PARIS—In the five decades since it opened the first Novotel hotel near Lille, France, AccorHotels has built a portfolio of 4,300 properties with 600,000 rooms and 25 brands, ranging from luxury to economy.
AccorHotels operates in 100 countries with 870 hotels planned in the next five years. The group’s presence in North America is on the rise with several projects in the pipeline, including the region’s first Raffles Hotels & Resorts property, set to debut in Boston in 2021.
Outlined below is a snapshot of North America regional updates and global highlights:
Openings, Renovations and Refurbishments in North America
AccorHotels has made investments in the North American market. New openings and renovations, either recently completed or currently underway, include the following:
- Raffles Boston Back Bay—Raffles Boston will include 147 guestrooms and 146 branded residences in a new 33-story building. It is slated for completion in 2021.
- Fairmont Austin—Opened in March, the largest Fairmont property in the U.S. has 1,048 guestrooms, five restaurants and bars, an outdoor pool, fitness center and full-service spa. In addition, the property has nearly 140,000 sq. ft. of event space and access to the Austin Convention Center.
- Fairmont Century Plaza—In Los Angeles, the Fairmont Century Plaza will reopen as part of a broader, $2.5-billion mixed-use redevelopment project in spring 2019. With 394 guestrooms and 63 branded residences within the original building, the property has two new 46-story residential towers and approximately 100,000 sq. ft. of shopping and expanded parking facilities.
- Fairmont Royal Pavilion—The multimillion-dollar renovation in Barbados included a complete transformation of the lobby and all 72 guestrooms and suites. This beachfront property is situated along the Platinum Coast.
- Fairmont Washington, DC, Georgetown—A $27-million renovation in 2017 included the refurbishment of all 413 guestrooms; the conversion of the hotel’s executive forum amphitheater into the 2,900-sq.-ft. Kennedy Ballroom; as well the redesign of the lobby, Loggia and courtyard garden.
- Fairmont Empress—The Grand Dame in Victoria, British Columbia, has been restored with a recent $60-million transformation. The project renovated all 464 guestrooms, Willow Stream Spa, the pool and health club, and 23,000 sq. ft. of event space. It also includes a new lobby and porte-cochere and the development of Q at the Empress Restaurant and Q Bar.
- Fairmont The Queen Elizabeth—The Montreal hotel celebrated its 60th anniversary in 2017 with a $140-million renovation, which included the revamp of all public areas, most food & beverage outlets, and all 950 guestrooms and suites, including Suite 1742, site of John Lennon and Yoko Ono’s bed-in for peace in 1969.
- Sofitel Chicago Magnificent Mile—This property in Chicago’s Gold Coast Historic District has completed a renovation by French architect Jean-Paul Viguier. The two-year restoration enhanced all 415 guestrooms, redesigning its lounge, Le Bar, and introducing new training equipment in the SoFit Fitness Center, which doubled in size to 1,450 sq. ft.
Global Portfolio Updates
AccorHotels has been investing in renovations, refurbishments and new openings globally, including the following:
- Raffles Singapore—The first Raffles property and 19th-century home of the Singapore Sling is in the final phase of a three-part restoration and renovation, due to reopen later this year. The hotel will offer new dining, drinking and lifestyle experiences, including a spa, and will also transform the hotel’s Jubilee Hall into a 300-guest ballroom and create new suite categories, bringing the room count to 115.
- Raffles Europejski Warsaw—Raffles Europejski Warsaw has restored all 106 suites; new dining and drinking experiences, including a new bar and cigar lounge, a patisserie and restaurant; as well as a new spa with six treatment rooms.
- Fairmont Royal Palm Marrakech—Rebranded as the first Fairmont property in Morocco, this resort has 134 guestrooms including five presidential suites, a penthouse suite, 10 prince villas and 94 private residences. The property also has four restaurants and lounges, and an 18-hole golf course and country club, restaurant, health club and swimming pool.
- Sofitel Sydney Darling Harbour—Opened in November 2017, this $500-million, 35-story property has 590 guestrooms including 35 suites; three bars; a restaurant; and a club lounge and outdoor pool. There are also nine flexible meeting spaces accommodating up to 450 guests.
