Accor is gearing up for a big year of openings with four new Australian hotels to launch in 2023 and a further five to open in New Zealand, a market of increasing importance to the hotel giant.
Speaking to media on Wednesday, Accor Pacific CEO Sarah Derry said 2023 will see strong growth for Accor with the entry of some new lifestyle brands.
“We’ve got some really exciting openings happening next year – we’re going to continue to grow well beyond our 400 hotels,” she said.
“We have some really unique lifestyle brands coming into the New Zealand market … we will also be offering new properties in Fiji as well – since reopening, it has just gone from strength to strength – so, that will continue to be a very, very strong market for Australians.”
Among the first to launch will be the reinvention of Sydney’s Hotel Morris. The Pitt Street hotel, which dates back to 1929, held the title of Australia’s tallest hotel for more than 30 years. It will reopen in January 2023 as an 82-room boutique hotel with a ground floor restaurant and bar, as well as a rooftop bar.
Also in January, an iconic property overlooking Sydney’s Manly Beach will reopen as an MGallery hotel. Manly Pacific – MGallery will offer contemporary coastal luxury, designed in collaboration with Coco Republic. It will feature 213 rooms, an exclusive residence, nine suites with wellness experiences, a rooftop pool, and a new conference and events space.
Accor will bring the Mercure brand to Cairns with the opening of Mercure Hotel Cairns in January following a multi-million dollar refurbishment and rebrand of ibis Styles Cairns. The property will offer 75 spacious guestrooms and a new modern Australian restaurant.
Later in the year, in Q4, the 153-room Pullman Sydney Penrith will open its doors as part of the Penrith Panthers precinct redevelopment. Located next to the new Western Sydney Conference Centre (WSCC), the hotel will offer its own restaurant and bar with private dining rooms, along with a ground-floor café.
Derry said that while there will be more international travellers coming through the hotels next year, Accor expects domestic travel to continue to drive growth.
“Interestingly, we have had 15 million visitors in our hotels in the Pacific over the course of this year,” she said.
“Reflecting back on 2019, we had 21 million visitors, and we are predicting that we will get back to [that number] next year.
“We’re seeing consumer demand still being very strong, but it will continue to be domestically led at least all of next year. The great thing for Australia is our domestic tourists can fill the gap of the internationals, so we know that next year will continue to be strong.”
New Zealand openings
Across the Tasman, Accor has a number of new properties opening next year, the first of which will be apartment-style hotel, The Sebel Wellington Lower Hutt, in the second quarter. This will feature 60 fully-serviced studios and one-bedroom apartments, as well as an on-site restaurant and bar called Biscotti.
In Q3, Jo&Joe and Tribe will debut in the New Zealand market with new hotels to open in Auckland’s Fort Street. Jo&Joe is an economy lifestyle brand targeting millennial travellers, offering the “fun of a hostel and the comforts of a hotel”. It will feature 63 rooms, common spaces, a lobby café, and rooftop terrace. Tribe Auckland Fort Street will have a strong focus on bold design and tech, with 60 guestrooms, a lobby bar, and terrace.
Hyde Queenstown will also make an entrance in Q3 2023. Located on Shotover Street, surrounded by restaurants, bars and shopping, the hotel will offer 63 guestrooms, as well as its own restaurant and bar. The hotel design will reflect the location, as is a consistent theme with Hyde properties.
Pullman Auckland Airport is due to come onboard in the fourth quarter of the year. The 313-room hotel will feature uniquely Waikato-Tainui cultural elements, a top floor restaurant and bar, and a ground floor café.
Derry described New Zealand as one of the Pacific region’s most vibrant tourism markets.
“The booking pace has been building, and we continue to be excited about opportunities for development in New Zealand, particularly as international travel opens up,” she told HM.
“New Zealand is one of the most desirable locations in the world and we are committed to rebuilding tourism here and making a positive impact on our local communities through investment and job creation.”