Knights players Kalyn Ponga, Francis Manuleleua and Jermaine McEwen celebrate winning the NRL Preliminary Final match against the Penrith Panthers at Accor Stadium in Sydney on Sunday. Picture: Cameron Spencer/Getty Images
Sporting events have driven significant growth in hotel giant Accor’s occupancy rates over the past year, particularly in capital cities, with the softening economy failing to hinder this trend.
Across Accor’s 420-property hotel portfolio, Sydney, Brisbane and Perth occupancies were among the stand outs – growing around 4 per cent in each city since last September.
Its Melbourne occupancies on recent successive AFL Grand Final nights were up between 6.2 per cent and 19.3 per cent year on year.
Accor chief operating officer in the Pacific Region, Adrian Williams, says much of the high hotel occupancies have been driven by sporting events.
“We have been quite delighted with the resilience, occupancy is showing growth, we have had record numbers for the AFL in Melbourne, and very, very strong occupancies in Sydney for the NRL Grand Final as well as in Perth for the Wallabies,” Mr Williams said.
“Football is driving travel,” he added.
Brisbane Lions player Dayne Zorko celebrates with teammates after winning the AFL Grand Final at the MCG on Saturday. Picture: Adam Head
The growth arrives as the company announced a new mixed-use hotel and residential development in the north-western Sydney suburb of Castle Hill.
However, Mr Williams admitted that signing up new developments can be “challenging”.
“It’s a mix of challenges including the cost of construction, all the things you have to be really sharp on. That is why mixed use development – involving hotel and residential construction – is coming to the fore.”
“We have a good pipeline, we are seeing lots of developers looking at mixed use of hotel and residential for new builds,” he said.
Accor has just signed an agreement with Reve Group to operate the Novotel Sydney Castle Hill. The mixed use new build 143-room hotel is expected to open in early 2029. The hotel is expected to support the area’s expanding business and leisure demand, including corporate travellers, conference and events delegates.
Acorr’s Duncan O’Rourke.
Novotel’s upcoming mixed-use project in Sydney’s Castle Hill, NSW.
Accor chief executive of the Middle East & Africa as well as the Asia Pacific Region, Duncan O’Rourke, said as urban dynamics shift, integrated mixed use precincts like Nova Reve are becoming the blueprint for modern living.
The Dubai-based Mr O’Rourke said that Australia is an extremely important region for Accor’s expansion and growth, adding that he was visiting Australia to see the portfolio, the owners and the investors.
“This has been a strong year for Accor in the Pacific, with our new brands. We have had a good, strong year,” Mr O’Rourke said.
At present, Accor has 23 separate brands operating in Australia out of a total of 48 brands across the globe, Mr Williams said.
“We are seeing really strong growth in Novotel and Pullman while Mantra has good growth particularly in regions.
“Our newest brand is Greet and we’ve opened a hotel in Alice Springs, we will see a lot of new Greet hotels open,” Mr Williams predicted, adding that it is a conversion friendly brand.
A render of the upcoming Nova Reve.
Internationally, Mr O’Rourke said Accor is experiencing growth in Africa, adding that the hotelier had a long history with the continent.
“Accor has been there for 30 years, including Egypt which is very strong for us. We see growth in Southern Africa and Northern Africa, particularly the Ivory Coast.
“We are signing big projects in Nigeria, it’s a place where you have to be.”
Accor also has a 50 per cent ownership of South Africa’s Mantis eco lodges brand which specialises in sustainable tourism, eco-lodges and wildlife conservation.
On the luxury front, it expects to open more Raffles and Fairmont brands in Africa.