Accor expands UK Ibis Budget network by over a third

Accor has revealed domestic network growth of over a third for its UK Ibis budget hotel network this week following the successful opening of nine hotels with AGO Hotels, an alternative platform for hotel owners and operators. The new hotels, which opened across the UK in the two weeks following the 17 May reopening, represented a third of the overall UK portfolio. The new hotels opened in Burton Upon Trent, Cumbernauld, Bromsgrove, Dundee, Bromley, Peterhead, Portishead Harbour, Lancaster and Stansted Airport. Combined with the opening of the Ibis budget London Heathrow T5, which opened in partnership with Sidra Capital and RBH initially welcoming workers and essential travel and business in January, the budget brand has grown nearly 40% domestically this year and increased room numbers by nearly 25% to well over 4,700 keys. Aiden McAuley, SVP Operations at Accor Northern Europe, said: “We are thrilled to open the doors of nine new ibis budget hotels, marking a significant growth of our UK portfolio. Adding over 900 bedrooms to the ibis budget brand during lockdown is testament to the resilience and positivity of Accor and its partners. “The partnership with AGO and our other UK partners demonstrates our continued confidence in the UK hospitality market. As guests start to return to hotels for the first time since the easing of lockdown, the industry can start looking ahead to the future and we remain positive about the outlook for the sector.” Vivian Watts, co-founder of AGO Hotels, said: “We are delighted to be able to begin opening the doors to our new hotels, which we are launching in partnership with Accor. “This has been a significant week for the whole industry, and it has been great to finally welcome our first guests. The teams at all our new hotels have worked extremely hard to ensure everything is in place for guests to have a safe and comfortable stay, whether they are travelling for work, visiting family and friends, or enjoying a staycation.” He added: “The past few months have been particularly challenging for the sector, but we are proud that despite this, our portfolio has grown rapidly, highlighting continued confidence within the market. Now, as the industry reopens, we are looking forward to welcoming more hotels to join our hybrid lease platform, which guarantees rents and includes owners in the hotel's profits.”