With Mercure, Accor breaks the traditional codes of midscale hotels

Accor, the world’s leading international hotel operator, unveils its  ambitions for the Mercure brand. Mercure is the midscale hotel leader with more than 700  hotels worldwide, and its new positioning focuses on 4 lines of action:
– An entirely modernized offer that meets new guest expectations
– Accelerated expansion, mostly through franchises, with a target of 1,000 hotels within 5  years
–  A global quality guarantee
– A brand new visual identity

Today, the brand unveils its vision of midscale hotels and its answers to new guest expectations in  this segment. It introduces its new approach to guest welcome, revisited cuisine concepts, dedicated  offer for business customers on the move, robust commitment to quality and more refurbishments.

Yann Caillère, CEO of Accor, declares "Mercure is essential for the group’s expansion particularly  driven through franchises and managed hotels. The brand is now opening a new page in its history.  Thanks to the work carried out in partnership with our franchisees and to its powerful distribution,  Mercure is increasing its attraction for hoteliers and guests alike and injecting new impetus,  modernity and innovation into midscale hotels."

Mercure, a strong brand, buoyed by expansion through franchises and reinforced  distribution

An average of one opening a week and a target of 1,000 hotels in five years
Mercure is the world’s second largest hotel chain in its segment1 with 732 hotels in 50 countries. The  brand is enjoying sustained expansion with an average of one opening per week and over 15,000  new rooms between 2011 and 2012.

Mercure alone accounted for 21% of rooms opened by Accor  in 2012.  1 Excluding North America2 Network growth (over 75% through franchises and management contracts) is mostly achieved by  converting existing hotels and focuses on reinforcing Mercure’s leadership position in its key  markets France (232 hotels), Germany (112 hotels) and the United Kingdom (73 hotels), expanding  in Brazil (64 hotels) and Australia (63 hotels) and setting up in two new countries every year.  In 2012, Mercure established footholds in Russia and South Korea. In 2013, it will launch its first  establishments in Turkey and Sweden. Mercure plans to open a total of 53 new hotels in 2013.

"To meet our objective of 1,000 hotels within five years, we will expand mostly through franchises.  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," explains Christophe  Alaux, Chief Operating Officer Mercure & MGallery Europe.

Mercure’s strength also lies in the power of its loyalty and distribution system and in the  development of multi-channel digital devices (mobile application, Facebook page and websites in  nine languages and 26 local versions). Online booking represents 30% of the brand’s turnover.

A global commitment to quality across Mercure’s world network

Extensive refurbishment across the network
The Dedicaces renovation concept launched in 2011 in France, continues to be rolled out at a  sustained pace. Thanks to this concept, the brand stepped up refurbishment in France, where 70%  of the network has now been renovated. In the second half of 2013, the concept will be extended in  Germany and the United Kingdom. Dédicaces is unique in the hotel industry and enables bespoke  room refurbishment that is 30% cheaper and completed in record time. Mercure Dedicaces room  renovation program provides customized, high quality, modern rooms at a considerably reduced  cost thanks to a large-scale renovation process carried out twice as fast. "This is further proof of  Mercure’s progress in combining continuous product improvement, lean management processes,  and plug-and-play best practices from certain industries." specifies Christophe Alaux, Chief  Operating Officer Mercure & MGallery Europe.

A worldwide quality of service guarantee
Mercure has made a strong commitment and now guarantees the same high quality of service  across its network. By end 2014, the Mercure Quality Guarantee will be deployed across the  entire network. This one-of-a-kind approach is based on 96 shared quality guidelines and ensures  that the guest experience is consistent in all Mercure hotels. The Mercure Quality Guarantee  focuses on hotelier service and responsiveness. It notably includes a dedicated phone line, with the  same number (2424) for the entire Mercure network that customers can dial around the clock. This  hotline fosters interaction with staff and stimulates responsiveness.

A new approach to hospitality that focuses on customer welcome, business on the move and  F&B concepts

"Midscale hotels are caught between rapidly modernizing economy hotels on the one hand and the  upscale hotel experience on the other. The growing demand for a more authentic, friendly and  diverse offer in this segment is an opportunity for Mercure. It has incited us to develop a demanding  roadmap that breaks with the segment’s traditional codes and differentiates us long term. Mercure is  abandoning the practical, logical, best-value-for-money model and adopting a much more  "emotional" approach to that fosters "harmony between places and people," explains Frédéric  Fontaine, Senior Vice President Marketing Mercure and MGallery.

Mercure reinvents the guest welcome experience with a new lobby design
The traditionally practical and impersonal reception area is transformed into a friendly, social space.  Mercure has worked for seven months on redesigning the lobby with design agency W&Cie and the  result is a concept that is unprecedented in midscale hotels. The reception desk, which formed a  barrier between the teams and the guests, is replaced with an approach based on friendlier, easier  interaction. The receptionist is now a "host" who invites customers to the "host table" or to one of the  comfortable lobby spaces that "feel like home" and include the bar and the restaurant. The use of  digital tablets enables rapid check-in and fosters dialogue, interaction and friendliness between the  hotelier and the guest. This concept, which has been successfully implemented at the Mercure  London Bridge since April, will be rolled out in five other hotels by the end of 2013.

A reinvented and contemporary cuisine experience inspired by local traditions
Mercure’s Food & Beverage service has been redesigned to blend modernity with tradition. It  features "Cave et Saveurs", a new wine menu that showcases local vintages (in partnership with the  Bettane & Desseauve wine guide in France). Three F&B concepts have been created to reflect  these new trends: the Cuisine Lounge, where guests serve themselves at any time of the day or  night in an area designed like an apartment kitchen, the Restaurant Lounge, which reinterprets local  or traditional recipes and the Bar Lounge, warm and convivial where guests can share a trendy  snacking in a cozy atmosphere.

EasyWORK by Mercure: a unique service for business people on the move
Mercure has developed EasyWORK, a solution for business people on the move that offers  dedicated and modular work spaces complete with a light meal service, equipment and Internet  access. EasyWORK, which was tested in France at the Mercure Paris Gare de Lyon, attracts both  guests staying at the hotel as well as visitors, and will be available in a series of Mercure hotels  located close to stations, airports and major regional and national business hubs.

Enthusiastic hoteliers are the key to the brand’s success
The brand’s renewal also concerns its teams. For this purpose, Mercure has designed a Human  Resources program with three components:
– "Mercure Touch": 10 differentiating customer service attitudes that allow hoteliers to interact with  their guests and create a bond with them. This program will be implemented on a participatory  basis from January 2014.
– "Mercure School of Service": an innovative, flexible e-learning training course available in 9 languages, or through the 17 Accor Académies located around the world. This system enables  Mercure to ensure that each employee receives at least one week’s training a year.
– "Mercure Community": a corporate social network for the 45,000 employees so they can share best  practices, exchange, improve their skills and ultimately progress professionally.

In-depth modernization expressed through a new visual identity
Mercure asked design agency W&Cie to modernize the brand’s identity and reflect its new  positioning: "in harmony with places and people". The agency has also developed a range of hotel  communication tools that will be rolled out from January 2014 across the entire network.

A global advertising campaign
Mercure has launched a new advertising campaign devised by DDB Paris. It focuses on Mercure’s  originality, showcasing a brand with a network of hotels that are all unique, steeped in and inspired  by their surroundings. The campaign features a black and white TV advertisement that focuses on  the positive emotions prompted by an unexpected surprise and inspired by a stay at Mercure.  The communication campaign will also run in the press, on billboards and online.  This campaign, which was launched in France last April, presents the brand in a new light and  introduces its new signature: "Rediscover Mercure". Media campaigns representing a total  investment of €20 million will kick off soon in over ten countries including France, the United  Kingdom, the Netherlands, Germany, Italy and Brazil.

"We are confident that the Mercure’s in-depth transformation will ensure that it will appeal to guests,  who will enjoy a truly different midscale experience; to hoteliers, who will help us accelerate our  expansion; but also to the teams, who regularly develop new skills", concludes Christophe Alaux,  Chief Operating Officer Mercure & MGallery Europe.