ACCOR Dynamically Shifts Brand Strategy

Last week's announcement by French hotel chain ACCOR that they are consolidating into the umbrella ACCORHotels has the hospitality trading buzzing.
One of the stirring changes is the group will now allow a select set of independent hotels to join its online distribution systems.
Earlier this year ACCOR acquired digital technology group Fastbooking and the new strategy playing out is clearly aimed at a massive online booking platform.
A key foundation of the initiative is to gain critical mass quickly by offering lower commissions than existing OTA's.
Disruptive technology in online commerce clearly has legacy hotel chains reeling given the value placed in online monsters such as Agoda, Bookings.com or AirBnB.
What is perhaps most interesting is that while OTA's are quickly shifting to Smartphone technology, can hotel group keep pace.