AccorHotels CEO to the Hotel Industry: ‘You Have an Obligation to Be Bold’

A lot has happened since Skift sat down with AccorHotels CEO Sebastien Bazin on July 14, just hours before a terrorist attack took place in Nice, France, taking the lives of 84 and injuring more than 300. We met with Bazin in the iconic Palm Court at The Plaza Hotel New York, arguably one of the city's most famous hotel landmarks — and the newest addition to AccorHotels' growing portfolio of brands. Fresh from a successful close of Accor's $2.7-billion acquisition of the Fairmont, Raffles, and Swissôtel brands on July 12, Bazin was more than happy to talk to Skift about the purchase, as well as his vision for the future of hospitality. Unlike a lot of his contemporaries, Bazin isn't afraid to go against the grain, or to take risks. A former private equity investor, he's been outspoken and often critical about the industry, saying, "All of us. For the last 15 years, we've been sleeping. I said that publicly and I got yelled at by my peers." He's also invested in a num