The Summer Olympics depend on this French hotel chain to manage the Olympic Village.

Aside from Simone Biles aiming for gold and the opening ceremony, a major highlight of the Summer Olympics in Paris is the athletes' village, overseen by one of the world's leading hotel companies.

Accor, based in Paris, serves as a premium partner for this year's Olympics, overseeing both the athletes' and media villages, which together offer 16,000 accommodations, supported by nearly 800 staff to ensure smooth operations from check-in to housekeeping. Known for brands like Raffles, Fairmont, Ibis, and Novotel, Accor leverages its expertise to provide comfort for top athletes.

"With years of experience in this field, I can confidently say this is one of the largest operations I've managed," stated Patrick Mendes, Accor's CEO for Europe and North Africa, during a recent interview with TPG.

Previously serving as Accor's CEO for Latin America and overseeing their role in the 2016 Rio Games, Mendes emphasizes that their current operation in Paris is significantly more extensive, with the athletes' village consisting of 71 buildings and the media village having 20, both part of Accor's hospitality services through September, before redevelopment begins.

"This is a six-month project, equivalent to managing 150 hotels," Mendes explained.

With 16,000 rooms to maintain during the games — teams can choose housekeeping every two or four days — Accor also manages 12 service centers that function like concierge desks, offering everything from Paris information to medical aid and highly praised salon services for athletes.

It seems athletes aren’t voicing concerns about the infrequent housekeeping, unlike myself.

"Each delegation has unique needs and operates differently. They prefer a degree of privacy in their activities," Mendes noted. "The pressure of competition adds another layer, making them a very distinct type of guest."

Regarding staff in the athletes' village, about half are individuals from various professions eager to support the Summer Games, while the other half are hired as Accor employees, who will transition to the company's many hotels in the area. These workers completed three months of training before the Games to handle the influx of athletes, and numerous hospitality opportunities await them nearby after the event.

"With 350 hotels in Paris, finding them jobs is a breeze," Mendes joked.

Though Accor doesn't manage food and beverage services for athletes, it does coordinate 100,000 breakfasts in the media village. Mendes noted that the company relies on its midscale brands like Ibis, Mercure, and Novotel to ensure quality service.

Working at the Summer Olympics can be a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity for some, but it's also demanding. In addition to the daily influx of athletes, entire operational shifts must be managed.

"The energy is palpable. They work intensively for 15 days straight, then enjoy a 10-day break before the Paralympics," Mendes shared, noting that workers also have days off during the Summer Games.

As the gymnastics events concluded at Bercy Arena — commonly known as Accor Arena when the Olympics aren’t in session — the venue was readied for the basketball competitions. This transition also brings significant changes to the athletes' village, going beyond typical housekeeping and room turnover.

For instance, a 6-foot-9 basketball player like LeBron James needs more space than Simone Biles, who stands at 4 feet 8 inches. Accor's team is focused on modifying those iconic cardboard beds you've seen online, which first appeared at the Tokyo Summer Games in 2021. Indeed, they can be extended to provide additional length for taller athletes.

What about the comfort of a cardboard bed?

"To be honest, I've tested them myself. They’re surprisingly comfortable," Mendes said with a grin. "I would say 95% of our guests find them satisfactory and are pleasantly surprised."

We should also recognize the importance of sustainability: cardboard beds are significantly more eco-friendly than a stack of metal-framed beds that sit unused after the closing ceremony.

Insights from the Olympics

The Accor partnership at the Summer Olympics provides benefits beyond the athletes. Mendes pointed out that valuable operational insights are gained from managing the athletes' village. For instance, overseeing laundry for thousands of athletes makes laundry operations at a typical convention hotel seem trivial.

For security purposes, bags aren’t opened during laundry processing. Instead, the entire bag is placed into the machine and returned to its owner using a QR code on the outside. This method is sparking ideas for enhancing laundry services at Accor hotels on a larger scale. Additionally, the Olympic Committee's collaboration with Toyota on electric vehicles could serve as a blueprint for future transportation solutions in cities where Accor operates.

"This is knowledge we can leverage, not only in hotels but also in how we can effectively manage large events in the future," Mendes stated.

Accor's Club France

Today, redeeming points goes beyond just securing a fantastic suite upgrade or award night. There's an expectation to deliver unique experiences for loyalty program members. This is why companies like Marriott provide Taylor Swift concert tickets to their members. For Accor and its Accor Live Limitless participants, this translates to Club France — a celebration hub for fans to enjoy the Summer Games and cheer on French athletes. As the Olympics approached, Accor predicted 700,000 visitors, and although it's too early for a final count, Mendes noted a significant number of repeat visitors.

ALL members can use their points for athlete meet-and-greets, cocktails, culinary delights, and other offerings from a diverse array of Accor brands.

"Since it's a once-in-a-lifetime event, I've seen people return twice or even three times in a single week," Mendes remarked.

While the flame still burns bright, many around the globe are celebrating the Paris Summer Olympics as one of the finest in recent history. Accor leaders share this enthusiasm, thrilled with the event's success and eagerly looking forward.

"I've already received inquiries about managing accommodations and overseeing villages similar to what we accomplished with Club France," Mendes stated. "I believe we've garnered serious interest because everyone is praising our efforts,"

And that’s simply tres chic.