Accor is celebrating the milestone of opening the 1,000th hotel under its midscale brand, Mercure. The target was smashed with a spate of recent openings including Mercures in Chandigarh, Deira, Fukuoka, London, Marival and Nantong.
Mercure was launched in 1973, and acquired by Accor in 1975 after which it soon established a presence across Europe and beyond. A first step outside France took Mercure into Portugal in 1983, with the opening of a hotel in Lisbon. Following this, 1994 openings took the brand into the Middle East, Southeast Asia, and Australia.
A leading midscale brand
The achievement of more than 1,000 destinations cements the brand’s position as one of the world’s leading portfolios of midscale hotels, present in almost every corner of the globe,” said Jean-Jacques Morin, group deputy CEO, Accor. “We are immensely proud of the way Mercure has grown and evolved, with an openness to developing new properties, and an easy transition for welcoming existing hotels into its fold. We cannot wait to see what this charming and spirited brand will accomplish in its next fifty years.”
Along the way, there have been brand extensions. Grand Mercure was launched to create an additional leg to the brand, and was subsequently tailored into a localised version specifically suited to the Chinese market, Mei Jue.
More recently, the brand has expanded significantly in Asia. This year, in China alone, nearly 30 Mercures have opened, with the brand now having over 180 hotels in the region. The Grand Mercure brand is also growing fast in the country, with Grand Mercure Hangzhou Qingshan Lake and Grand Mercure Wuxi Huishan both due to launch in 2025.
India is a strong focus for all international hotel brands, and Mercure is playing its part. The Mercure Lucknow Ekana Sportz City is due to open by the end of 2024, followed by hotels in Lucknow, Bhubaneswar and Rajahmundry.
In Japan, the last few months have seen a significant step forward, with the opening of 22 Mercure hotels across the country. The additions were the result of a 2023 deal signed with local partner Ebisu Resort LLC to rebrand a portfolio of Daiwa branded hotels.
Looking to new markets
In 2026, another east European project will launch, the Mercure Oradea in Romania as well as adding the Mercure Batumi, on the Black Sea coast. In Asia Pacific, additions will include the Mercure Subic in the Philippines. Also expected to open the same year is the 200 room Mercure Campbelltown in Australia.
In Europe, the pipeline includes refurbishment of the Mercure Parkhotel Monchengladbach. The Atomis Hotel Munich Airport will also be converted to Mercure standards, via a refurbishment of its 168 rooms and common areas.
