The TOPHOTELPROJECTS construction database shows that French hotel giant Accor is investing heavily in new projects around the world, particularly in the APAC region.

According to our researchers, Accor has 425 hotels in its development pipeline, which will bring an extra 96,904 rooms online in the next few years. We find out more about the group’s ambitious expansion plans.

Accor’s growth plans by year

Accor is planning to open 115 hotels with 25,196 rooms in 2020, the database reveals, of which 38 are already in the pre-opening phase.

Additionally, 131 launches are projected for 2021, bringing 28,015 more keys into play. For 2022, another 54 properties with 13,015 rooms are under development, and the pipeline for 2023 and beyond boasts 125 projects with 30,678 rooms.

Accor trains its sights on APAC opportunities

The French hotel giant is aggressively pushing growth in the APAC region first and foremost, with 181 hotels and 42,663 rooms under development. By way of comparison, Europe follows a distant second with 76 hotels and 14,470 keys.

The Middle East takes third place with 69 planned hotels and 18,406 keys, nearly 4,000 more than in Europe. Elsewhere, Africa can boast 56 projects and 14,167 rooms in the pipeline, while North America will get 28 new openings with 4,949 keys, and South America is expecting 15 new properties and 2,249 keys.

Accor’s portfolio growth by country

Unsurprisingly, China is Accor’s strongest national growth market with a staggering 86 active projects and 19,977 rooms on the cards. The UAE follows way behind with 21 developments and 7,105 rooms, while Egypt has 19 schemes and 7,942 rooms.

Meanwhile, Accor will open 18 hotels in Saudi Arabia, 14 in Australia, and 13 each in Indonesia and Vietnam. Rounding out the top ten, there are 12 more projects to look forward to in both Mexico and the US, and ten in Thailand.

Mövenpick on the move

In terms of Accor’s fastest-growing brands, Mövenpick Hotels & Resorts takes the lead with 44 projects and 13,759 rooms on the books. Pullman Hotels & Resorts follows close behind with 43 new properties and 12,728 keys, whereas Novotel takes third place with 42 planned openings and 8,562 rooms.

Also worth highlighting is luxury brand Banyan Tree Hotels & Resorts, which will grow by 41 properties, just ahead of Mercure Hotels with 40 projects. As for the rest of the top ten, MGallery is next with 29 new hotels and then we have Fairmont Hotels & Resorts (26), Swissotel Hotels & Resorts (24), Grand Mercure (23) and Sofitel Luxury Hotels (20).

Accor’s top hotel developments

Of course, Accor always has plenty of new projects on the go given its immense size, but some of these really catch the eye. Below, we round up a few of the hotel group’s most noteworthy developments.

The largest Accor project in our database at present is Rixos Hurghada Makadi Bay in Egypt, which is currently being extended and will feature 815 keys upon completion in Q3 2021. Guests will be able to avail themselves of 12 F&B venues, a beach lounge, 1,500 sq m of meeting and events spaces, a spa and wellness area, several pools, a small waterpark, a kids’ club and a variety of entertainment programmes. Another expansion will take place once the hotel reopens involving the development of a 23,000 sq m water park among other elements.

Meanwhile, the 361-room Mövenpick Hotel Centaurus Islamabad, Pakistan will be the focal point of a new upscale mixed-use development, The Centaurus Mall, in the heart of the city’s bustling business district. This property boasts an ideal location opposite the Pakistan Institute of Medical Sciences, a fully integrated medical precinct, and is also close to the Islamabad Stock Exchange, the parliamentary and embassy district of Islamabad, and the city’s two international airports. Its opening date has been set for late 2020.

Moving across the Indian subcontinent, Swissotel Dhaka will be Swissotel Hotels & Resorts’ first hotel in Bangladesh when it opens in late 2022. The property will be situated in the new business district of Gulshan across from the financial and leisure district of Motijheel, just 12km away from the airport. At the hotel, guests will find 350 spacious rooms, six restaurants and bars, 950 sq m of event space, a spa, a pool and a fitness centre.

We also ought to flag up the 62-storey Fairmont Kuala Lumpur, which will offer 690 well-appointed guest rooms along with an executive lounge and Fairmont Gold, the luxury brand’s hotel-within-a-hotel offering. This towering property will feature six dining outlets, as well as 2,787 sq m of meeting and banquet space and recreational facilities including a swimming pool, health club and spa. Fairmont Kuala Lumpur will be in the Kuala Lumpur City Centre (KLCC) development, home to the iconic Petronas Twin Towers, the tallest twin buildings in the world; as well as the hotel, the project features a high-rise office tower, which will be connected via a six-storey retail podium.

Let’s take a look at some more upcoming hotel projects by Accor: