As Mercure surpasses the monumental milestone of 1,000 properties globally, we sat down with Jean-Yves Minet, Global Brand President Midscale & Economy Brands, and James Wheatcroft, SVP Midscale Brands to discuss this achievement, the strategy behind Mercure’s success, and what’s next for this global local brand under the Accor umbrella.
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Hospitality Investor: Congratulations on achieving this significant milestone! Could you share what this means for Mercure and how it reflects your overall growth strategy?
Jean-Yves Minet: Thank you! Reaching 1,000 hotels across 68 countries is a testament to Mercure’s strength as a trusted, midscale brand. Having celebrated its 50th anniversary in 2023, the brand is on a strong and dynamic growth trajectory. Nearly 30 Mercure hotels were opened in Greater China this year, bringing the brand’s footprint to over 180 hotels in the region. Mercure has also doubled its presence in Japan, with the recent opening of 11 Mercure hotels across the country. The 1,000-hotel milestone was achieved following a spate of standout openings around the world. This achievement is deeply aligned with our vision of combining global consistency with local authenticity. It’s been a journey rooted in understanding regional markets while maintaining the qualities that Mercure guests have come to expect—reliability, quality, and a connection to the local culture wherever they are.
James Wheatcroft: This milestone reflects the broader trend of midscale brands expanding globally as travelers, particularly those in the business and leisure segments, seek comfortable, well-priced accommodations. We’ve managed to grow because we prioritize creating memorable guest experiences across all our locations—whether you’re staying at a Mercure in Paris, São Paulo, or Bangkok, you'll find a consistent quality, but with a flavour of the local destination.
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HI: The idea of blending global consistency with local character has been a hallmark of Mercure. How have you operationalized this across so many different regions?
JYM: Since its founding in 1973, Mercure has made it its mission to help guests discover the treasures of the location they are in, in fact Mercure takes its name from Mercury, the god of travel. Mercure’s founding principles of locality and discovery were decades ahead of their time. Today, just over 50 years later, this trend for local is still defining travel. From the very start, Mercure has been unique in its approach to creating stays and experiences that are a reflection of the local culture. The original ambition was to create the first hotel chain in the world with personalized properties. Since then, every Mercure property has elements that are distinct to its location, whether that’s the design and decor, the cuisine, or even locally sourced products. But, at the same time, there are core elements that unify the brand globally - quality rooms, strong service standards, and the convenience of a brand you can trust. This ‘glocal’ approach has enabled scaled growth in an authentic way.
JW: Mercure is widely respected for its strong local anchorage – hotel teams that express local values, design schemes reflecting local culture, and an emphasis on local traditions, products and specialties throughout the guest experience. On the operational side, achieving this consistency requires strong brand foundations, compliance and training to ensure every property meets our standards. Accor benefits from a robust global network of regional management teams who understand the local markets deeply, while being equipped with the tools to implement Mercure’s global brand promise.
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HI: Growing to 1,000 properties is no small feat. What role has franchising played in reaching this scale?
JYM: Mercure has achieved this milestone thanks to the trust and vision of all our owning partners, each playing an instrumental role in helping us grow the brand. Today around 85% of Mercure hotels operate under franchise agreements, with only about 15% being managed properties. This aligns with Accor's broader strategy of focusing on asset-light models, especially for its midscale and economy brands, which include Novotel and ibis. So, franchising has been a cornerstone of our growth strategy. It allows us to scale effectively while leveraging local expertise. By partnering with local operators, we can adapt quickly to new markets while maintaining the essence of the Mercure brand. These partnerships are critical as they provide insights into market dynamics, and we support them with the resources and standards that Accor is known for. We’ve also been strategic about where we choose to expand. In emerging markets, we’ve found immense opportunity by partnering with local investors who understand the demand dynamics. This enables us to move fast but with purpose, prioritising sustainable growth, working with the right partners and targeting the right locations.
JW: Because of its non-standardized design, enabling it to adapt well to local markets, Mercure is a conversion friendly brand. Conversion opportunities continue to be a growth driver as Accor has emerged as a favoured partner among independent hotel owners who are attracted to our world-renowned brands, first-class commercial expertise and ease of transition. Conversion opportunities can be ideal due to their lower environmental impact and easier financing arrangements, often welcomed by partners particularly amidst tough economic climates.
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HI: How has Mercure evolved to meet changing guest expectations, especially with new trends in travel?
JW: Mercure is rooted in its locality - locally inspired, high quality midscale hotels that awaken people’s appetite for discovery. Travelers today are more discerning than ever. They want more than a great place to sleep; they want more impactful, purposeful travel rooted in discovery – both self-discovery and discovery of a place. Spending on travel and tourism experiences has surged over the last decade, driven by increasing demand for meaningful, immersive activities. Trends like Slow Travel and Impact Travel quickly shifted from niche approaches to travel to part of the zeitgeist of a growing generation. Consumers are wanting to discover differently, a response to time, wellbeing and sustainability - to travel differently, slower, purposefully and explore destinations near and far.
JYM: Sustainability has become a major focus for us at Accor. Many Mercure properties are now adopting eco-friendly initiatives, from reducing single-use plastics to energy-efficient operations and water-saving initiatives. Just last year Accor announced the signature of two international partnerships with Green Key and Green Globe, in addition to a series of country-specific eco certification programs, such as such as Ecotourism Australia and China Green in the Greater China area. A year later, over 1,000 Accor hotels are now eco-certified. Mercure and its partners and guests benefit from Accor’s leadership and as a brand we strive to build on these solid foundations. Next month, we launch a new local culinary experience at select Mercure addresses worldwide, each championing local flavors, specialties and produce. Sustainability is a mega trend which materialises in travel decisions in different ways and is increasingly important to the Mercure guest and owner.
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HI: What’s next for Mercure now that you’ve surpassed 1,000 hotels? Where do you see the brand heading in the next 5 to 10 years?
JYM: While a 50th anniversary quickly followed by 1,000 hotels are big milestones, we see it as just the beginning. We’re aiming to continue expanding in both mature and emerging markets, particularly in regions like Asia, where there’s a growing demand for quality, midscale accommodations. In fact 66% of Mercure’s growth pipeline is in ASPAC. Asia Pacific’s middle-class population has grown 10 times faster than the global average over the past decade and is expected to continue growing five times faster over the next five years, representing nearly 50% of the worldwide middle-class by 2030 (Source: Statista). Travel continues to be a high growth sector, growing at twice the rate of the economy. It’s an exciting time to be a world-renowned hotel brand like Mercure.
JW: What Mercure has stood for over the last 50 years is the fundamentals of human nature and discovery – people, places, experiences, food. We don’t see this changing. It’s the Human Dividend theory; we are naturally drawn to the core traits that define us. These core traits also define Mercure, discovery of people and places. As we look to the future we intend to double-down on these differentiating traits, ensuring we are deeply rooted in the local community, creating lasting positive change, and enabling guests, team members and locals to flourish.
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HI: Any final thoughts on what this milestone means for the future of Mercure?
JYM: This milestone is a testament to the care and commitment of our teams around the world, in every region and in each of our 1,000 hotels. It’s a proud moment for all of us, but more importantly, it’s a vote of confidence from our guests and partners around the world. This milestone tells us that we’re on the right path, but it also challenges us to think bigger and push further. We’ll keep evolving, keep listening to our guests, and continue growing in ways that stay true to our values.
JW: I agree. This is just the start of the next chapter for Mercure. We’re excited about the possibilities ahead and can’t wait to see where the journey takes us!
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With 1,000 hotels in its portfolio and counting, Mercure’s future looks as bright as ever—firmly rooted in the promise of global consistency and local charm.