Accor (AO) | Buy | From the AGM

Research evidence excerpt

Accor (AO) | Buy | From the AGM

Accor Buy | Target Price: EUR52.00

Independent investigation: no systemic failure identified. Accor addressed the allegations raised by Grizzly Research. The

internal audit concluded that there were no systemic failures in group procedures, noting that only 12 of 197 solicited hotels sent

a commercial response without recalling necessary prerequisites, and that no stays or bookings were made. The external audit

was more operationally granular, covering 255 tested hotels in 56 countries and mystery visits to 88 hotels across 16 countries. It

found areas for improvement as 25 hotels sent commercial offers despite warning signs, 9 did not react to warning signs, and 12

took actions deemed insufficient. Management emphasised that the WATCH child-protection programme already exists, but

admitted that its implementation was uneven across countries and operating models. The independent review did not validate

the most severe allegation of systemic failure, but execution discipline must improve at the hotel level. The GoodCorporation

review does not currently change Accor’s published NUG or churn narrative, as management did not quantify any hotel exits or

de-flagging linked to the findings. However, the reinforced monitoring and contractual framework could create an unquantified

risk of selective remedial actions or sanctions at the hotel level if non-compliance persists.

The equity story remains disciplined, asset-light growth and selective optionality. Bazin reiterated its set of priorities:

rigorous execution of the strategic roadmap, cost discipline, completion of the Essendi transaction, acceleration in India,

continued development of Ennismore, and deeper integration of AI into Accor’s operating model. India was described as the next