Hard Rock International hotels will be able to join the ALL Accor loyalty and distribution platform under a global partnership, Accor (EPA:AC) said on November 9.
The deal opens Hard Rock to more than 125mn ALL Accor members across 110 countries. Ennismore, the lifestyle company majority-owned by Accor, will lead development of the Hard Rock brand across Europe, the Middle East, Asia and the Pacific, taking it into markets where it has never operated.
The partnership covers loyalty, distribution and international development and takes effect once the transaction closes, according to the Accor press release.
Hotels in the Hard Rock portfolio will have the option to join the platform. These include Hard Rock Hotels, Reverb by Hard Rock, Hard Rock Hotels & Casinos and Hard Rock Hotel & Residences.
Accor will connect participating hotels to its global sales and distribution network. Hard Rock will keep running its own direct marketing and distribution channels.
Members of ALL Accor and Unity by Hard Rock will get reciprocal benefits, including point conversion and status matching. Guests can already use the tie-up at Hard Rock Hotel New York.
“Together with Accor and Ennismore, we are opening a new chapter for our brand, one that will introduce Hard Rock to exciting new destinations around the world,” said Jim Allen, chairman of Hard Rock International.
Sébastien Bazin, chairman and CEO of Accor, said Hard Rock would “bring an exciting new world of experiences to our guests” and that the group saw “a tremendous opportunity to accelerate Hard Rock Hotels’ global expansion”.
The two groups marked the deal in Fort Lauderdale, Florida, on November 2. Accor recently forecast Central and Eastern Europe outpacing Europe’s tourism hotspots to 2036.
Hard Rock operates more than 300 venues in nearly 80 countries, spanning hotels, casinos, cafes and live music locations. Ennismore runs 14 hotel brands with more than 190 hotels open and more than 150 in the pipeline across over 40 countries.
