Source: Accor

Luxury travel is expanding rapidly and our customers' requirements are becoming more and more precise. From design to restaurants, they define all the conditions for a perfect stay by pushing brands to reinvent themselves. Skift focuses on SO/s case in its European Hospitalitys Creative Renaissance report.

After analyzing JO&JOE and Mama Shelter, Skift focuses on the luxury sector, and more specifically on SO/ - a playful and audacious brand - which has recently welcomed the SO/ Vienna to its ranks.

New luxury travelers

As luxury hotel accommodations go up in price, customers have greater expectations. But according to Justenlund, as hotel companies reinvent luxury, they shouldnt assume todays customers are playing by the old-school rules. Luxury is providing people what they need right now, like high-speed Wi-Fi and a comfortable bed. Its not as much about whats in the room anymore, at least not in Europe. What do you really need in a room? asks Anders Justenlund, associate professor of International Hospitality Management at University College of Northern Denmark in Aalborg. In America, traditionally, the higher up the price scale you go, the bigger the room. But in Europe, luxury is more about adding amenities.

Duncan ORourke, Chief Operating Officer AccorHotels Europe Luxury brands, has the challenge of overseeing classic luxury brands like Raffles, Fairmont, and Sofitel, while also attending to new lifestyle luxury products like SO/, SLS, and Delano. He notes that for the classics, Brand directors are charged with protecting the DNA, the culture, and the spirit of each brand. Still, he says, these older brands have to continue to reinvent themselves. Of course, they should never forget their history, but as the world is becoming so small, these legacy brands have to continue to grow. They need to present luxury differently to meet the expectations of todays high-end traveler.

Long Bar, Raffles Europejski Warsaw— Photo by AccorLong Bar, Raffles Europejski Warsaw— Photo by Accor
Long Bar, Raffles Europejski Warsaw— Photo by Accor

As a prime example of how this is done, ORourke cites how Sofitel is reinventing itself to portray modern French luxury throughout the guest experience with innovative food and beverage concepts, partnerships with luxury houses like Herms, Lanvin, and Dumas, and developing events like La Nuit by Sofitel, which combines music, design, and mixology.

Style and audacity

AccorHotels saw a gaping hole in its luxury portfolio. So, it went on a purchasing spree, buying FRHI Hotels & Resorts, spanning the Fairmont, Raffles, and Swisstel brands in 2016, and partnering with luxury brands like Banyan Tree, Orient Express, and recently communicated the SBE lifestyle luxury brands. It also decided to build a new lifestyle luxury brand, SO/, from scratch. The first SO/ opened its doors in 2011. This is a luxury lifestyle brand we developed because we needed to fill a specific niche, says Duncan ORourke. The brand is vivid, expressive, full of personality, and fashionable. Its a rebellious interpretation of luxury.

SO/ Vienna— Photo by AccorSO/ Vienna— Photo by Accor
SO/ Vienna— Photo by Accor

To guarantee a lively hotel experience, SO/ takes the essence of a destination and blends that with a generous dash of playfulness. It also oozes style. As a highly creative and fashion-forward brand, each SO/ property develops a unique look by collaborating with designers who are internationally known including Christian LaCroix, Viktor & Rolf, and Karl Lagerfeld to define the contemporary, avant-garde nature of the brand through the design of everything from the rooms and the public spaces to the staff uniforms. SO/s music programming is very much part of the brands DNA. Most SO/ hotels have rooftop bars, where world-famous DJs and electronic artists are brought in to add more notes to the SO/ zeitgeist.

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.