AccorHotels to Buy Private Vacation Rental Platform Travel Keys


Skift Take

AccorHotels' investments in the sharing economy continue to expand, and as the only major global hotel company investing so directly into the alternative accommodations sector, the company seems well positioned to adapt and grow with this "new normal" in the lodging space.

It's another year, and yet another sharing economy investment for AccorHotels. Today, Paris-based AccorHotels announced that it has "begun exclusive negotiations" to eventually acquire all of Travel Keys, an Atlanta-based private vacation rental broker that has more than 5,000 villas worldwide. The deal is expected to close in the second quarter of 2017 and no acquisition price has been announced. Together with AccorHotels' acquisition of onefinestay, which was completed last year, as well as Accor's investments in Squarebreak and Oasis, Accor's sharing economy investments, including Travel Keys, would eventually encompass 8,500 addresses in the luxury private rental market. In a press statement, Sebastien Bazin, Chairman & CEO of AccorHotels, said, "We are extremely pleased to have Bobby Gibson and his team join the AccorHotels family. They have built a very robust business over the years that will be instrumental in our strategy to create the number one luxury private rental player in the world. Travel Keys brings an impressive portfolio of premium properties to our existing activities. This acquisition further demonstrates our agility and dy