Accor today announces the global roll-out of its digital key solution, “Accor Key”, in line with the Group’s strategy to provide a contactless guest journey in its facilities. This exciting new step for Accor confirms its ambition to innovate and invest in high-quality technological solutions to deliver the very best and most convenient experience for its guests.
The focus of the rollout will be to provide customers with a keyless door entry solution, while ensuring that hotels do not lose the human touch that guests require. On arrival at their destination, customers will receive their room key virtually upon downloading Accor’s digital key app. Customers will then be given access to rooms, entry to meeting rooms and floor access via lifts using their smartphone. Once departing the hotel, the mobile key will automatically be deactivated.
Patrick Mendes, Chief Commercial Officer Accor, in charge of Sales, Marketing, Distribution and Loyalty, said: “We are thrilled to announce the launch of ‘Accor key’ within our entire network. Making contactless and seamless guest experiences a reality is a priority for Accor. ‘Accor key’ is a great example of how the Group can build solutions and deploy them efficiently in all Accor operating countries.”
Floor Bleeker, Chief Technology Officer, Accor, said: “We always strive to adopt technology which can improve the overall guest experience. Guests increasingly seek contact-light travel and hotel experiences. Therefore, the easy to operate and highly practical application will provide a streamlined process for our guests.”
Accor key program will be delivered through a partnership with STAYmyway. Faustino Fernandez, STAYmyway founder & CEO commented: “We are honored to be working with such an innovative company at such a critical time in our industry. A recent Deloitte study shows that 60% of travelers are more likely to stay at a hotel that allowed contactless check in and the ability to use a smartphone as a room key—16% even say it’s a ‘must have’. The demand is even higher for frequent travelers.”
Following successful pilot programs in North America, Europe and Asia, the roll out will start in all new Accor hotels opening in 2021 and extend to existing properties with an objective to equip 500 hotels with Accor Key this year, and at least 50% of all rooms across the network within the next five years.
By providing customers access to their rooms without a physical key, Accor will also help reduce the amount of plastic used for traditional key cards and cardboard for the key holder.
Innovative hybrid events concept to enable seamless physical & virtual meetings worldwide.
World leading hospitality group Accor today announced it is collaborating with Microsoft to launch ALL CONNECT, a new hybrid meetings concept supported by Microsoft Teams. This new concept will enable guests around the world to adapt to the new ways of working that are expected to be an enduring legacy of the Covid-19 pandemic.
Today, 55% of Accor hotels with meeting rooms are already providing hybrid meetings solutions to their clients. Launching in April 2021, the new ALL CONNECT concept will ensure Accor hotels can provide an enriched full experience, which resets the bar on the hybrid meeting experience. Accor’s ambitious target is to achieve 100% of its hotels with meeting rooms comply with the new hybrid meetings standard by 2022 across all brands, from economy to ultra-luxury worldwide.
By combining the brands and service culture of Accor with the powerful meetings and collaboration technology of Teams, this new offering will enable corporate customers and meeting planners to combine physical in-hotel meetings with virtual interactions across multiple locations simultaneously. Meetings will take place on the Microsoft Teams platform, where attendees can connect and engage virtually. In Accor meeting spaces, Microsoft Teams Rooms and Surface Hub 2S will connect people on-site to those joining remotely with industry leading audio and video device experiences. People can easily present content and see virtual participants as if they were in the same room. With this solution, Accor guests and their meeting attendees can come together through professional, inclusive meeting experiences, from wherever they are.
The concept will focus primarily on small meetings (8 to 50 physical participants) and customers will benefit from the expertise of dedicated teams, Accor’s meetings & events experience, and a seamless digital booking platform. Distinctive and bespoke meeting programs & experiences will be available to attendees who can also expect the highest sanitary and safety measures as part of the ALLSAFE expert vetted protocol co-developed with Bureau Veritas. Research by Accor shows that 50% of physical meetings planned by the company’s Meetings & Events customers in 2021 will switch to virtual formats, and that 70% of respondents see hybrid meetings as an important service in the future.
Furthermore, sector analysis shows that the trend towards remote events and meetings is likely to endure beyond the pandemic even as corporate budgets return to pre-Covid levels. Accor’s hybrid meeting offer will be a new revenue stream for the Group as corporate customers will focus on more sustainable corporate travel, continuing to prioritize health and safety, while maintaining business connections.
Patrick Mendes, Group Chief Commercial Officer in charge of Sales, Marketing, Distribution and Loyalty at Accor, said: “The Covid-19 pandemic has caused business travelers and meeting planners to review the way they work. Virtual and hybrid formats have become an essential part of daily business life. Accor’s new concept ALL CONNECT, created in collaboration with Microsoft Teams, will be an important tool for our guests, offering them the opportunity to organize safe, qualitative and seamless hybrid meetings as they continue to focus on health & safety and sustainability. ALL CONNECT is another example of Accor responding rapidly to the ongoing crisis following on from the launch of ALLSAFE and the rollout of Hotel Office & co-working concepts. We are delighted to launch this collaboration with Microsoft, knowing that Teams has become a new way to work for 115 million daily users who come together every day to meet, call, chat, and collaborate.”
Jean-Philippe Courtois, executive Vice President and President, Microsoft Global Sales, Marketing & Operation, said: “The future of work is hybrid, and the services and experiences which organizations offer their customers will reflect this. We want every person and every organization to benefit from this new working environment in a way that ensures business continuity. That’s why we are proud to collaborate with Accor on ALL CONNECT, helping their customers stay connected wherever they are.”
