ACCORHOTELS has begun exclusive negotiations for the acquisition of private concierge services provider John Paul.
Accor revealed in a statement earlier this week that they would acquire about 80 per cent of John Paul, the remaining stake being kept by David Amsellem, the founder of the company, who will remain as CEO. John Paul is being valuated close to US$150 million.
“The acquisition of John Paul enables us to accelerate our global strategy to position the customer experience at the very heart of our initiatives,” said Sebastien Bazin, chairman & CEO of AccorHotels.
“Their expertise in customisation, combined with a wide range of services and cutting-edge technology, gives us the opportunity to boost the value of the relationships with our guests and partners and multiply the number of touchpoints.”
He further explained: “It means a further solidification of our customer relation through an attractive offer and a higher usage, an increased personalisation of our services thanks to a deeper customer profiling with non-hotel driven information, and the strengthening of our CRM with affinity data.”
Founded in Paris in 2007, John Paul merged with LesConcierges in 2015, creating a combined workforce of 1,000 people spread across all five continents. The company offers clients a bespoke concierge service available 24/7, anywhere in the world.
John Paul also uses a proprietary CRM and data platform based on behavioral profiling and full-spectrum personalisation. Its clients include those in the financial, automotive, travel, consumer, healthcare, pharma and luxury industries.
Added Bazin: “Now that we are the worldwide leader in premium loyalty solutions, we feel that we are at a tipping point in our venture and we need the empowerment of a strong leader to support the current traction.
“Entering the travel industry supported by AccorHotels means much more to the 1,000 people of the John Paul Group: we feel that combining our strengths will create a game changer in the industry.”
