There’s a particular kind of confidence required to expand a hotel empire while the world is busy tying itself in knots.
Wars rumble, fuel lines tighten, and airline schedules wobble like a soufflé in a storm. Yet here is Accor calm, deliberate, and quietly pressing ahead in Western Australia as though it has seen this film before and already knows how it ends.
And perhaps it has.
With 27 hotels already operating across the State, Accor is not testing the waters in WA, it’s swimming laps.
A New Beat in Perth’s Hotel Scene
Perth, long accused (sometimes unfairly) of going to bed early, has just been handed a late-night personality transplant.
HYDE Perth has arrived.
This 121-room debut from Ennismore, the lifestyle arm in which Accor holds a majority stake, is not merely another set of keys on a rack. It is the first purpose-built HYDE anywhere in the world. That alone tells you this is no afterthought.
Borrowing its DNA from the Los Angeles club scene of the early 2000s, HYDE trades heavily on atmosphere. Music, art, wellness, a dash of mischief, it’s all here. Yet, mercifully, it hasn’t forgotten where it is. There’s enough Australian restraint to keep things from tipping into excess.
HYDE Perth
In short, it’s Perth but with the volume turned up.
Runway Views and Rising Ambitions
Meanwhile, out at Perth Airport, Accor is preparing to claim a rather strategic slice of real estate.
The Pullman Perth Airport, 240 rooms, clean lines, and a rooftop bar designed for those who like their sunsets with a side of aircraft, is expected to break ground later this year. Developed with Skyfields, it will be the first hotel sitting directly at the airport.
It’s a logical move, though long overdue.
Accor Pacific Chief Operating Officer Adrian Williams put it succinctly:
“The establishment of an upscale Pullman next to the terminals would help Perth Airport continue its growth momentum.”
Momentum, in this case, is not marketing fluff. The airport recorded 18 million passengers last year, a 6.6% lift with international travel surging 12.5%.
Not bad for a city once described as “remote.”
Asia-Pacific Carries the Load
While much of the world frets about long-haul demand, Perth is quietly benefitting from geography and good planning.
New Qantas services from Auckland and Johannesburg, coupled with strengthened links into Hong Kong, Guangzhou and Tokyo, are doing more than filling seats; they’re reshaping the visitor mix.
Williams again:
“The emphasis on expansion of direct services from Asia and the Pacific is great news for Perth’s hotel sector.”
And the numbers back him up.
China alone delivered an 84.2% surge in guest numbers across Accor’s WA portfolio to March 2026. The rest of Asia grew 19.8%, while the Pacific edged up 10.9%.
Europe may be booming on paper, but Perth’s bread is being buttered much closer to home.
Occupancy That Speaks for Itself
There’s no point dressing it up; Perth is performing.
City hotels averaged 81.2% occupancy in 2025, comfortably ahead of the national figure of 73.2%. At times, occupancy exceeded 85%, which, in hotel terms, is the equivalent of a full house and a waiting list.
Accor, unsurprisingly, is ahead of the curve.
“Accor’s strength across most market segments saw our hotels outperform the city average occupancy,” Williams said.
Translation: they’re not just in the race, they’re setting the pace.
Fuel Concerns, but Not Panic
Of course, even the most confident operator cannot ignore geopolitics.
The Middle East conflict has nudged fuel prices upward and created supply headaches, particularly in regional WA. For tourism operators north of Perth, that’s not a minor inconvenience; it’s a serious operational issue.
The State Government’s decision to stockpile four million litres of diesel in the Kimberley has, therefore, been met with something approaching relief.
“This will provide greater confidence for tourism operators in the north ahead of the peak tourism season,” Williams noted.
It’s not a silver bullet, but it’s a sensible hedge, and in uncertain times, that counts.
Events Keep the Rooms Full
If Perth has a secret weapon, it’s this: it knows how to fill a calendar.
Ed Sheeran, OneRepublic, Good Charlotte, and Lorde have recently seen a steady procession of headline acts roll through town, dragging hotel occupancy along with them.
Sport, too, continues to do its part. The Ashes Test drew sell-out crowds, and with Rugby League World Cup fixtures on the horizon, the pipeline remains healthy.
Behind it all sits a coordinated events strategy, Tourism WA, airlines, venues, and hotels all rowing in the same direction. The result? A tidy $3.48 return for every dollar invested.
That’s not luck. That’s planning.
When in Doubt, Stay Local
Should global uncertainty dent outbound travel, Accor is already positioned to catch the domestic swing.
Williams is pragmatic: if Australians hesitate to head offshore, they’ll holiday closer to home. And when they do, they’ll want something more than a bed and a minibar.
That’s where lifestyle properties like HYDE come into their own, places designed not just to accommodate, but to entertain.
A Broader Commitment
Beyond growth and glossy openings, there’s also a quieter shift underway.
Novotel Perth Murray Street has become one of the first Accor properties in Australia to achieve “Welcome with Pride” certification, with a broader rollout planned ahead of the 2030 Pride Games.
It’s a reminder that modern hospitality is no longer just about occupancy rates; it’s about relevance.
The Long View
Accor’s Australian portfolio now stretches beyond 370 properties. Western Australia, once peripheral, is increasingly central to that story.
And despite the noise conflict, fuel, and uncertainty, the fundamentals remain solid.
Strong demand. Smart air links. A city that has finally realised it can host a party.
Accor’s bet on WA is not reckless. It’s calculated.
And if the past few years have taught the industry anything, it’s this: the steady hand often wins.
by Christine Nguyen – (c) 2026.
Read Time: 5 minutes.
About the Author.
Christine’s story is one of quiet courage, told without fuss and lived with remarkable grace. She arrived in Australia as a young refugee from Vietnam, carrying little more than hope, family, and a curiosity that refused to be extinguished. Sydney became home, built patiently, brick by careful brick.
She studied Tourism at TAFE and soon found her place in inbound travel, working with one of the city’s leading destination companies. Christine loved showing visitors the Australia that lives beyond postcards, warmer, truer, and far more interesting.
When the sea began to whisper, and life asked for a gentler rhythm, she listened. Designing brochures, writing blogs, she discovered storytelling waiting quietly inside her.
Today, at Global Travel Media, Christine writes with warmth and wisdom, softly and persuasively reminding us why travel still matters.
