{"id":2214,"date":"2026-09-29T08:46:31","date_gmt":"2026-09-29T08:46:31","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/kabarsula.com\/index.php\/2026\/09\/29\/kabarsula-accor-leaders-on-middle-east-recovery-franchise-growth-and-australias-next-hotel-hotspots-bandar-slot-indonesia\/"},"modified":"2026-09-29T08:46:31","modified_gmt":"2026-09-29T08:46:31","slug":"kabarsula-accor-leaders-on-middle-east-recovery-franchise-growth-and-australias-next-hotel-hotspots-bandar-slot-indonesia","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/kabarsula.com\/index.php\/2026\/09\/29\/kabarsula-accor-leaders-on-middle-east-recovery-franchise-growth-and-australias-next-hotel-hotspots-bandar-slot-indonesia\/","title":{"rendered":"kabarsula  Accor leaders on Middle East recovery, franchise growth and Australia&#8217;s next hotel hotspots bandar SLOT INDONESIA"},"content":{"rendered":"<p><\/p>\n<div>\n<p dir=\"ltr\"><em>Accor\u2019s regional chiefs used an exclusive Sydney media lunch to outline how the group is weathering the Middle East crisis without layoffs, why franchising is reshaping its Pacific portfolio, and where they see Australian demand heading.<\/em><\/p>\n<p dir=\"ltr\"><strong>Accor kept every Middle East employee and signed 29 hotels through the region\u2019s crisis, CEO Middle East, Africa and Asia Pacific Duncan O\u2019Rourke told <em>Travel Weekly<\/em> and other media at Flaminia in Circular Quay, Sydney, on Tuesday.<\/strong><\/p>\n<p dir=\"ltr\">The lunch, co-hosted by Pacific COO Adrian Williams, followed the group\u2019s signing of a 143-room Novotel for Reve Group\u2019s Nova R\u00eave precinct at Castle Hill, scheduled to open in early 2029.<\/p>\n<blockquote class=\"wp-embedded-content\" data-secret=\"TEiBkkYdTf\">\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/travelweekly.com.au\/accor-signs-novotel-for-castle-hills-nova-reve-precinct\/\">Accor signs Novotel for Castle Hill\u2019s Nova R\u00eave precinct<\/a><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n<p><iframe loading=\"lazy\" class=\"wp-embedded-content\" sandbox=\"allow-scripts\" security=\"restricted\" style=\"position: absolute; visibility: hidden;\" title=\"\u201cAccor signs Novotel for Castle Hill\u2019s Nova R\u00eave precinct\u201d \u2014 Travel Weekly\" src=\"https:\/\/travelweekly.com.au\/accor-leaders-on-middle-east-recovery-franchise-growth-and-australias-next-hotel-hotspots\/about:blank\" data-secret=\"TEiBkkYdTf\" width=\"600\" height=\"338\" frameborder=\"0\" marginwidth=\"0\" marginheight=\"0\" scrolling=\"no\" data-rocket-lazyload=\"fitvidscompatible\" data-lazy-src=\"https:\/\/travelweekly.com.au\/accor-signs-novotel-for-castle-hills-nova-reve-precinct\/embed\/#?secret=bG6vsVvXKL#?secret=TEiBkkYdTf\"><\/iframe><noscript><iframe loading=\"lazy\" class=\"wp-embedded-content\" sandbox=\"allow-scripts\" security=\"restricted\" style=\"position: absolute; visibility: hidden;\" title=\"\u201cAccor signs Novotel for Castle Hill\u2019s Nova R\u00eave precinct\u201d \u2014 Travel Weekly\" src=\"https:\/\/travelweekly.com.au\/accor-signs-novotel-for-castle-hills-nova-reve-precinct\/embed\/#?secret=bG6vsVvXKL#?secret=TEiBkkYdTf\" data-secret=\"TEiBkkYdTf\" width=\"600\" height=\"338\" frameborder=\"0\" marginwidth=\"0\" marginheight=\"0\" scrolling=\"no\"><\/iframe><\/noscript><\/p>\n<h2 dir=\"ltr\">Middle East: rate, not occupancy, is the problem<\/h2>\n<p dir=\"ltr\">In a wide-ranging discussion, O\u2019Rourke said 2024 and 2025 were record years for his region, and that things looked strong in mid-February \u2013 until the crisis began around on 12 February. Hotels across Saudi Arabia, the UAE, Kuwait and Bahrain \u201cshut down\u201d almost overnight, he said.<\/p>\n<p dir=\"ltr\">Dubai, a major market for Accor, is now about 5 per cent below budgeted occupancy, with the average rate is 15\u201320 per cent below last year, as airlines have not fully returned to capacity. But demand from China, India and Russia has helped fill rooms.<\/p>\n<p dir=\"ltr\">Government travel advisories, including those from Australia, placed some countries in the region at \u201cnot recommended\u201d levels, O\u2019Rourke said, affecting insurance and permission to travel. He said a ceasefire had not brought certainty.<\/p>\n<p dir=\"ltr\">O\u2019Rourke expects British Airways to resume services in October, with a pickup in November and December, and a fuller recovery by the first quarter of 2027. But with any recovery he cautioned this depended on geopolitical developments but they continue to maintain staff levels as they did during the pandemic.<\/p>\n<p dir=\"ltr\">\u201cWe didn\u2019t lay anyone off,\u201d he said,\u00a0having found that rehiring and retraining later was costly and hurt service quality. And no hotels closed either, except those already scheduled to receive phased refurbishments, though closed ports had made it difficult to bring in larger items such as furniture and building supplies.<\/p>\n<p dir=\"ltr\">Meanwhile, owners had kept faith, O\u2019Rourke said, with 29 hotels signed during the crisis and no sign of a slowdown in net unit growth against Accor\u2019s budget. Dubai school applications were up 12 per cent, he said, evidence that residents and ex-pat workers were returning. What was still missing, he said, was the high-end UK and Australian leisure traveller.<\/p>\n<p dir=\"ltr\">But Accor\u2019s exposure to religious travel is significant. O\u2019Rourke said the group holds 22 per cent of the religious-travel market in Mecca, including a single building overlooking the Kaaba that houses Raffles, Fairmont, M\u00f6venpick, Swiss\u00f4tel and two Pullman hotels.<\/p>\n<h2 dir=\"ltr\"><strong>Group strategy: asset light and franchise-led<\/strong><\/h2>\n<p dir=\"ltr\">O\u2019Rourke said Accor was now fully asset light after selling its remaining 30 per cent of AccorInvest, with the sale due to close at the end of the year and proceeds earmarked for a share buyback. While his region currently covers about 2,100 hotels there are around 920 more in the pipeline or \u201cone opening every 22 hours\u201d.<\/p>\n<p dir=\"ltr\">Luxury and premium continue to perform well, O\u2019Rourke said, pointing to its hotel brand Orient-Express\u2019s\u00a0new 50-cabin sailing yacht, <em><a href=\"https:\/\/travelweekly.com.au\/orient-express-corinthian-marks-its-official-debut-on-the-water\/\">OE Corinthian<\/a>, <\/em>built at\u00a0 Chantiers del\u2019Atlantique, in St Nazaire, France. The\u00a0110-guest <em>OE Corinthian<\/em> has 54 suites, with a Michelin-starred restaurant.<\/p>\n<p dir=\"ltr\">O\u2019Rourke also flagged branded residences as a growing trend, which he said could lift project values by 25\u201340 per cent depending on the city.<\/p>\n<p dir=\"ltr\">On technology, O\u2019Rourke said Accor was investing heavily in AI but did not want to become \u201can AI company\u201d, preferring to \u201cautomate the ordinary\u201d but humanise the hotel experience.<\/p>\n<h2 dir=\"ltr\"><strong>Pacific: franchising passes the halfway mark<\/strong><\/h2>\n<p dir=\"ltr\">Williams said Accor now has more than 150 franchised hotels in Australia and expects franchising to account for more than 50 per cent of the Pacific portfolio for the first time. O\u2019Rourke noted that about 70 per cent of hotels in Europe are franchised, while US competitors are closer to 90 per cent.<\/p>\n<p dir=\"ltr\">Accor claims to be the largest franchise platform in the market, on top of being the largest brand group and management company, Williams said. He pointed to the conversion-friendly Greet brand, which opened in Alice Springs in August, and teased further signings he did not detail.<\/p>\n<blockquote class=\"wp-embedded-content\" data-secret=\"l5ZnzQ0j9v\">\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/travelweekly.com.au\/accor-opens-affordable-brand-greet-in-alice-springs\/\">Accor opens affordable brand greet in Alice Springs<\/a><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n<p><iframe loading=\"lazy\" class=\"wp-embedded-content\" sandbox=\"allow-scripts\" security=\"restricted\" style=\"position: absolute; visibility: hidden;\" title=\"\u201cAccor opens affordable brand greet in Alice Springs\u201d \u2014 Travel Weekly\" src=\"https:\/\/travelweekly.com.au\/accor-leaders-on-middle-east-recovery-franchise-growth-and-australias-next-hotel-hotspots\/about:blank\" data-secret=\"l5ZnzQ0j9v\" width=\"600\" height=\"338\" frameborder=\"0\" marginwidth=\"0\" marginheight=\"0\" scrolling=\"no\" data-rocket-lazyload=\"fitvidscompatible\" data-lazy-src=\"https:\/\/travelweekly.com.au\/accor-opens-affordable-brand-greet-in-alice-springs\/embed\/#?secret=hJucVunZPJ#?secret=l5ZnzQ0j9v\"><\/iframe><noscript><iframe loading=\"lazy\" class=\"wp-embedded-content\" sandbox=\"allow-scripts\" security=\"restricted\" style=\"position: absolute; visibility: hidden;\" title=\"\u201cAccor opens affordable brand greet in Alice Springs\u201d \u2014 Travel Weekly\" src=\"https:\/\/travelweekly.com.au\/accor-opens-affordable-brand-greet-in-alice-springs\/embed\/#?secret=hJucVunZPJ#?secret=l5ZnzQ0j9v\" data-secret=\"l5ZnzQ0j9v\" width=\"600\" height=\"338\" frameborder=\"0\" marginwidth=\"0\" marginheight=\"0\" scrolling=\"no\"><\/iframe><\/noscript><\/p>\n<p dir=\"ltr\">Recent Pacific openings include hotels in Adelaide, Melbourne and <a href=\"https:\/\/travelweekly.com.au\/mandala-hotels-and-resorts-announces-4-million-mercure-clear-mountain-rebrand\/\">Peppers Clear Mountain<\/a> and <a href=\"https:\/\/travelweekly.com.au\/erdi-announces-opening-of-novotel-hotel-in-st-kilda\/\">Novotel St Kilda<\/a>, which opened two weeks ago. Accor expects about 20 more openings across the Pacific by the end of the year. It currently operates more than 420 hotels in the region.<\/p>\n<h2 dir=\"ltr\">Where Australians are travelling<\/h2>\n<p dir=\"ltr\">Williams said event travel was driving demand with a \u201cfestival of football\u201d filling rooms in Perth for the rugby this week, Melbourne for the AFL Grand Final last weekend and Sydney for the NRL Grand Final this weekend, followed by big concerts including Harry Styles in December at Sydney\u2019s Accor Stadium.<\/p>\n<p dir=\"ltr\">Outside events, New Zealand remains the top outbound destination for Australians, followed by Fiji and Bali, he said, adding that Gold Coast is bouncing back after last year\u2019s cyclone. He said wellness travel is increasingly being framed around longevity, with guests wanting to enjoy themselves but also eat well.<\/p>\n<p dir=\"ltr\">Asked where Australians should be travelling, Williams nominated Tasmania \u2013 where the group has hotels in Launceston and Devonport \u2013 and the Northern Territory, including Darwin and in Uluru with attractions such as the Field of Light, which marked its 10th anniversary this year. Williams also praised Western Australia\u2019s government backing of tourism, citing the Elizabeth Quay development.<\/p>\n<h2 dir=\"ltr\">Brisbane in focus<\/h2>\n<p dir=\"ltr\">Ahead of the Olympics, Williams said it is already the No.1 operator in Brisbane, describing it as a seven-day city that had moved beyond its corporate roots, and one where the opportunity extends past 2032. The group wants more properties there with Williams hinting it would bring \u201cone of our favourite brands\u201d back to downtown Brisbane, with an announcement expected to be made in the near future.<\/p>\n<p dir=\"ltr\">Development remains tough though with Williams adding that central Sydney and Brisbane are difficult places to build for new hotels, with construction constraints rather than planning the main hurdle in Brisbane, while Greater Sydney \u2013 including Castle Hill \u2013 offered a different story.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<p>kabarsula SLOT <\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Accor\u2019s regional chiefs used an exclusive Sydney media lunch to outline how the group is&#8230;<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":2215,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-2214","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-kabarsula"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/kabarsula.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2214","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/kabarsula.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/kabarsula.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/kabarsula.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/kabarsula.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=2214"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/kabarsula.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2214\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/kabarsula.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/2215"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/kabarsula.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=2214"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/kabarsula.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=2214"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/kabarsula.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=2214"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}