Accor has hired Maria Ashton, who previously worked for Oakwood and Hyatt Hotels Corporation, as its new vice president of development for luxury brands in Northern Europe.
Maria Ashton has been appointed to a key role within Accor at a time when the French hospitality giant is experiencing significant growth.
A fresh face on the development team
Ashton boasts 15 years’ experience in hospitality and real estate, of which the majority involved senior leadership roles.
She said: “I am delighted to be joining Accor bringing my years of strategic business development experience to my new role as vice president in the Northern European market. This is a critical time for our industry and Accor is a strong partner with an unrivalled brand portfolio.
“Accor continues to be the European market leader with an enviable pipeline and fantastic momentum. Throughout the pandemic, the business has never once taken its eye off the future, building the brand portfolio and opportunities for our partners across the region. As we look to 2022 and beyond, Accor is well-placed to strengthen its portfolio with some spectacular projects planned.”
Contributing to Accor’s busy development slate
In this new role, Ashton will help drive growth of a portfolio that already encompasses 270 hotels across the world, with another 130 in development. Northern Europe is a key area of growth for Accor’s luxury brands – notable upcoming projects include Raffles London at The OWO (opening 2022), Fairmont Moscow Mayakovskaya (2022) and Raffles Moscow (2023).
Camil Yazbeck, senior vice president and head of development for Accor in Northern Europe, added: “Accor Northern Europe has signed more hotels and rooms than any other hotel group during 2020 and Q1 2021, ranking number one against all competitors in signings with 40% market share.
“We achieve this success with great brands and great people and so I am thrilled to welcome Maria to further strengthen our development team in the region. Luxury remains a key priority for the group globally and in Europe as we look to enhance our already strong portfolio.”
Experience gained at Oakwood and Hyatt
Throughout her career to date, Ashton has gained international experience in hotel development, feasibility and asset management, with work spanning North America, Latin America, Europe, Africa and the Middle East.
Ashton most recently served as vice president of business development for Oakwood. For 13 years before this, she served in feasibility and senior development roles with Hyatt Hotels Corporation in the UK, Switzerland and the US.
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