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Accor on Blended Living: Unlocking the Strategic Opportunities & Insights From the Inside

Blended living has rapidly evolved from an emerging trend to an essential component of modern hospitality. As the lines between work, leisure, and daily life blur, guests are looking for hotels that offer flexibility and seamless integration of their lifestyles. Whether it’s professionals extending their business trips to mix work with leisure or locals seeking unique experiences, hotels that embrace this shift can unlock significant value.

Accor

Blended Living and Sustainable Hospitality: Unlocking Business Growth

The hospitality industry is undergoing a transformation as blended living and sustainable practices become key drivers of guest engagement and revenue growth. According to recent research, blended travel bookings have surged by 72% year-over-year (Skift, 2024), with 50% of guests planning extended stays (Accor, 2024). This shift presents significant opportunities for hotels to embrace blended living as a way to enhance guest experiences while creating new revenue streams. Simultaneously, sustainability remains a top priority, with 83% of travellers stating that sustainable travel is important to them (Booking.com, 2024). Accor, Booking.com, and the University of Surrey have strategically collaborated to uncover how hotels can better communicate and integrate these evolving trends.

Leveraging Blended Living to Meet Evolving Traveler Expectations

Blended living has rapidly evolved from an emerging trend to an essential component of modern hospitality. As the lines between work, leisure, and daily life blur, guests are looking for hotels that offer flexibility and seamless integration of their lifestyles. Whether it’s professionals extending their business trips to mix work with leisure or locals seeking unique experiences, hotels that embrace this shift can unlock significant value.

“Affluent customers today are seeking more diverse lifestyle offerings—enriching experiences, vibrant food & drink venues, and social spaces—that far go beyond the traditional hotel offering. Blended living experiences are opening up a whole new dimension for our extraordinary hotel brands.”
Agnès Roquefort, Global Chief Development Officer, Luxury & Lifestyle

Integrated across Premium, Midscale, and Economy brands, blended living optimizes revenue opportunities, diversifies investment risk, and meets evolving market demand.

“Blended living offers are unlocking significant value, optimizing revenue opportunities, and diversifying investment risk through a differentiated service offering that caters to travelers’ needs and meets market demand.”
Camil Yazbeck, Global Chief Development Officer, Premium, Midscale & Economy

Read Accor’s ‘The New Quality Of Time: How The World’s New Tempo Is Impacting Hospitality’ report here. 

Source: Accor

General Manager Insights: Business Cases from the Field

Building Living Hubs: Driving Additional Revenue While Strengthening Community Connections

Located in São Paulo’s financial hub, Pullman Vila Olímpia has successfully embraced blended living by transforming into a vibrant space where unique events, art, gastronomy, and culture come together.

“We’re more than just a destination for business—we’re a vibrant space where unique events connect guests and the local community, generating more than $2 million in additional revenue in 2024.”
Ronei Borba, General Manager, Pullman Vila Olímpia – São Paulo

Hotels are uniquely positioned to become living hubs, fostering guest engagement while strengthening local connections. Beyond enhancing experiences, these initiatives create additional revenue streams through F&B offerings and year-round repeat visits, driving brand loyalty.

Leveraging Mixed-Use Developments: Driving Value Creation

Hotels integrating Residences with premium services are unlocking unparalleled value by offering a luxury lifestyle experience. At SO/ Uptown in Dubai, resident owners enjoy exclusive services like 24/7 concierge, maintenance support, and personalized chefs, reinforcing strong ties between the hotel and its community.

“Mixed-use developments create a built-in audience that utilizes hotel facilities, enhancing F&B revenue, event spaces, and guest satisfaction. We’ve introduced activations such as movie nights to cultivate a strong sense of community.”
Daniel Kingston, General Manager, Ennismore’s SO/ Uptown – Dubai

By combining residential spaces, co-working areas, and private clubs, hotels diversify revenue streams while offering a more holistic guest experience. This model ensures a steady flow of guests and increased long-term profitability.

Sustainability as a Core Component of Blended Living

While blended living drives revenue growth, sustainability plays a crucial role in shaping future guest experiences. The research report Engaging Travellers to Embrace More Sustainable Behaviours highlights key strategies for hotels to integrate sustainability messaging effectively:

1. Highlight Sustainability Practices and Encourage Guest Participation

   • Clear, actionable communication prevents scepticism and builds trust.

   • Specific guidance on reducing energy use, waste management, and sustainable transport choices helps guests make informed decisions.

   • Providing third-party certifications reassures travellers about the legitimacy of sustainability claims.

2. Balance Appeal to Comfort and Pleasure for Guest Engagement

   • Messaging emphasizing comfort led to a 145% increase in guest satisfaction.

   • Highlighting pleasurable sustainable experiences, such as scenic train rides or local dining, reassures guests they don’t have to sacrifice enjoyment.

   • Comfort messaging fosters trust and makes sustainability feel effortless.

3. Empower Guests Rather Than Dictate Their Choices

   • 55% of guests felt sceptical about restrictive sustainability messages like “limit your water use.”

   • 70% believed hotels with empowering messages were more responsible.

   • Encouraging sustainability through knowledge-sharing fosters a sense of autonomy and cooperation.

4. Help Guests Maintain Sustainable Habits While Traveling

   • Messaging that evokes feelings of home halved scepticism and doubled perceptions of hotel responsibility.

   • Guests want to continue their eco-conscious habits—hotels should facilitate this through convenient, seamless options.

   • Aligning hotel policies with guests’ existing sustainability values strengthens engagement and brand loyalty.

Maximizing Blended Living and Sustainability for Long-Term Growth

Blended living is no longer just a trend—it’s a transformative strategy that aligns with shifting traveler expectations. By integrating flexible spaces, community-driven experiences, and sustainable initiatives, hotels can enhance guest satisfaction, drive repeat business, and unlock new revenue streams.

For hotel owners, embracing both blended living and sustainability is a pathway to long-term profitability and success. By continuously adapting to modern traveler needs and fostering deep connections with local communities, hotels can ensure they remain at the forefront of the hospitality industry.

Source: Accor