Accor Pacific opens two new hotels to fill gap in Auckland market

Friday, 31 October 2025

Two new Accor Pacific hotels will hit the Auckland market over the space of a month, and they represent the company's long-term confidence in New Zealand's tourism market.

The mid-range Tribe Hotel, which has 60 rooms, officially opened on October 14, and upmarket hostel Jo&Joe, which has a total of 293 beds over a mix of dorm-style and private rooms, officially opens in early November.

Both hotels are located on Fort Street in the Auckland CBD, and owned by Accor’s long-time New Zealand partner, CP Group. Jo&Joe is also part of lifestyle hospitality company Ennismore, a joint venture with Accor, which has a majority shareholding.

Accor now operates 49 hotels under various brands in New Zealand, making it the country’s biggest hotel chain. It will be opening its 50th, the 191-room Pullman Hamilton, early next year.

Accor Pacific chief operating officer Adrian Williams said both the new hotels tapped into new and emerging markets, and their development was demand-led.

He acknowledged the significant increase in hotel room supply in Auckland over recent years, which has impacted on occupancy levels and revenue per room (RevPAR).

But the Tribe and Jo&Joe brands offered something that was missing from the Auckland market ‒ affordable, “lifestyle” accommodation with a focus on experience and community, he said.

“Lifestyle” hotels offer travellers personalised experiences rather than standardised stays. To do so, they mix distinctive design with local culture and products, and work to create a community feel with social spaces and events.

“There's not another property like Tribe in Auckland. It’s in a niche of the market that is affordable, which is really important right now, as people are looking for great value.

“The thing is great value doesn't mean you compromise on quality, and Tribe is something that's design-led, very dynamic with a personality and style that is quite different from other hotels.”

Similarly, Jo&Joe redefined the hostel experience as it was “not a backpackers, not a hostel, and not a hotel” but had elements of all those accommodation options, he said.

“Each brand touches a part of the market that is under-serviced, and importantly both new hotels are not just for travellers, they are for the local community too.”

Tribe has a street side restaurant, Sienna, that has lounge areas, communal tables, and nooks that are open to the public for coffee, cocktails, dining and meetings, while Jo&Joe has a roof-top bar.

Williams said the current economic situation in New Zealand was challenging, and there were likely to be some bumps along the road yet, but Accor was confident in the long-term outlook for tourism.

The country had a reputation as a prime destination to visit, and while tourism numbers were not back to pre-Covid levels, international visitor numbers were growing and that was expected to continue, he said.

“International air capacity is almost back to pre-Covid levels and Australian arrivals to New Zealand are at record levels, which has particularly boosted travel to Queenstown and the South Island.

“And we're excited by the Government's $70 million boost for major events and tourism. It’s positive news for the tourism and accommodation sector, which depends on a steady pipeline of events to support jobs, stimulate local economies, and showcase New Zealand.”

But that type of funding was something that needed to be consistent year after year, and New Zealand would do well to look to Melbourne’s successful event funding and development template as an example, he said.

“In Auckland, the opening of the New Zealand International Conference Centre early next year is important. It’s expected to generate significant demand for hotel accommodation, helping absorb the recent growth in supply and supporting occupancy and rate performance across the city.”

The potential for growth was why Accor was focused on strengthening its presence in the international gateway markets, diversifying its portfolio, and investing in communities around the country, Williams said.

“We have ambitions for more hotels in New Zealand, but we have no definite plans to announce yet, although we are in discussions.

“With the Jo&Joe brand, we’re in the rollout phase globally, and I can see a number of them in New Zealand. It would be great to offer the brand in Queenstown, Rotorua, and Christchurch. We can see lots of upside for that.”

Occupancy across Accor’s New Zealand hotels for the rest of 2025 was up 1.5% on the same period last year, and in Auckland occupancy had also increased although it fluctuated according to events, he said.

“Forecasts for 2026 show that occupancy is ahead 3.5% compared to 2025. Auckland’s performance is driven by leisure groups across all months, while conference and leisure travel is boosting forecast occupancies for Accor’s Wellington hotels.”

Auckland was set to kick off the year strongly thanks to the Jehovah’s Witnesses’ global event being held at Ellerslie in January, which was expected to attract thousands of visitors in a traditionally off-peak month, he added.

Accor operates more than 400 hotels in the Pacific region, under a range of brands including Sofitel, Pullman, Mövenpick, Peppers, The Sebel, Novotel, Mercure, and Ibis.