Hard Rock Just Found a Way Into Accor Without Selling a Thing

Accor and Hard Rock International have announced a global partnership that brings Hard Rock’s hotels onto Accor’s booking and loyalty platform. Under the deal announced on November 9, Hard Rock Hotels, Reverb by Hard Rock, Hard Rock Hotels and Casinos, and Hard Rock Hotel and Residences can opt in to ALL Accor, the French group’s loyalty program. ALL Accor has more than 125 million members, and Accor runs more than 5,800 hotels across more than 110 countries.

No ownership changes hands. Skift reports that Accor will instead earn ongoing fees in what its commercial chief described as something closer to a franchise model. About 25 standalone Hard Rock hotels are in scope once the integration is complete, and a few of the company’s casino hotels may eventually be listed as well. Accor’s lifestyle arm Ennismore will also help develop new Hard Rock hotels worldwide, although casinos are excluded from that part of the agreement.

The partnership was tested before it was announced. Hard Rock Hotel New York was listed on Accor’s channels earlier this year and went from 84 room nights in its first month to more than 1,500 a month by July, more than Hard Rock’s own website produced. Hard Rock’s chief operating officer said more than 90 percent of those guests were new to the brand, and that bookings through Accor cost substantially less than those from online travel agencies such as Expedia or Booking.com.

For travelers, the promised benefits are point conversion and status matching between ALL Accor and Unity by Hard Rock. Those features start once the transaction closes, and no date has been given yet, so members should not expect to move points right away. Skift compares the arrangement to Marriott’s tie-up with MGM and Hilton’s with Small Luxury Hotels, which suggests big loyalty programs are increasingly growing by partnering with brands rather than buying them.

Sources: Skift, PR Newswire