As announced in July 2022, Accor’s new organization is now being implemented progressively throughout the first quarter of the year depending on local legislations, particularly regarding the obligations to consult staff representatives. The new structure will allow the Group to accelerate growth and better address market developments, deliver the highest possible levels of service for all its stakeholders, facilitating accurate and effective fulfilment of guest needs and expectations, and providing clarity and performance to its partners.  

Under the leadership of Sébastien Bazin, Group Chairman & CEO and Jean Jacques Morin, Group Deputy CEO, as of 1^st of January 2023, Accor’s operations are now relying on two dedicated divisions: a Premium, Midscale & Economy division and a Luxury & Lifestyle division, both supported by a Group Management Board and a Global Shared Platform delivering expertise and services to both divisions including Digital, Technology and Procurement. 

The “Premium, Midscale & Economy” division brings together brands from the Group’s Premium, Midscale and Economy segments and will be structured around four regions. 

Executive Committee under the leadership of Jean-Jacques Morin as CEO:

⮚ Thomas DUBAERE, CEO Americas 

⮚ Patrick MENDES, CEO Europe & North Africa 

⮚ Duncan O’ROURKE, CEO Middle East, Africa, Turkey & Asia Pacific

⮚ Gary ROSEN, CEO Greater China 

⮚ Besma BOUMAZA, General Counsel  

⮚ Fabrice CARRE, Chief Strategy Officer 

⮚ Steven DAINES, Chief Talent & Culture Officer  

⮚ Karelle LAMOUCHE, Chief Commercial Officer  

⮚ Patrick LAURENT, Chief Financial Officer 

⮚ Camil YAZBECK, Chief Development Officer

The “Luxury & Lifestyle” division is structured around four brand collections, with Raffles & Orient Express; Fairmont; Sofitel MGallery & Emblems and Ennismore. Executive Committee under the leadership of Sébastien Bazin as CEO: 

⮚Omer ACAR, CEO Raffles & Orient Express (starting March 1^st, 2023)

⮚Maud BAILLY, CEO Sofitel, MGallery & Emblems 

⮚Gaurav BHUSHAN, Co-CEO Ennismore 

⮚Mark WILLIS, CEO Fairmont 

⮚Gary ROSEN, CEO Greater China 

⮚Kamal RHAZALI, Secretary General & General Counsel (starting Feb 1^st, 2023)

⮚Agnès ROQUEFORT, Chief Development Officer 

⮚Johny ZAKHEM, Chief Financial Officer  

To leverage this new organization of Accor’s operational structure, a Group Management Board chaired by Sébastien Bazin is set-up. This body ensures consistency and alignment between the two divisions, in terms of both the strategic priorities and performance levers. 

The Group Management Board is composed as follows: 

⮚Besma BOUMAZA, Group General Counsel & Board of Directors’ Secretary

⮚Steven DAINES, Chief Talent & Culture Officer  

⮚Jean-Jacques MORIN, Deputy CEO and Chief Financial Officer 

⮚Brune POIRSON, Chief Sustainability Officer 

⮚Kamal RHAZALI, Secretary General & General Counsel, Luxury Lifestyle 

⮚Floor BLEEKER, Chief Technology Officer 

⮚Alix BOULNOIS, Chief Digital Officer 

⮚Caroline TISSOT, Chief Procurement Officer 

The creation of these two operational divisions with clearly identified expertise, ambitions and objectives will enable Accor to leverage its portfolio of unique and diverse  brands, leadership across most markets and unrivalled development momentum.

TORONTO, ON (January 3, 2023) – Choice Hotels Canada is pleased to announce the latest addition to its Ascend Hotel Collection® with the opening of Carriage Ridge Resort in the township of Oro-Medonte. The Ascend Hotel Collection is a network of upscale resorts, historic properties and boutique hotels that offer guests a uniquely local experience. Located within the Horseshoe Valley, the expansive resort spans 28 acres and is the 26th Canadian member of the global Ascend Hotel Collection.

“We are pleased to build on our long-standing collaboration with Sunray Group of Hotels, the owners of Carriage Ridge Resort,'' says Brian Leon, CEO of Choice Hotels Canada. “This hotel is well located for guests looking to enjoy any number of year-round outdoor activities at Horseshoe Valley, including skiing, hiking, or a spa day.”

The resort has no shortage of outdoor space and comes outfitted with a spacious patio, barbeque area, firepit, children's playground and games including shuffleboard and horseshoes. Indoors, guests can enjoy the pool and hot tub, fitness center and games room. Accommodations at Carriage Ridge Resort include one and two-bedroom suites that can comfortably sleep groups up to eight. Select suites also include kitchens, fireplaces and balconies. All guest rooms come equipped with microwaves and refrigerators for convenience and comfort and complimentary Wi-Fi is available throughout the property.

“We are proud to add another Ascend Hotel Collection property to our portfolio and believe this unique resort has a lot to offer for guests - whether they’re travelling to experience the area's attractions or visiting friends or family,” says Kenny Gibson, President of Sunray Group of Hotels. “Carriage Ridge Resort offers something for everyone and we are confident it’ll be well received by guests year-round.”

Carriage Ridge Resort is located at 3303 Line 3 N in Oro-Medonte, conveniently across the street from the highly-rated Vettä Nordic Spa which opened earlier this year. The spa offers an authentic Finnish hydrotherapy cycle of heat, cold and relaxation. Guests can also enjoy massages and cuisine at either the Finnish-inspired restaurant or in-spa bistro. For travellers looking for adventure, there are nearby trails for hiking and mountain biking, golf courses in the summer and skiing at Horseshoe Resort and Mount St. Louis Moonstone.

For more information and reservations, please visit www.choicehotels.com.

28 December 2022 HENDERSONVILLE, Tennessee—Canada’s hotel performance came in lower than the month prior but showed improved comparisons to 2019, according to STR’s November 2022 data.

November 2022 (percentage change from November 2019)

Occupancy: 61.0% (+1.6%)

Average daily rate (ADR): CAD169.69 (+14.8%)

Revenue per available room (RevPAR): CAD104.98 (+16.6%)

“Top-line performance recovery showed astounding strength in November, reinforcing that travel is still a priority despite high inflation and a dimming economic outlook,” said Laura Baxter, CoStar Group’s director of hospitality analytics for Canada. CoStar Group is the parent company of STR.

“When indexed to 2019, the key performance metrics aligned with the previous recovery peak in July,” Baxter said. “The improvement over recent months was partially due to a higher occupancy index, which was 1.6% above the 2019 pre-pandemic comparable. New recovery milestones were realized in both weekday and weekend occupancy, signaling strength in both corporate and leisure travel. The weekday occupancy index, which can be used as a proxy for corporate travel demand recovery, was in line with 2019 for the first time of the pandemic era. The weekend occupancy index, used as a proxy for leisure travel recovery, pushed ahead to 107% of the 2019 level. Transient occupancy also reached an all-time recovery high, up 10% over November 2019, while the group index was slightly softer than last month, down 13% compared to pre-pandemic levels.”

“Meanwhile, ADR was also on an upwards trajectory, with the lift over 2019 coming in stronger month over month. Nominal growth in the metric was up 14.8%, and with overall inflation slightly cooling in November, real ADR growth was 1.6%. The added momentum comes from improvements on weekends, as weekday ADR has remained steady. With weekend occupancy at an all-time high, weekend rates hit a new recovery milestone, up 22% over 2019.

Among the provinces and territories, Manitoba recorded the highest November occupancy level (76.6%), which surpassed the pre-pandemic comparable by 16.3%.

Among the major markets, Vancouver recorded the highest occupancy (75.9%), which was 3.5% above November 2019.

Alberta (53.4%) saw the lowest occupancy among provinces, up 3.2% against 2019. At the market-level, the lowest occupancy was reported in Edmonton (53.5%) which was 2.8% below the 2019 comparable.

“Overall, we expect a strong finish to the year with December events such as the two-week UN Biodiversity Conference (COP 15) in Montreal set to positively impact demand and ADR. Holiday parties are also back in force, which will improve F&B revenue,” Baxter said.

WASHINGTON (Dec. 19, 2022) – The American Hotel & Lodging Association (AHLA) today announced three promotions among its leadership team.

Kiersten Pearce was promoted to Senior Vice President, Executive & Strategic Initiatives. In her new role, Pearce will shape and develop key industry initiatives and ensure alignment and execution on AHLA’s strategic plan and organizational priorities. She’ll also oversee the coordination of the AHLA Board of Directors, Executive Committee and associated committees, and key operational functions, including legal. Kiersten joined AHLA in 2018 and previously served as AHLA’s Vice President of Member Engagement & Services, where she played an instrumental role in growing AHLA’s membership to record levels and realizing consistently strong satisfaction levels.

Adrienne Weil was promoted to Senior Vice President, Member Engagement & Services. In her new role, Weil will lead AHLA’s membership team and spearhead efforts to optimize AHLA’s committees and networks and ensure AHLA’s differentiated value proposition remains relevant as member needs evolve. Previously, Adrienne served as AHLA’s Vice President of Strategic Partnerships and Business Development and led efforts to dramatically accelerate “non-dues” revenue growth from industry service providers and suppliers.

Kara Filer was promoted to Senior Vice President, Strategic Partnerships and Business Development. In her new role, Filer will optimize and expand sponsorship and event revenues from AHLA Allied member companies, aligning sales and relationship strategies between AHLA and the American Hotel & Lodging Foundation (AHLAF), where she will remain a key member of the leadership team and continue to drive the Foundation’s fundraising efforts. She previously served as AHLAF’s Vice President of Donor Relations and Development and orchestrated initiatives to accelerate overall revenue growth by introducing new events, engaging hotels and vendors and securing grants.

The promotions announced today are part of a steadily growing AHLA team that has played an increasingly critical role on behalf of the hotel industry, especially since the COVID-19 pandemic. In the last two years, AHLA has grown from 44 to 65 employees, as the organization continues to serve as the singular voice of America’s hotels and remains deeply engaged in policy issues affecting hoteliers at all levels of government. 

“I am proud to announce these well-deserved promotions,” said AHLA President & CEO Chip Rogers.“Kiersten, Adrienne and Kara have been instrumental to AHLA’s success over the last several years, and in their new roles they are even better situated to deliver ROI for our growing roster of members and keep the hotel industry moving forward.”