IndiGo parent & Accor tie-up to have 300 hotels in India by 2030

NEW DELHI: IndiGo parent company InterGlobe and French hospitality major Accor have tied up to create what they term will be “India’s fastest growing hospitality enterprise” which aims to have a network of 300 hotels under Accor brands by 2030. Accor currently operates 71 hotels in India with 40 more in development, spanning from economy to luxury brands.

IndiGo plans to enter into an agreement with Accor to collaborate and offer travel and hospitality benefits to its loyalty program members. The two partners have agreed to develop a collaboration through their loyalty programs — IndiGo BluChip and ALL – Accor Live Limitless. This would enable members to earn and redeem points across flights and stays.

Accor and InterGlobe will bring together their currently owned assets, development and management businesses in the country to form one autonomous & integrated platform. This new entity will become the exclusive vehicle for growing all Accor brands in India. Accor will continue to lead operations and brand management and provide full access to its brands and services.

InterGlobe Enterprises group MD Rahul Bhatia said: “At InterGlobe, we have always believed in our commitment to building meaningful and enduring relationships with both our partners and the guests we serve. Today, I am delighted to further strengthen our two-decade long association with Accor through this strategic partnership. Together with InterGlobe’s deep market insights, Accor’s world-class services, India’s dynamic growth and evolving travel landscape, we aim to redefine the hospitality experience by offering exceptional value to our guests and setting new standards for excellence in the industry.”

Sébastien Bazin, chairman & CEO of Accor, said: “This partnership marks a transformative moment for Accor and its brands in India. By aligning with our long-term successful and trusted partner InterGlobe and bringing together the best of hospitality, tech and entrepreneurship in India, we are unlocking unprecedented growth potential in one of the world’s most exciting travel markets.”

Regarding the partnership with IndiGo, the airline’s CEO Pieter Elbers said: “We are excited to be working on a strategic partnership with Accor to elevate the travel experience and maximise the rewards of our valued loyalty members. Last year at IndiGo’s 18th anniversary, the launch of BluChip loyalty program was announced. And to date, since its launch in Nov 2024, over 20 lakh members have already enrolled with BluChip. Now IndiGo moves to the next phase to strengthen its loyalty program by exploring and developing strategic partnerships… (to) open new and unparalleled opportunities for IndiGo’s BluChip members.”

Accor and InterGlobe will jointly invest in and become the largest shareholder in Treebo, which is one of India’s leading branded budget hotel platforms managing 800 hotels across 120 cities through its distribution systems. “Treebo will take the lead to develop the Ibis and Mercure brands in India through a master license agreement. Under this partnership, Treebo (has) reached an agreement with various property owners to sign ten new Mercure’s. Accor’s brands will leverage Treebo’s state of the art technology to tap into India’s vast unbranded hotel market and accelerate growth. The combined Accor and Treebo portfolio will create India’s third-largest hospitality player, with over 30,000 rooms,” a joint statement by InterGlobe & Accor said.

Clearly, the group running India’s biggest airline (by market share) and having a presence across varied travel verticals wants to make the most of the opportunity presented for organised & branded players by India’s highly fragmented hotel industry. Apart from IndiGo — one of the world’s most valued airlines globally in terms of market capitalisation — that currently has a fleet of over 400 aircraft which flew over 11.8 crore passengers last fiscal, InterGlobe has logistics, travel and AI enabled technology companies in its portfolio.