Mercure is a midscale hotel brand specialized in traditional hotels managed by committed hoteliers, and owned by Accor. Created in 1973 in France, the brand was acquired by Accor in 1975. Mercure manages 810 hotels in 63 countries. Grand Mercure is the internationalpremium brand of Mercure.
History
1973-2007: Growth
The first Mercure hotel was established in 1973 in Saint-Witz, France. In 1975, Mercure was acquired by the group Accor and became Novotel's complementary midscale brand in the group's strategy. In 1983, Mercure launched the Carte des grands vins where 80% of the wines were selected by Mercure's oenologists, and 20% were selected by the hoteliers. In 1989, Mercure opened its 100th hotel. In 1991, following Accor's acquisition of the Compagnie Internationale des Wagons-Lits, the Altea hotels acquired through this deal became Mercure hotels. Many hotel brands purchased by Accor throughout the 1990s were turned into Mercure hotels. By 2001, 655 Mercure hotels were in operation worldwide.
Since 2007: Global refurbishment
In 2007, following the launch of Accor's new brands Mercure MGallery, Pullman and All Seasons, the group allocated several of its Mercure-branded locations to the development of those new brands. Foreign wines were also introduced for the first time in the Carte des grands vins. In 2010, Mercure launched a global refurbishment program. The rooms were modernized, and the cost of renovation was minimized thanks to new industrial methods. A design catalogue enabled hoteliers to choose from a variety of style options. The Grands vins Mercure became Cave & Saveurs. Breakfast became gluten-free with local products only. In 2011, Accor signed a deal with Jupiter Hotels in the UK to turn 24 hotels into Mercure hotels. In 2012, Mercure opened in China the first Grand Mercure branded Mei Jue for the Chinese market. In 2015, Mercure launched in Colombia and opened 3 Grand Mercure in Brazil. In February 2017, Mercure launched a Facebook bot to share local stories with its customers. In 2019, 2 Mercure hotels in Paris introduced their homemade beers made from hop that grew on the hotels' rooftops. The Mercure Paris Boulogne installed a vertical farm on its rooftop where it grows the food served in the restaurant of the hotel.
Description
Mercure is a midscale hotel brand specialized in traditional hotels managed by committed hoteliers and owned by Accor. Grand Mercure is the international premium brand of Mercure. Mercure manages 810 hotels in 63 countries.
