HOSPITALITY CHIEF TO FREESTYLE SKIER

Newly appointed COO, Paul Stevens has big plans for Accor’s Premium, Mid-scale, and Economy Division

Once upon a time, a small hotel in France called Novotel was run by a visionary entrepreneur named Paul Dubrule. He dreamed of creating a hotel chain that would revolutionise the hospitality industry and offer guests a new and exciting experience. Little did he know, this would become the foundation of the Accor Group; one of the leading hospitality groups in the world. Today, Accor is the largest hospitality company in Europe. It ranks sixth globally in size, operating over 5,300 locations in more than a 110 countries with a workforce of over 260,000 employees worldwide. Last year Accor simplified its 50+ brands by segmenting them under two business divisions, “Premium, Midscale and Economy” and “Luxury and Lifestyle.” Overseeing the group’s Premium, Mid-scale, and Economy brands is newly appointed Paul Stevens. He is a seasoned hospitality leader with a 30-year track record of delivering exceptional operational and financial performance. Having previously worked with Sofitel Hotels & Resorts in Fiji, Novotel Hotels & Resorts in Australia, and the Bezzina Property Group, Paul brings an ocean of experience to the new role and shares his aspirations for the division and the group with us.

Paul may have started his hospitality career in the kitchen, but his focus was purely on the slopes. “I began my foray into the industry with the sole purpose of supporting my career as a freestyle skier. My initial job was as a kitchen assistant in the dishwashing division at a ski resort in Australia.” As he progressed, he moved up the ranks and worked as a waiter, barman, and supervisor. Soon enough he picked up an interest in hospitality and enrolled in a distance learning program to study hospitality catering. “Ultimately, I had to make a choice between a career in construction or hospitality. I completed my course via correspondence, and the ski resort where I was sponsored offered me a role to help me launch my career. I began coaching in the US and later retired from skiing to focus entirely on hospitality. What I find most appealing about the hospitality industry is the human element. Being able to work with people of various nationalities, in diverse climates and cultures, is what I cherish the most about this field.”

Paul has been a loyal member of the Accor Group for many years having joined the Accor team in 1997 as a General Manager, later returning in 2007 as the lead for Hotel Operations in Thailand. This was followed by his appointment as the Vice President of Operations for the Midscale and Economy brands in Upper Southeast Asia.

“IN SAUDI ARABIA, WE HAVE MANY LEADS FOR ALL OUR BRANDS, MAKING DEVELOPMENT A KEY FOCUS IN THIS REGION. WE ARE ALSO TARGETING GROWTH OPPORTUNITIES IN TÜRKIYE AND EGYPT. HOWEVER, WE DO FACE CHALLENGES IN TRAINING AND ATTRACTING LOCAL TALENT, WHICH IS CRUCIAL FOR OUR SUCCESS IN THESE MARKETS. WE ARE ACTIVELY WORKING ON PROGRAMS TO ADDRESS THIS IN KEY MARKETS."

Paul also served as the Chief Executive Officer for Accor Plus, overseeing the management of Accor's subscription loyalty program in the Asia Pacific region before becoming Chief Operating Officer for the Middle East, Türkiye, and Africa. “I find the challenge of working in new geographical locations, with different cultures and markets to be an exciting opportunity to grow and learn. That's why I jumped at the chance to work with Duncan O’Rourke (CEO Premium, Midscale and Economy brands, Middle East, Africa, Türkiye & Asia Pacific, Accor), a visionary hotelier who shared my goals for the region. Together, we aim to make a difference and contribute to the global success of Accor.”

Having spent the past few years working in the Asian market and being new to the Middle East, Paul brings a fresh perspective to hospitality in the region. “The MEA and Türkiye region is characterised by a strong sense of hospitality, cross-cultural acceptance, and a shared passion for food and flavours. This region takes great pride in their heritage, which is evident in their cuisine.”

“One of the opportunities we have is to develop local workforces in the MEA region, similar to the Asian markets where locals are employed in the hospitality industry. The MEA region has significant tourism flows and accessibility, whereas Asia's tourism is more dependent on intra-regional and local flows.” He goes on to add, “Diversity is an essential aspect of the leadership team and I am proud to have a team that represents a wide range of cultures and backgrounds.”

Accor's Premium, Midscale, and Economy Division in the Middle East, Africa & Türkiye operates over 200 hotels with more than 47,000 keys, and an additional 80 properties with nearly 15,000 keys in the pipeline. The division features a diverse range of brands including Swissotel, Pullman, Movenpick, Grand Mercure, Mercure, Novotel, Novotel Suites, Adagio, Ibis, Ibis Budget, and Ibis Styles. Paul states, “Our region holds significant importance for expanding our global footprint, given the already extensive presence of Accor properties. With this foundation in place, we also have an excellent opportunity to further enhance the brand recognition of Movenpick Hotels & Resorts.”

According to Paul, partners are beginning to express interest in the premium and midscale brands, as well as extended stay brands such as Novotel Living and other living products and brands creating an opportunity for growth in this segment.

“In Saudi Arabia, we have many leads for all our brands, making development a key focus in this region. We are also targeting growth opportunities in Türkiye and Egypt. However, we do face challenges in training and attracting local talent, which is crucial for our success in these markets. We are actively working on programs to address this challenge in key markets.”

The Saudi Arabia market is a key focus for many hotel groups, but for Paul it’s the latest advancements, investments, and technology being introduced in the country that makes it an attractive showcase for businesses to develop and operate their brands in the most innovative and efficient ways possible.

“To increase the attractiveness of travel and tourism to the country, Saudi Arabia is currently investing in its infrastructure and is focused on developing its local talent; something we are actively supporting in every way possible.” Paul further adds, “The Kingdom is currently in the process of developing new, beautiful destinations such as the Red Sea, NEOM, Qiddiya, and

Diriyah, which will add to the country's compelling offerings and attract more international travellers. These mega developments come with world-class infrastructure and local talent development plans, which will support the growing tourism industry, and promoting the country’s cultural heritage and natural beauty will ensure it is well-positioned on the map alongside other global tourism destinations.”

This year, the group plans to open approximately 18 properties across the region, which will amount to an additional 1,857 keys in its portfolio. “We will be expanding our footprint across Oman, Qatar,

Saudi Arabia, UAE, Democratic Republic of Congo, Ivory Coast, Kenya, South Africa and Türkiye in key destinations such as Muscat, Dubai, Cape Town, Istanbul, Ankara and Abidjan. Key openings for us this year include Swissotel Hotel & Residences Doha Cornice Park Towers with 472 keys, which is scheduled to open by the end of the year. Then Mercure Dubai Deira is set to open its doors in Q3 this year with 152 keys; Swissotel Hotel & Residences Cesme in Turkey set to open in Q3 with 354 keys and lastly Pullman Cape Town City Centre, which will be the brand’s debut in South Africa, will also be open its doors later this year.”

Of all the openings planned, Paul is most excited about opening Pullman in Cape Town, South Africa. “The brand debut of Pullman in South Africa is an incredibly exciting milestone for us, not only in the region, but for the brand globally. Being able to bring the Pullman essence and services to the market is a highlight no doubt.”

Sustainability has become the most crucial topic in hospitality because the industry significantly impacts the environment and communities where it operates. The industry's reliance on natural resources, energy, and water means it has a significant carbon footprint, contributing to climate change. In addition to the environmental impact, sustainability is crucial because it is becoming increasingly important to guests. Today's consumers are more aware of environmental and social issues and are likelier to choose companies prioritising sustainability.

As natural resources become scarcer and the impact of climate change becomes more severe, hotels will become increasingly complex and costly to operate in unsustainable ways. Hotel groups like Accor understand that embracing sustainable practices can future-proof their operations and reduce their risk of being negatively impacted by future resource constraints or regulatory changes.

Paul adds, “a hotel, and the hospitality industry by itself, is an ecosystem and we are able to influence consumers to choose more sustainable alternatives; at the same time, we listen to the voice and needs of our guests.”

Some of the changes implemented in the groups properties include; conscious use of resources, water and energy conservation reduction of food waste, the objective to reach net zero emissions, and ongoing dialogue with manufacturers and suppliers for responsible sustainable alternatives.

“On a macro level, we have a combined goal with Accor’s Net Zero Carbon and the UAE’s Net Zero vision by 2050. We have been actively partnering with Dubai Tourism in all their sustainability endeavours, such as Dubai Can.”

Paul explains that Accor’s global carbon strategy is built on 4 pillars comprising of, promoting a low-carbon mindset across the company – (all hotels have annual goals and monitor and record water, enery and utility consumptions on monthly basis), transitioning to smart green hotels, enhancing hotel brand, design, and technical standards to improve energy efficiency, accelerating the use of green energy wherever possible, and the launch of new guest offerings and carbon offsetting solutions for guests.

“When it comes to the day-to-day operations of our hotels, these are some of the key aspects we focus on; strong leadership and empowerment through training and on the job coaching and accountability of teams. In addition, sustainability onboarding training for all team members in all our hotels, sustainable standards as an integral part of our Brand Standards across all segments is essential. We also look at sustainability objectives as part of key targets at all levels, the use of ecolabelled chemicals, water and energy saving units, and emphasis on local produce and services. Moreover, strong waste segregation and recycling objectives, partnerships with local environmental bodies and NGOs, guest engagement (towel and linen reuse programme, recycling, sustainable food menus) and digitalisation: Accor Key and hybrid meeting offers are also a priority.”

Furthermore, in 2020, Accor joined the UN Global Tourism Plastics Initiative and pledged to remove all singleuse plastic items from guest experiences. “Innovation is at the center of this process and as such, we have created a new plastic-free range of nearly 50 amenities, made from materials such as wood, bamboo or paper, with external certification on non-deforestation for instance. Lastly, but certainly not least, in 2021, Accor joined the Sustainable Hospitality Alliance, a global organisation that aims to use the industry’s collective power to tackle key challenges, in alignment with the United Nations’ Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). Members of the alliance make up 25% of the global hotel industry (in terms of rooms), and include our peers within the industry.” Adds Paul.

Paul concludes by saying that in addition to achieving the region’s ESG goals, which includes eliminating single-use plastic from customerfacing operations and finding sustainable solutions, he also aims to support social enterprises in the countries where he operates. In addition to this, achieving the successful opening of all properties in the pipeline for the year is a key objective of the team.

“As a new leadership team, one of our main ambitions for this year is to reconnect with the teams on the ground through a series of gatherings and activities. Due to my background in loyalty as CEO of Accor Plus, one of the main priorities I have for the region is to continue growing our commitments and offerings to members of ALL – Accor Live Limitless.”