Duncan O’Rouke CEO of Accor’s Premium, Midscale and Economy Division in the Middle East, Africa and Asia Pacific.
27 March 2025 NZME photograph by Michael Craig
Duncan O’Rouke CEO of Accor’s Premium, Midscale and Economy Division in the Middle East, Africa and Asia Pacific.
27 March 2025 NZME photograph by Michael Craig
International hotel chain Accor has development plans for 10-20 hotels in New Zealand in the next five years.
Two new hotels, TRIBE and JO&JOE, will open in Auckland this year.
Hotel chain Accor is poised to expand in New Zealand with development plans for 10-20 hotels over the next five years, something its regional boss says will have a significant effect on the hospitality industry.
The group has two hotels set to debut this year, including TRIBE on Auckland’s FortSt and JO&JOE Auckland. Accor also has additional developments in the pipeline, such as the Pullman in Hamilton, planned for 2026.
Standing in the penthouse of Auckland’s Pullman hotel, Accor’s Duncan O’Rourke is clearly impressed with the opportunity to expand the group’s operations.
“I started in this industry 30 years ago, and it’s fundamentally changed. It keeps changing consistently with technology ... [but] it will always be a people’s industry,” O’Rourke, chief executive of Accor’s premium, mid-scale and economy division in the Middle East, Africa and Asia Pacific, said.
“I think the good thing about this industry is that we are still focused on what we’re doing, which is providing hospitality. There’s a good touch point.”
Duncan O’Rourke, chief executive of Accor’s Premium, Midscale and Economy Division in the Middle East, Africa and Asia Pacific. Photo / Michael Craig
Originally planning to follow in his family’s footsteps and become a lawyer, O’Rourke opted to instead enter the hotel industry.
Now, he manages the portfolio of Accor’s core hotels in about 48 countries with roughly 1300 hotels.
In the Pacific, Accor has 406 hotels, including 46 in New Zealand. Its brands include Pullman, Novotel.
O’Rourke was in New Zealand for Accor’s 2025 Pacific Franchise Conference, an opportunity he said was for the group’s partners to align their strategies.
“We had a two-day, really intensive but really beneficial franchise partners meeting. We invite all the partners from the Pacific, expertise from my region, as well as, of course, the team here in the Pacific to spend time communicating with them and to let them know what we’re doing and what’s new at our core.”
With the event hosted in Auckland for the first time, O’Rourke said it was important to understand the New Zealand market and its underlying trends.
From his perspective, the New Zealand market has been through a difficult time for two years.
New research recently revealed room supply in Auckland’s CBD was 22% higher than in 2018.
However, demand for hotel rooms in Auckland has been trending downward since April 2024, and average room rates are decreasing for the first time since borders reopened in 2022.
O’Rourke said there was “tremendous excitement” moving forward, and the soon-to-open International Convention Centre was going to play a big part.
“That’s really important for the city and for New Zealand. These international conventions are not booked a year in advance, they’re booked two to three years out.
“Once you get that traction, it starts to really change the landscape of the business. Auckland will benefit tremendously from that.”
He referenced the growing trend of “bleisure”, a combination of business and leisure, and it’s something he believes New Zealand will see continue to grow.
Duncan O’Rourke is excited by the enhancement the International Convention Centre will bring to Auckland and New Zealand's conference-hosting capacity. Photo / Michael Craig
“When you look at these statistics of conventions and cities in there, it’s around 15% to 20% repeat travellers coming in. So people have come to a convention, had a wonderful experience, and then on their next vacation or booking, it clicks in their head and they say let’s go back with the family.
“It’s going to be a double play, and I think it’s super exciting for the tourism industry here, both in the city of Auckland, but also for the entirety of New Zealand.”
Cultural connection
O’Rourke doesn’t think the type of travellers coming into the country has changed, but their habits and expectations certainly have.
Gone are the days of breakfast buffets with items from all over the world. Travellers are instead seeking to engage with domestically produced items and opportunities to connect with the community.
O’Rourke described tourism as an industry of momentum, referencing how the Covid-19 pandemic affected the hospitality industry differently in countries that remained more open, allowing them to recover quicker than places such as New Zealand.
He also referenced challenges with tourism from China, which has not returned to its 2019 levels.
The Middle East and Asian regions had returned strongly, while Africa and the Pacific lagged behind, he said, adding the Australian and New Zealand markets are seeing a rise in occupancy and demand.
“It’s already started. It’s very close to the pre-pandemic numbers anyway, very, very close. It will come back, and it will then start to grow.
Accor and its brands have been in the New Zealand market for over 30 years, and he thinks there is still an opportunity to grow.
The group’s strategy focuses on a mix of key metropolitan centres and high-potential regional areas, with traditional accommodation offerings it’s become known for, alongside an expansion of boutique, extended stay, and airport hotel models.
This growth will come from a combination of new developments and acquisitions, and refurbishments/rebrands, he said.
As for O’Rourke, he said he’d love to live in New Zealand, if it wasn’t so far away.
“You have wonderful people, wonderful beauty in the country, and a wonderful soul. You have the hotels here, so it can only do well, and I honestly believe it will succeed.”
Tom Raynel is a multimedia business journalist for the Herald, covering small business, retail and tourism.
