PARIS
AccorHotels debuted its hospitality brand called JO&JOE, which aims to blend the best of private-rental, hostel and hotel formats. AccorHotels plans to expand rapidly by opening 50 venues by 2020, with locations including Paris and Bordeaux in 2018, as well as Warsaw, Budapest, Rio and Sao Paulo.
JO&JOE venues will be set in city-center locations that are close to public transport and less than 15 minutes away from the major points of interest.
The project is an example of “excubation” led by AccorHotels’ Marketing Innovation Lab, which identifies, tests and shares customer-centric and disruptive solutions that can generate additional revenue for the group. The JO&JOE brand is the result of a co-construction process with future guests, external experts, students, the shadow executive committee and AccorHotels teams, with the overarching aim of challenging conventions and imagining the future of hospitality, catering and social interaction.
“Break with tradition, forget old habits, be surprising, authentic, unexpected, bring a breath of fresh air to AccorHotels. Do it quickly and do it well. It wasn’t an easy brief to put into practice, particularly when you’re primarily targeting Millennials, who can be very difficult to win over,” said Sébastien Bazin, chairman and CEO of AccorHotels. “But with the launch of our new brand, JO&JOE, we have now more than met that challenge. I’m extremely proud of the work accomplished by the AccorHotels teams in mobilizing the energy necessary–both inside and outside the group–to bring this enormous project to life. JO&JOE represents the very essence of hospitality: welcoming, exciting and beyond our guests’ expectations.”
The concept is designed to promote interaction and foster positive community living thanks to common areas that are open to both the external and internal worlds. An integral part of neighborhood life, JO&JOE always has something going on, be it a concert, a yoga class or a DIY workshop. The JO&JOE team and the Townsters, who are people living nearby, and Tripsters, people in town to explore, help keep the venue active and buzzing, notably thanks to the brand’s geosocial application, which helps bring people together.
Reflecting the group’s overall strategy, JO&JOE’s catering is based on research and in-depth analysis into Millennials’ aspirations. The result is unconventional offerings, with a focus on interaction, sharing and simple, healthy flavors. The bar is central to the JO&JOE social experience, and its design and high visibility from the street encourage local residents to join guests to enjoy a wide range of drinks, focused on a flagship product, with a unique selection promoting local and craft products.
Local, affordable craft cuisine delivers quality without the frills. The collaborative kitchen offers guests a showcase for their culinary talents and a stage for sharing their best recipes. Guests wanting to keep their budget under control can use the space to cook meals, just for themselves or for a whole tribe.
