The French hotel group is adding JO&JOE and greet by Accor to its China partnership with Sunmei Hotels Group, as it targets deeper growth in the country’s evolving travel market.
Accor is expanding its presence in China through a broader partnership with local operator Sunmei Hotels Group, adding the JO&JOE and greet by Accor brands to their existing collaboration.
The move extends a relationship that began in 2022 and already includes Mövenpick by Accor and The Sebel. According to Sunmei, the four brands are expected to have more than 70 hotels operating in mainland China by the end of this year.
Under the latest agreement, Sunmei will be responsible for the development, construction and operations of JO&JOE and greet by Accor in mainland China, with the brands positioned to serve the lifestyle and leisure segments.
The expansion comes as international hotel groups continue to respond to changing travel demand in China.
Accor said inbound tourism activity at its hotels in mainland China rose 46 per cent year on year from the beginning of 2026 to July, driven mainly by visitors from Asia-Pacific, the Middle East and Europe.
That momentum is reinforcing China’s position as a strategic market for the group.
Accor currently operates more than 850 hotels across 17 brands in China and plans to grow that network to 1,600 hotels over the next five years, underlining the scale of its ambition in the market.
Kent Zhu, CEO of Accor Greater China, said the group has continued adapting to changes in local demand while exploring new ways to localise international brands and strengthen digital operations.
For Accor, the latest brand additions are less about simple portfolio growth and more about aligning its offer with the way travel demand in China is evolving. Lifestyle, leisure and flexible hospitality formats are becoming increasingly relevant as domestic and inbound travel patterns shift.
That broader demand recovery is supported by the wider travel economy. According to China’s Ministry of Culture and Tourism, Chinese residents made 3.46 billion domestic trips in the first half of 2026, up 5.4 per cent year on year, while spending on those trips increased 2 per cent to 3.21 trillion yuan.
For the hospitality sector, the implication is clear. China is not only recovering, but diversifying, creating room for global hotel groups to introduce more targeted brand propositions rather than relying solely on traditional upscale formats.
For Accor, the Sunmei partnership is becoming a key vehicle for that strategy.
Source: China Daily
