PARIS - To match with the changing world of work and coworking trends, Accor today announced an audacious plan to implement 1200 coworking spaces in under 3 years for WOJO to become the leading coworking brand in Europe by 2022. With the launch of WOJO, Accor continues to execute its augmented hospitality strategy, expanding into new verticals and becoming relevant in the daily lives of consumers.

The WOJO coworking spaces will be launched within Accor hotels worldwide with different offerings, across all segments (economy, mid-scale and luxury segments).

— Source: Accor Hotels— Source: Accor Hotels
— Source: Accor Hotels

WOJO = Work. Live. Share.

Nextdoor (renamed Wojo in March 2019) is a joint-venture between Accor & Bouygues Immobilier created in July 2017.

Stephane Bensimon, CEO WOJO: "As we are directly in touch with companies and workers on a daily basis we have a thorough understanding of their needs and expectations in the work space. A personalized welcome, premium services, a friendly atmosphere and designer spaces are all essential features covered by our expertise. Through our new range of spaces, we are now able to meet a key customer need: combining the quality of work life with mobility.

WOJO will offer three different products and experiences to deliver the broadest range of coworking solutions in the industry."

WOJO Spots, making it easy to work anywhere
Rolled out initially across all Accor's brand portfolio, theses spaces make it possible for nomadic workers to work without a fee with the guarantee of a personalized service, a friendly atmosphere and a secure & reliable WiFi connection in design spaces. The worker can choose to work at the bar, in a restaurant or in the lobby (even if they are not staying at the hotel). For regular coworkers, WOJO offers a monthly subscription, which includes a 10% discount on dining and access to partner offers, events such as workshops & conferences and the WOJO business network & community. More than 150 WOJO Spots will open in Paris and Lyon by summer 2019, reaching over 1000 spots in Europe by 2022.

WOJO Corners, for coworkers and locals alike
WOJO Corners are dedicated coworking spaces specifically designed for uninterrupted work, sheltered from the hustle and bustle outside. They will be located across a broad range of Accor hotels as a first step and then across train stations, airports and shopping malls. This coworking experience is designed for local and coworkers customers, with recurring weekly needs, seeking an informal and comfortable work environment.
The first WOJO Corner was launched in 2018 in the Mercure Paris Montmartre Sacré-Cœur hotel. Building on the success of this pilot in the heart of Paris, more than 100 other WOJO Corners will open throughout Europe by 2022.

WOJO Sites, the "all in one" coworking solution
These are unique stand-alone coworking spaces over several thousand square meters in dedicated buildings, combining communal zones (bars, lounges, kitchens) with shared spaces, meeting rooms and dedicated offices. They bring together on one site a wide range of entrepreneurs, department of large companies, startups and smaller companies to form a dynamic, integrated community. Unlike Spots and Corners, it is possible to rent offices and benefit from a wide range of services. As heralds of a new lifestyle at work, WOJO sites are led by a "business partners" teams who are dedicated to the well-being of members and to connecting them strategically with other members in the network to create new business opportunities. These sites are developed in partnership with Bouygues Immobilier and WOJO will be integrated from the outset in certain real estate projects.

The strategic network offered by the combination of WOJO Spots, Corners & Sites reflects WOJO's desire to provide shared workspaces in iconic, central and strategic locations. The WOJO sites are historically the first spaces to have been deployed: 10 sites are currently open in Ile-de-France and Lyon (with over 5000 members). Wojo sites will expand rapidly across Europe with a target of more than 50 locations by 2022.

To drive this ambitious project, Accor's Innovation Lab collaborated with the WOJO team to deliver a global coworking experience. Frédéric Fontaine, SVP Marketing Innovation Lab said: "This collaborative initiative with WOJO is fully consistent with the role of the Innovation Lab, whose objective is to create new consumer experiences & build unique value by observing and anticipating future consumer trends & habits."

As a result, Accor is the first global hotel group to collaborate with a recognized player in the coworking field to present a brand experience that is unique in its scope and content and is open to travelers and locals alike.

Franck Gervais CEO Accor Europe, said: "We have the assets (brands, spaces, teams), we have the services (restaurants, bars, meeting spaces) and we are open 24/7. By participating in WOJO's ambitious development, we are optimizing the use of these assets and are creating value for our owners by being open to a new type of customer, i.e. coworkers."

Augmented hospitality comes to life for consumers
The rollout of a global coworking experience with WOJO is yet another proof point of Accor's broader vision to increase its relevance in the daily lives of consumers. Steven Taylor, Chief Brand Officer: "We are reimagining hospitality not as a place or service, but as infinite connected moments, whether you want to live, work, or play. We are creating a holistic ecosystem around the consumer and WOJO is a great example of how our unique augmented hospitality strategy will allow us to connect into the everyday lives of customers."

ABOUT WOJO

Wojo is a major player in the new coworking space market, launched by Bouygues Immobilier in 2015 under the Nextdoor brand. In 2017, Bouygues Immobilier and Accor created a 50/50 joint venture to acquire Wojo.

At the beginning of 2019, Nextdoor became Wojo and started to accelerate its growth, with the aim of becoming the leading coworking network in Europe.

Today, Wojo has 8 sites in the Paris region and 2 in Lyon, spread over 50,000 m2, with more than 5,000 members. By rolling out a new type of work space: Wojo Spots and Wojo Corners, in addition to its existing sites, the network intends to respond to the needs of its members, so that everyone can work less than 10 minutes away from wherever they are.

Between now and 2022, Wojo will welcome more than 40,000 members and have more than 1,200 addresses, including more than 1,000 Wojo Spots, 100 Wojo Corners and 50 Wojo sites across Europe.

Stéphane Bensimon CEO of Wojo, has this vision: "Our ambition is to be the leading player in "workspitality" by developing, all over the world, a large network of places, to create unique work experiences, with a full range of services, designed to promote pleasure, performance and connection in a talented workforce."

About Accor, a world-leading hospitality group

Accor is a world leading hospitality group consisting of more than 5,300 properties and 10,000 food and beverage venues throughout 110 countries. The group has one of the industry's most diverse and fully-integrated hospitality ecosystems encompassing more than 40 luxury, premium, midscale and economy hotel brands, entertainment and nightlife venues, restaurants and bars, branded private residences, shared accommodation properties, concierge services, co-working spaces and more. Accor's unmatched position in lifestyle hospitality – one of the fastest growing categories in the industry – is led by Ennismore, a joint venture, which Accor holds a majority shareholding. Ennismore is a creative hospitality company with a global collective of entrepreneurial and founder-built brands with purpose at their heart. Accor boasts an unrivalled portfolio of distinctive brands and more than 260,000 team members worldwide. Members benefit from the company's comprehensive loyalty program – ALL - Accor Live Limitless – a daily lifestyle companion that provides access to a wide variety of rewards, services and experiences. Through its Planet 21 – Acting Here, Accor Solidarity, RiiSE and ALL Heartist Fund initiatives, the Group is focused on driving positive action through business ethics, responsible tourism, environmental sustainability, community engagement, diversity and inclusivity. Founded in 1967, Accor SA is headquartered in France and publicly listed on the Euronext Paris Stock Exchange (ISIN code: FR0000120404) and on the OTC Market (Ticker: ACCYY) in the United States. For more information visit group.accor.com, or follow Accor on Twitter, Facebook, LinkedIn, and Instagram.

Mélissa Lévine
Media Relations Sr Manager
+33 1 45 38 84 76
Accor