The French hotel group Accor and the American company Hard Rock International have closed a worldwide strategic alliance focused on connecting their distribution platforms, linking their loyalty programs, and boosting the international expansion of Hard Rock hotels through the lifestyle division Ennismore, as both companies have announced.
As part of this agreement—still pending the final formalization of the transaction—establishments of the North American brand (including Hard Rock Hotels, Reverb by Hard Rock, Hard Rock Hotels & Casinos, and Hard Rock Hotel & Residences) will be able to join the ALL Accor distribution and loyalty platform, obtaining direct exposure to more than 125 million members spread across 110 countries.
Although it will be connected to Accor's global sales network, Hard Rock will maintain in parallel the management of its own distribution channels and its direct marketing strategy.
The agreement also includes cross benefits for users of the "ALL Accor" and "Unity by Hard Rock" programs, through systems for converting points and recognizing equivalent status.
According to the details provided by both companies, guests can already begin to take advantage of the benefits derived from this collaboration at the iconic Hard Rock Hotel New York.
Boost to global growth with Ennismore
In the hotel development space, Ennismore—the lifestyle division in which Accor is a participant—will lead together with the expansion teams of the French group the international growth of the Hard Rock brand.
The goal is to accelerate the opening of new hotels in Europe, the Middle East, Asia, and the Pacific, with the focus on landing in emerging markets and locations considered strategic.
Accor's chairman and chief executive officer, Sébastien Bazin, has emphasized that this partnership demonstrates "the power, the scale, and the global reach of ALL Accor" and will help bring together its strengths with Ennismore's experience to consolidate its global leadership in the 'lifestyle' segment.
For his part, Hard Rock International's president and chief executive officer and Seminole Gaming's chief executive officer, Jim Allen, has highlighted that the alliance opens "a new chapter" to take the brand's music and entertainment concept to new international destinations, while at the same time expanding the advantages for partners of "Unity by Hard Rock".