AccorHotels and UnionPay International teamed up to offer an enhanced experience to guests from Asia, who stays at AccorHotels’ properties in France. This partnership already enables guests staying at the project’s 85 pilot hotels (in all segments, from economy to luxury) to use a payment solution they are familiar with.
In the second phase, which will run from May to mid-June, the number of French hotels offering this payment system will increase to 200.
Current and future Asian guests of these hotels will be able to pay for their rooms and the many services offered by the establishment (restaurants, bars, meeting rooms, spa treatments, etc.) using their usual payment card. Without any special action required from the guest, UnionPay transaction authorizations will be granted in real time by the issuing bank through the electronic payment terminal (EPT). All the guest will have to do is sign their receipt.
“The roll-out of the UnionPay card at our hotels in France is yet another example of our commitment to making things easier for our guests and offering a wide range of services at every stage of their stay. With this new dedicated service, AccorHotels is making it as simple as possible for tourists from Asia to visit France, and at the same time is making France a more attractive destination by improving the welcome we offer to a guest segment that is essential to the vitality of our industry,” explained Sophie Etchandy-Stabile, HotelServices Executive Director for France & Switzerland.
Wei Zhihong, UnionPay International Marketing Director, had the following to say, “France is one of the most popular destinations in the world. That’s why UnionPay International is working to expand its network and offer cardholders a payment service which is more secure and easier to use. Today, UnionPay cards can be used at 67% of all automated tellers and with 130,000 merchants in France. We’re very pleased to begin this mutually beneficial strategic cooperation with AccorHotels, which will not only provide users of UnionPay cards with an easier payment solution but will also increase the AccorHotels Group’s attractiveness to prospective Asian guests.”
