Meet Greet, Accor’s new responsible economy brand

Accor has introduced Greet, touted as a new community-based, responsible and non-standardised economy brand that seeks to serve travellers looking to make a positive impact on the planet.

Created in early 2019, Greet was designed to meet growing demand among travellers for a high-quality and affordable hotel experience, while simultaneously seeking to add meaning to their purchases and reduce their impact on the planet, said Accor in a statement.

The Greet concept addresses this dual challenge through a flexible business model for partners, and a totally new hotel experience for customers, it added.

The brand was designed to serve consumers, partners and investors in search of an alternative adventure incorporating non-standardised hospitality, according to Accor, which claims that one of the brand’s key strengths is the freedom and great flexibility it offers to hotel owners under its banner.

The only guidelines are that greet hotels must include a number of the brand’s key features, including its logo in the common areas, a large table d’hôte for communal bonding, and ensuring that 20 per cent of rooms can accommodate between four and six people. Each greet hotel owner is also required to meet the following eco-friendly directives: Salvaging objects sourced via second-hand networks or from eco-responsible suppliers, upcycling unusual decorative items, and repurposing these objects.

Franck Gervais, AccorHotels’ CEO Europe, said: “With the launch of greet, our aim is simply to provide an ideal solution to independent hotel owners by offering a brand that combines the regeneration of existing hotel structures with cost control, both in terms of renovation and redevelopment of the spaces.”

An ecosystem has therefore been introduced to assist hotel owners in their policy of renovating and upgrading their assets, said the company, adding that partnerships with key organisations will enable each hotel to turn their approach to giving second chances into a reality.

Hence, Greet has joined forces with several leading charities, including Emmaüs, which will enable owners to source second-hand furniture and designs made using recycled items, as well as Valdelia – an eco-organisation providing a comprehensive solution to collect, recycle and re-use old furniture from all types of organisations – which will strengthen the connections with these networks. Another flagship partnership has also been launched with “L’atelier Consommateur & Citoyen”.

“These partnerships are essential as they help to turn our commitment to giving second chances into reality, both for our franchisee partners and our customers. greet is an inclusive brand, where the community genuinely plays a key role. We firmly believe that by working together, by creating synergies at both the national and local level, that we will be able to have a positive impact on our society,” Gervais said.

With the opening of its first Greet hotel in the heart of the Burgundy vineyards in April this year, Accor Group hopes to open 300 greet hotels throughout Europe by 2030, notably in Marseille, Lyon Perrache, Paris, St-Witz, Rennes, Bourges and St-Germain-en-Laye.

Sponsored Post