The new Accor mobile application has been awarded !

Some months ago, AccorHotels launched a new version of its mobile application in order to improve guests experience. They have been rewarded during the "Trophee des Apps" ceremony.

This Application enables travelers, whether business or leisure, to optimize their time by getting all information on the same platform. I do personally use it every time I travel in an AccorHotels property.

How does it meet guests' expectations?

Guests have the opportunity to:

Select a hotel among a wide range of brands, all introduced on the App

Find information about hotel location, facilities and services

Book online

Discover the online City Guide to better prepare their stay

Manage their loyalty accounts

Learn latest news and offers of the Group

Since July 2015, the application is even available on Apple Watch. Romain Roulleau, AccorHotels’ SVP e-commerce and director of the “mobile first” program explains:

“By launching this AccorHotels application for Apple Watch™, AccorHotels is establishing itself as an audacious digital hospitality player.”

This application enhances the huge potential of AccorHotels Digital Transformation.

Of course, we hope that other features will be developed soon. Some competitor hotels provide guests with tablets so that they can adjust temperature or lighting in their room. In order to personalize their stays, customers can even sometimes beneficiate from an e-concierge which enable them to order breakfast in the room, make dinner reservations, to request extra pillows…without moving from their rooms.”

Indeed, the hotel group is doing its mobile revolution to keep one single app.
Customers have on average 23 applications in their smartphone, including 3-4 dedicated to travel: TripAdvisor, one online travel agency, and one to go around. The third or fourth may be the one of a chain hotel. Accor want to be part of this selection. That is why they will have one application for all trademarks of Accorhotels. The group will multippliate the reasons for a traveler to have the Accor Hotel app in his smartphone. Thus they can be differentiated themselves from online agencies.

The French group has integrated last years the service Wipolo, the startups they bought in 2014 and already added Uber upon check-in.

Tailored services are as well offered within the hotel, such as restaurant reservations, spa, room service ...

 Accor wants to offer a complete experience before, during, and after the stay of the guests.

Mobile, including smartphones and tablets, attracts nearly 40% of the global audience, and 12% of direct digital sales. The delta is explained. Travelers often use their smartphone on the move, in public places. They did not necessarily want to take out their credit card and enter their details, in transport for example. To improve their conversion rate, they will adopt the second half of the 1-Click payment, such as Amazon's bank details are already entered, the purchase is validated with a single click.

Accor wants its staff to provide personalized service instead of being bogged down filling out paperwork to register guests.

Accor’s guests can do this advance check-in only if they’ve have booked their reservation directly through Accor or if they are loyalty program members or subscription cardholders.

On the day of the stay, guests receive a welcome text message confirming that the room key and room are available. The text may also provide practical tips about the property, such as ground transportation information and parking access codes, for example.

When guests arrive at the property instead of needing to provide credit card information and fill out paperwork, “the hotel staff is supposed to greet them immediately upon arrival in the lobby or possibly even in the hotel bar, hand them their room key, and answer any questions or handle special requests”, Accor says.

Christine Pouletty, who managed the project’s introduction, says early feedback shows that 93% of guests who used the service during a trial period indicated they would do so again. And, 40% of guests did the advance check-in with their smartphones, she adds.

“Queues are diminishing and hoteliers are more available for their guests,” Pouletty says. “They can devote themselves completely to their passion, the job of host.”