International hotel operator Accor is to overhaul its midscale Mercure brand worldwide through modernisation, a new brand identity and accelerated expansion with a target of 1000 hotels in five years.
The brand currently comprises 732 hotels in 50 countries and racked up, on average, one opening per week and over 15,000 new rooms between 2011 and 2012 accounting for 21% of Accor’s total rooms opened in 2012.
Outlining the details of its latest expansion plans in a recent announcement, Christopher Alaux, CEO Mercure & MGallery said: ““To meet our objective of 1000 hotels within five years, we will expand mostly through franchises.
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"Independent hoteliers make up 70% of the midscale hotel segment. They are looking for sector expertise, particularly to handle the hotel digital revolution. Mercure places relations with franchisees at the heart of its brand governance and that makes it a benchmark franchisor.”
As part of ongoing plans to update the Mercure brand, the group’s Dedicaces renovation concept – claimed to reduce the time of large-scale renovations while offering customized solutions – launched in France in 2011 and now accounting for 70% of the network overhaul in the country will be extended to Germany and the UK.
In addition, by the end of 2014, a Mercure Quality Guarantee will be deployed across the entire network. Features of the initiative include a dedicated phone with the same number across the network that can be dialed around the clock.
The brand also aims to take a new approach to the midscale market by reinventing the brand's lobby lounge design with a concept by W&Cie that creates a sociable space with homely comfortable spaces instead of a reception with digital tablets replacing check-in. Trialed in the UK’s London Bridge property, this will be rolled out to five other hotels by the end of 2013.
The F&B offer will feature three new concepts: Cuisine Lounge where guest serve themselves any time of the day or night in the apartment-like kitchen; the Restaurant Lounge which adds a new twist to local recipes and its trendy snacking Bar Lounge concept.
The brand’s new visual identity, also devised by W&Cie, will be complemented by a 20 million Euro advertising campaign by DDB Paris.
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