How Accor Is Reinventing Hospitality at VivaTech 2025
In a world where guest expectations are shaped by seamless apps, personalized experiences, and conscious consumption, hospitality brands are being pushed to rethink everything. At VivaTech 2025, Europe’s premier technology and innovation event, Accor didn’t just show up—they made a bold statement: the future of hospitality isn’t about more amenities or shinier lobbies. It’s about intelligence, sustainability, and emotional resonance embedded in every aspect of the guest journey.
Accor used the global stage to present not one-off gimmicks, but a strategic, scalable innovation model—backed by real products, real startups, and a clear vision for where the industry must head. This wasn’t a tech show-and-tell. It was a demonstration of how the world’s leading hospitality group is reshaping its entire ecosystem—from internal processes to guest touchpoints—through collaboration, technology, and a deep understanding of what tomorrow’s travelers actually want.
1. An Innovation Blueprint for the Entire Group
Far from niche pilots, Accor’s innovations are woven into its organizational DNA. The Group’s Innovation Lab isn’t a short-term skunkworks; it’s a strategic powerhouse that tackles real operational inefficiencies and guest needs through cross-functional collaboration.
By fostering in‑house “intrapreneurship” and partnering with startups and industry leaders, Accor is systemically embedding innovation at all levels—fueling projects that combine design, sustainability, technology, and profitability group.accor.com+1group.accor.com+1.
2. From Hotel Stay to Guest Journey
Accor’s vision no longer stops at check-in. From mobility to dining, well-being to entertainment, the hospitality experience is being re-crafted as an interconnected ecosystem. Every touchpoint—whether digitally enabled or human-led—is being rethought to deliver seamless, holistic experiences that align with elevated guest expectations.
3. Three Breakthrough Startups on Stage
At VivaTech, Accor showcased three startups emblematic of this transformation:
- Fullsoon: Born inside Accor during the COVID era, this AI-powered food‑waste prediction and inventory optimization system evolved into a standalone venture. It helps hoteliers sharpen forecasting, curb waste, enhance margins, and support decarbonization
- Alltheway: Developed in collaboration with Air France and ADP, this service manages luggage pickup from city centers to airports through an AI-driven, cross‑industry logistic chain—liberating guests from bulky baggage and simplifying travel logistics
- Luniwave: Introducing smart in-room tech like the “LuniShower,” it uses timed water flow cycles and sustainability‑reward programs (GreenMiles) to reduce resource consumption while preserving comfort.
Each startup is embedded within Accor’s ecosystem: tested in live environments, iterated with hotel teams, and nurtured with strategic backing for scale
4. Innovation In-Depth: Philosophy Meets Practice
As Global Innovation Officer Damien Perrot states, innovation isn’t confined to labs—it’s “a strategic mindset and open collaboration across all stakeholders.”. Working with startups offers agility and fresh perspectives, while deeper partnerships—including intrapreneur-led ones—solidify solutions that are purpose-built, tested, and scalable.
Investing internally (as with Fullsoon) or in partnerships (Alltheway and Luniwave) demonstrates Accor’s multi-track innovation strategy, designed for speed and impact.
5. Sustainability Executes with Tech
Decarbonization isn’t a sideline; it’s core to Accor’s mission. From reducing food waste to conserving water and energy in guest rooms, their tech-first approach directly advances ESG goals—amplifying both environmental impact and guest satisfaction.
6. Strategic Synergies: Design, Tech & Ownership
These innovations don’t just enhance experiences—they reinforce Accor’s growth narrative. Complementing their design-led hospitality approach—evident in sustainable spatial layouts and brand-tailored experiences —the practical innovations unveiled at VivaTech align with a broader strategy: to deliver value, sustainability, and emotional connection in every stay.
7. Decoding the Message
- Governance-forward: Innovation is governed at scale, backed by labs, funds, and partnerships.
- Systemic sustainability: Eco-tech isn’t “nice to have”—it’s core to business transformation.
- Cross-sector collaboration: Accor is building an innovation ecosystem, inviting startups, tech firms, and intrapreneurs to co-create the future of hospitality.
The Bigger Picture
Accor’s presence at VivaTech 2025 illustrates a hospitality industry in flux—moving from static hotel stays to dynamic, service-rich journeys. By combining AI, resource efficiency, and guest-centric design, Accor is driving toward:
- A frictionless guest experience, from mobility to meals and in-room comfort.
- Operational reinvention, with AI and startups solving old inefficiencies in novel ways.
- A regenerative hospitality model, balancing profitability with ecological stewardship.
For Accor, VivaTech was more than a showcase—it was a statement: hospitality is evolving, and they intend to lead.
What this means for travelers and the industry:
- Guests can expect smarter, greener hotel stays—less waste, more convenience.
- Hoteliers may adopt internal labs or partner externally to solve real-world challenges.
- Sustainability becomes as central to hospitality innovation as design, comfort, and service.
By stepping onto Europe’s biggest tech stage, Accor didn’t just highlight pilot projects—they demonstrated a purposeful blueprint for the hotel’s future—a future defined by co-creation, sustainability, and the seamless integration of tech and hospitality.