Overall ranking: 23 (NEW ENTRY)
Hotel ranking: 7 (NEW ENTRY)
Jean Jacques Dessors - Snapshot
Jean Jacques Dessors is chief operating officer of Accor Hotels UK and Ireland overseeing a portfolio of 157 hotels from economy to luxury. Dessors is spearheading the group’s ambition to increase its UK network to 300 hotels by 2015.
Jean Jacques Dessors – career highlights
A graduate of Toulouse Hotel School, Dessors holds a degree in Hotel Business Management and has over 20 years experience in senior hotel management roles.
Jean Jacques Dessors began his career in France. In 1990, he joined Compagnie Générale d'Hôtellerie et des Services - a subsidiary of Vivendi group - as director of operations of Westin Demeure Hotels and Libertel Hotels.
He joined Accor in 2000 as director of operations and then was appointed managing director, Economy Hotels UK/Ireland in 2002.
In December 2005, Jean-Jacques Dessors was appointed to his current position. He has since driven the expansion of the group’s brands throughout the UK and is responsible for 157 hotels under the MGallery, Novotel, Mercure, Ibis, All Seasons, Etap and Formule 1 brands.
Jean Jacques Dessors – what we think
For such a major player on the European hotel scene, Accor has had a relatively low profile in the UK. Until now that is. Dessor is driving Accor’s aggressive expansion strategy to increase its UK network to 300 hotels by 2015 and under his direction the last year has seen a string of high-profile deals.
2010 saw a franchise agreement with Fairview and Euro hotels to launch three properties in London – a Mercure in Bloomsbury and two All Seasons.
In the first quarter of 2011, Dessors signed franchise agreements with Focus Hotels for 10 new Mercure hotels and with McAleer & Rushe Group for two new central London properties – a four star Novotel and a budget Ibis – which will be open in time for the Olympics.
He also launched the first of its independent MGallery hotels in the UK in April when the St. Ermins in St. James London re-opened following an extensive £30m transformation and restoration under new owners, US real estate development firm Amerimar Enterprises.
Accor has made clear its ambitions to become the leading European hotel franchisor and Dessors said: “We have ambitious plans for the UK and we are totally committed to extending our Accor network and bringing our expertise in all segments from economy, midscale, upscale and luxury to the UK market.”
Dessors is a large part of the delivery team involved in Accor’s bid to become one of the world’s three leading hotel groups. The brands’ lack of visibility to date in the UK masks its prominence in the rest of the world and Dessors is tasked with redressing that balance.
St Ermins to become Accor's first MGallery hotel in London >>
Accor signs franchise deal with London Town Hotels >>
Focus Hotels to operate 10 hotels under Accor's Mercure brand >>
Accor announces two new London hotels >>
Accor website >>