Accor finds space for innovation

Accor has formally launched its new generation Novotel room in Bangkok.

The launch coincided with the official opening of the Novotel Bangkok Fenix Ploenchit, the third Novotel to open in the Thai capital in the last three months.

The new generation room will be introduced to all 86 Novotels in Asia Pacific along with 36 new Novotels in the region already committed. Over time, the room will be introduced to 400 Novotels worldwide.

Accor believes its hotel partners are being attracted to the room concept because the design is both cost effective and eco efficient.

Michael Issenberg, chairman of Accor Asia Pacific, said while the design of the room, typically 26sqm, would be fairly standard, it could be adapted to suit local cultures.

“In Asia, for instance, the rooms may feature more bright colours.”

Frederic Josenhans, Accor senior vice president of marketing and brands development, said the DNA of the new room was “innovation, consistency and design”.

Josenhans said the key to the room’s acceptance by hotel owners was the ability to do more with less space. “The transparency between bathroom and bedroom creates the feeling of space,” he said.

Features of the new room include a transparent glass partition between bedroom and bathroom that becomes opaque at a flick of a switch, a modular side table that can be drawn up to the bed for working or dining, a sofa that can be used as a guest bed, low energy lighting and wood from sustainably managed forests.