the right note in this regard. “Stories are an important part of MGallery, so for each hotel, it could be linked to the past of the building or the destination,” he says.

“Our customers want to discover the unexpected. They want to learn the stories. They want to visit new destinations and go to places other tourists don’t go. They are into culture and art.”

Exciting experiences

In terms of experiences, MGallery has an exciting roster of events, programmes and immersive activities that guests can participate in across its portfolio.

Yohan Amiot expands on this, saying, “We have what we call the Memorable Moment. It’s an activity linked to a specific destination or hotel. For example, one hotel has a hidden wine cellar. In Geneva, our hotel has a special arrangement with a master watchmaker, so you can do a half-day class. In New Zealand, one hotel offers a picnic by helicopter. In the 21c, because of the art focus, we arrange private visits with the curator.”

While Accor’s loyalty club members will be able to redeem their points at MGallery properties, they will no doubt appeal more to those who are looking to think outside the box rather than merely wanting to cash in their points.