Beyond Hotels: The Rise of Augmented Hospitality
Accor Hotels
A New Vision for the Future
Accor is one of the largest hospitality groups in the world with 4,800 hotels operating in 100 countries. Their vision for hospitality extends beyond hotels to include tailor-made services, unique experiences, and digital solutions for guests and locals alike — which they’ve dubbed “Augmented Hospitality.”
Over the past three years, Accor has worked with SkiftX to create thought leadership and amplify their vision for Augmented Hospitality. I’ve led the strategic direction, development, and execution for our work together, partnering with Accor’s global marketing team across multiple content and event activations from concept to execution.
The Big Vision for Augmented Hospitality
Skift Megatrends is an annual print and digital magazine that identifies the big-picture trends shaping travel for the year ahead. We aligned Accor with the editorial trend The Hotel of the Future Needs to Be Everything to Everyone and created a custom Q&A article with Accor’s chief digital officer Maud Bailly on The Big Vision for Augmented Hospitality.
Video: The Hotel of the Future Is Here Today
Building off of the Megatrends alignment, we transformed the key findings and illustrations from the article to create an animated explainer video, narrated by Skift hospitality editor Deanna Ting.
Webinar: Examining the Hotel of the Future
To shine a spotlight on Accor’s executive leadership, we presented a co-branded webinar with Steven Taylor, Accor’s former Chief Brand Officer (currently Chief Marketing Officer) to discuss case studies illustrating the trend and the group’s position as a global leader in hospitality.
Trend Reports
Beyond the Megatrends alignment, we’ve partnered with multiple group and regional leaders at Accor to develop and publish annual trend reports around key themes aligned with the brand’s growth strategy.
The Transformative Role of Design in Hospitality (2019) — on the importance of holistic, human-centered design
Where Luxury is Going Next (2018) — on the evolution of luxury in emerging destinations
European Hospitality’s Creative Renaissance (2018) — on innovation in the world’s most mature hospitality market
The Transformative Role of Design in Hospitality (2019)
If the word “design” gives you tunnel vision toward visual elements and built spaces, prepare to expand your perspective.
In today’s world, design is so much more than an aesthetic discipline. This is particularly true in the hospitality industry, where design strategies impact the guest experience, both online and offline, throughout the entire travel journey. Design influences the way consumers understand and perceive brands across physical and digital touch points. It impacts the way they experience and evaluate their journey and the way they feel — not only about the hotel brands they interact with, but about themselves as people.
This trend report defines the many disciplines of design and its impact on both business and the traveler experience. It features dozens of interviews with renowned design leaders from within and outside of hospitality, deciphering their principles, philosophies, and strategies for designing the future of hospitality.
Content Strategy | Matt Heidkamp
Editor | Alison McCarthy
Writer | Chloe Olewitz
Where Luxury is Going Next (2018)
When we ponder where luxury is going, we’re speaking both in literal and figurative terms. This report looks at how destinations become the next big thing in luxury travel, how the market has changed during the past ten years, how China’s luxury market is impacting the sector, and how the hospitality industry is keeping up with changing expectations. Here, we examine luxury in terms of the evolving high-end customer and provide insights from industry leaders about the key indicators that determine where luxury is going next.
Content Strategy | Matt Heidkamp
Editor | Alison McCarthy
Writer | Laura Powell
European Hospitality’s Creative Renaissance (2018)
A new wave of innovation is coming out of Europe’s hospitality industry. The days of having to choose between either grande dame hotels or boring budget beds are over, replaced by a plethora of niche lodging options that feature cutting-edge design, community-driven approaches, and contemporary food and beverage concepts.
While most hotel brands are laser-focused on expanding in developing countries in Asia, Africa, the Middle East, and South America, this report shows that they should also be paying attention to what is unfolding in Europe. As the most mature hospitality market, Europe’s appetite for the avant-garde is constantly evolving, so the continent may well be the prime spot for industry innovation.
Content Strategy | Matt Heidkamp
Editor | Alison McCarthy
Writer | Laura Powell
Live Events
Bringing the Accor’s message to life at Skift Forum events through branded environments, custom workshops, and editorial panels.
