Mark Purcell

World-leading augmented hospitality group Accor has announced the appointment of Mark Purcell as Senior Vice President, Development, North & Central America.

Purcell is a seasoned professional with an extensive hospitality background focused in the areas of development, acquisitions and finance. He has been a key contributor in Accor's record-breaking growth in the region since joining the company in 2017, with notable projects such as Raffles Boston, the first Raffles Hotel & Residences in the U.S., slated to open in 2022; the conversion of the iconic El San Juan Hotel in Puerto Rico to the Fairmont brand in early 2020; and most recently the signing of Faena Hotel Miami Beach, among others.

In his new role at Accor, Purcell leads the development team into a year focused on strategic growth and key hotel openings across North & Central America, including the highly anticipated Fairmont Century Plaza in Los Angeles and Novotel Mexico City Toreo.

Purcell will also continue to support the growth of Accor's lifestyle brands, a segment poised for tremendous growth, as the Group's lifestyle hotel openings are slated to triple by 2023, further cementing Accor's position as the second largest luxury operator and fastest growing lifestyle operator in the U.S.

Purcell brings more than 30 years of industry experience to his new role at the helm of Accor's development team. Over the course of his 12-year tenure at Starwood Hotels & Resorts, he led the negotiation of more than 100 management and franchise agreements, adding more than 30,000 rooms to their portfolio, including notable transactions such as The Westin Denver International Airport and the W and Element Philadelphia. Earlier in his career, he was also instrumental in numerous mergers & acquisitions during his nearly two decades at Interstate Hotels & Resorts.