All published updates

Accor CEO Weighs Ennismore IPO and Funding for U.S. Growth

Accor CEO Sébastien Bazin said at Skift Global Forum in New York that Ennismore, its luxury-lifestyle joint venture, needs capital to grow in the U.S. and beyond, but the companies have not decided how to fund it. He called a listing a "very complex decision" with many drawbacks, and said another possibility is that Accor could put more money into it. Accor had given itself until the end of this month to announce a decision on its 62% stake in the joint venture, with analysts valuing Ennismore at $3.4 billion to $5.8 billion in a potential IPO.

Accor Scales ALL Concierge Conversational AI

Accor announced on September 24, 2026 that its ALL Concierge conversational AI companion has moved beyond pilot to full-scale rollout, making it the first hospitality group to deploy an end-to-end conversational AI companion at scale. It covers the journey from travel inspiration and hotel comparison to booking management and post-stay support, available 24/7 on ALL.com, the ALL Accor app, WhatsApp and iMessage, in 11 languages, with responses in under a few seconds and seamless handover to human agents. The pilot began in July 2025 and logged more than 1 million guest conversations. Accor also launched The Butler, an AI companion for hotel teams.

Crowne Plaza by IHG opens Crowne Plaza Paris Marne-la-Vallée

Crowne Plaza by IHG announced on 24 September 2026 the opening of Crowne Plaza Paris Marne-la-Vallée in Magny-le-Hongre, at the heart of Marne-la-Vallée. The hotel spans 2.5 hectares of landscaped grounds and offers 250 guestrooms and suites, most overlooking Golf Paris Val d'Europe. It sits about 40 minutes from central Paris and provides a complimentary shuttle to Marne-la-Vallée Chessy station and the region's theme parks. Event facilities include 1,500 square metres of flexible space, 14 meeting rooms and capacity for up to 400 delegates. The brand has 96 hotels and more than 20,400 rooms open across Europe, with a pipeline of 21 properties and over 4,300 rooms.

European Commission Daily News: France Launches First National Housing Hub

The European Commission's Daily News of 23 September 2026 reports that France launched the first national housing hub, implementing the European Affordable Housing Plan adopted in December 2025. Established with the French Ministry of Housing, Caisse des Depots, Council of Europe Bank, Union of Social Housing (USH) and the European Investment Bank under the Pan-European Investment Platform for Affordable and Sustainable Housing, the hub aims to improve public-private cooperation, make better use of EU and national funding, and align local and EU housing policies. The briefing also covers the European Literacy Coalition, several merger clearances and UN General Assembly activities.

Novotel and Paris Saint-Germain Launch 'The Long Game' Global Wellbeing Programme

Novotel and Paris Saint-Germain unveiled 'The Long Game', a global programme translating Novotel's 'Longevity Everyday' vision into immersive hotel experiences, a worldwide digital content platform and a new campaign. The programme spans seven Novotel hotels across five continents, built around four wellbeing pillars—Eat, Sleep, Move and Meet—co-created with five Paris Saint-Germain Legends. Each hotel features themed spaces and QR codes unlocking exclusive player videos and tips; a global campaign launches in Q4.

Accor Launches AI Travel Concierge ALL Concierge Across Full Journey

French hospitality group Accor announced the launch of ALL Concierge, an AI-powered conversational travel tool designed to guide guests from initial travel inspiration and hotel comparison through to booking management and post-stay support. Accor calls it the hospitality industry's first end-to-end conversational travel companion deployed at scale. Following a pilot phase, the tool will roll out across Accor's global digital channels, including the ALL Accor website, mobile app, and messaging platforms such as WhatsApp and iMessage. Accor also debuted The Butler, an AI tool for hotel teams. Alix Boulnois, Accor's chief commercial, digital and tech officer, said the launch is part of Accor'…

Accor's MGallery launches "Care Concierge" health service

Accor's luxury boutique brand MGallery Collection launched the "Move & Care" programme during Pink October, combining movement and wellness with breast-health awareness. Across the collection, hotel bathrooms will feature a Pink October leaflet and QR code offering discreet breast self-check guidance; eleven selected hotels will introduce "Care Concierge" with one-to-one prevention sessions, private check-ups and spa treatments paired with an approved self-check guide. A Censuswide survey of 3,002 respondents in the UK, France and Australia conducted 3-6 August 2026 found 76% delay preventative health checks even when due, seven in ten say they have more time and headspace for health while…

Sunmei and Accor Sign Two More Brands for China

On 17 September 2026, Sunmei Hotels Group and Accor held a launch event in Qingdao to bring Accor's midscale lifestyle brand JO&JOE and midscale light-resort brand greet by Accor into the China market, with Sunmei fully responsible for development, pre-opening and operations management in China. The four-year strategic partnership now covers a four-brand matrix, with the combined store count of the four partner brands expected to exceed 70 this year. greet by Accor is expected to expand to 50 stores in mainland China by the end of this year.

EASA: EU SAF supply reached 1.1 million tonnes in 2025, exceeding the 2% mandate

EASA published its 2026 ReFuelEU Aviation Annual Technical Report on 17 September 2026. Aviation fuel suppliers reported 39.3 million tonnes of fuel at Union airports in 2025, of which 1.1 million tonnes (2.8%) was SAF, exceeding the 2% mandatory minimum applicable in 2025. SAF supply rose from 193,000 tonnes in 2024 to 1.1 million tonnes in 2025, nearly six times the previous volume. SAF was supplied at 121 Union airports across all 27 EU Member States, or 79% of Union airports, up from 33 airports in 2024. Using SAF instead of conventional jet fuel cut GHG emissions at Union airports by 3.33 million tonnes in 2025. EU SAF production capacity is projected to stay on track for the 6% blendi…

Certares' O'Hara Bets €300 Million on European High-Speed Rail

Certares founder Greg O'Hara, ahead of the Skift Global Forum, detailed his roughly €300 million investment in Trenitalia France. The company ordered 19 high-speed trains from Hitachi in August, ten of them for a Paris–London service targeted for 2029. O'Hara argues that whoever delivers rolling stock first should secure the three required approvals — French, tunnel and British — first. The investment came from Certares' current fund with co-investment, drawing strong interest from European family offices and institutions.

Air France to Open Its Largest International Lounge at New York JFK

Air France will open the largest lounge in its international network at New York JFK's New Terminal One in 2027. Spanning two levels and more than 2,700 square meters, it will seat over 400 guests and serve La Première, business class and Flying Blue Elite Plus customers, plus eligible KLM and SkyTeam partner travelers. Air France plans to move all its JFK flights to the new terminal, which opens in phases between 2026 and 2030 as part of a $19 billion transformation project.

Travel Trade Delegation from 9 European Countries Explores Gansu's Silk Road

From September 15 to 21, a delegation of 31 travel trade professionals, travel media journalists, and influencers from nine European countries—the UK, France, Germany, Italy, Spain, Switzerland, Denmark, Luxembourg, and Sweden—visited Gansu on a seven-day, six-night Silk Road exploration trip at the invitation of the International Exchange and Cooperation Bureau of the Ministry of Culture and Tourism. On September 15, the Gansu Provincial Department of Culture and Tourism held a dedicated tourism promotion event, where the Gannan Tibetan Autonomous Prefecture Culture, Radio, Television and Tourism Bureau and selected local travel agencies presented routes tailored to European visitors. The…

Dorchester Collection Takes a Stand Against the Flattening of Luxury

Skift analyzes Dorchester Collection's market opportunity amid the flattening of luxury hospitality. The piece notes that iconic properties such as The Dorchester in London, Hôtel Plaza Athénée in Paris and The Beverly Hills Hotel in L.A. carry historical weight, and the challenge is to tighten and refine the basics without taking judgment away from the people who make each property worth returning to. The author uses London barbershop Truefitt & Hill as an analogy, arguing classic luxury's appeal lies in ritual and dependability rather than constant reinvention.

Accor CEO: Data Is Essential, but Instinct Matters Most

A Skift Global Forum preview profiles Accor CEO Sébastien Bazin's decision rule. Bazin, who has led Accor since 2013, says he starts with his gut, then his heart, then his brain, and that data should nourish instinct rather than replace it. He will speak at Skift Global Forum on September 22–24, 2026, explaining how that rule holds across 45-plus brands and 5,800 hotels and resorts, and where he draws the line between technology and the human side of hospitality.

Can a Small Collection of Iconic London Hotels Out-Earn Big Brands?

Constellation Hotels has appointed Neil Jacobs, former Six Senses CEO, to lead a new hotel operating company managing its London properties (The Connaught, The Berkeley, The Emory) plus a pipeline including Paris, Marrakech, and Hackwood Park. The strategy combines lifestyle elements with ultra-luxury service.

ALL Accor Partners with KATSEYE for Exclusive Concert Experience

ALL Accor, Accor's booking platform and loyalty program, partners with KATSEYE to create an immersive pre-concert experience in a Parisian hotel, including beauty prep, meet-and-greets, and backstage access. The initiative aims to turn hotels into gateways to members' passions, reflecting the 'Endorphin Economy' trend.

Air Canada to Add Five International Destinations in 2027

Air Canada announced five new international nonstop routes for summer 2027, including Vancouver-Guangzhou, Toronto-Oslo, Toronto-Shannon, Montreal-Basel, and Montreal-Dubrovnik, plus a new Toronto-Nice route.

Google AI Mode Adds Hotel Booking, Agoda Named Eurovision Asia Travel Partner

Google has fully launched agentic hotel booking in AI Mode, with partners including Expedia, Booking.com, Hilton, etc., allowing users to search in natural language and book directly via Google Pay. Meanwhile, Agoda has been named Official Travel Partner for the inaugural Eurovision Song Contest Asia, to be held in Bangkok in November 2026. Additionally, extreme heat is beginning to dent traveler perceptions of Mediterranean summers, with France hit hardest.

Celine Dion's Paris Residency Drives 11% Surge in Flight Searches

Amadeus data shows that during Celine Dion's Paris residency, international flight searches to Paris rose 11% YoY, and bookings rose 5%. The U.S. accounts for 26.5% of searches, followed by Brazil and Canada. APAC shows strong growth, with Thailand bookings up 200%. Paris hotel RevPAR is up 13% YoY, with longer stays.

American Joins Race to Add New European Routes and Premium Upgrades

American Airlines is significantly expanding its summer 2027 transatlantic network while overhauling its in-flight products to capture more high-spend travelers and close the profitability gap with rivals Delta and United. New routes include Philadelphia to Vienna (making American the only U.S. carrier serving the Austrian capital), the revival of Reykjavik service from Philadelphia, plus new Philadelphia-Porto, Charlotte-Barcelona, and JFK-Nice flights, expanded JFK-London Heathrow service, and a Chicago O'Hare-Tokyo route launching in March 2027. These moves come alongside a premium-focused product refresh—reintroducing seatback screens to narrowbodies, increasing premium seat counts by 4…

Airbnb Expands in China Outbound Travel: From Stays to Full Travel Ecosystem

Airbnb reported Q2 2026 revenue of $3.6 billion, up 17% YoY, with gross booking value of $27.2 billion. The company is evolving from accommodations to a full travel ecosystem including experiences and services. Major events like the World Cup drove growth. In China, Airbnb is localizing to attract young travelers, launching features like 'Travel Circle' to cater to group travel and longer stays.

Discover MGallery's New Openings in 2026

MGallery brand opens several new hotels in 2026, including Kove Hotel & Spa Mykonos in Greece, Bel Hotel Oléron Thalasso & Spa in France, V Villas Maldives at Mirihi in the Maldives, and the upcoming Nírema Hotel & Spa Samos in Greece opening in September. Each property offers unique local culture and experiences.

United Adds 10 International Routes — From Okinawa to Ibiza

United Airlines has announced its largest-ever international expansion, adding 10 new off-the-beaten-path destinations across Europe and Asia beginning in 2027, plus enhancements to existing routes. The strategy targets premium travelers and leans on the new Airbus A321XLR narrowbody—equipped with 32 premium lie-flat seats—to open secondary European markets that legacy widebodies couldn't serve profitably. New routes span Okinawa, Toulouse, Luxembourg, Marseille, Ibiza, Valencia, Terceira, Ljubljana, Sardinia, and Sicily, with United positioned as the only U.S. carrier in eight of the 10 markets. The move reflects intensifying transatlantic competition (Delta has made similar bets on Sardin…

Airbnb-CarTrawler Partnership Details Revealed

Airbnb's car rental partnership with CarTrawler, launched a month ago, is generating about 500 bookings per day across five markets: the US, France, Italy, Spain, and Australia. CarTrawler controls the top-of-page display, monetizing through marked-up wholesale rates and split commissions, and tilts toward suppliers with volume incentives. However, data sharing raises concerns: CarTrawler receives extensive customer data even when users merely click a link. Expedia's pending acquisition of CarTrawler heightens conflict-of-interest stakes, though Expedia asserts strict data separation.

Switzerland Travel Advice: Border Closures and Protests During G7 Summit

The UK FCDO updated travel advice for Switzerland, warning of border closures between Switzerland and France during the G7 Summit (June 15-17), causing severe delays. Protests may occur in Geneva; avoid areas and follow authorities' instructions.

Impact and considerations

During the G7 Summit, business travelers may face border delays and protest disruptions, requiring careful planning and safety awareness.