Accor expands its Handwritten Collection with new charming addresses in France and Europe

Accor is moving away from the coldness of some large chains with its Handwritten Collection. Here, there is no overbidding, no flashy luxury. The idea is simple: hotels that feel like home, where authenticity reigns, driven by hosts who put their soul into every corner. Launched in 2023, this collection aims to make people forget about large impersonal complexes to offer tailor-made stays. Today, it is enriched with four new addresses in France and is expanding in Europe, with establishments in Albania, Cyprus, Germany and Benelux. The goal? To offer a more human, warmer alternative to traditional hotels.

Also readWith Handwritten, Accor launches a new range of “home-like” hotels

Characterful refuges in France

Four new French addresses are therefore joining this collection. ParisMaison Hamelin stands in the chic 16th arrondissement. From the entrance, one senses an elegant restraint. Far from ostentatious luxury, the 65-room hotel whispers a Parisian refinement with sobriety. The bar is calm, almost hushed, and the spa is intended to be an intimate sanctuary, sheltered from the tumult of the capital.

HAS Lyonthat’s a whole other story. The Fort Saint-Laurent Hotel & Spa is rooted in a 16th-century building, but it’s the owner’s passion for sailing that really stands out. In this 36-room hotel, the host has transposed his love of boats into every detail. Here we are perched on the slopes of the Croix-Rousse, with a breathtaking view of the city. You can breathe tranquility, a rare luxury in a bustling metropolis.

Then, head for the Basque coast. The 69-room Plaza Biarritz Plage clings to its Art Deco roots. Facing the Atlantic, this hotel plays with fashions. Black and white works dot the walls, giving the establishment an almost cinematic atmosphere. The place becomes a film set, where each stay could be the setting for a new plot.

Finally, in the sweetness of the gardens of Madame de Maintenon’s castlean hour from Paris, the Castel Maintenon offers a timeless interlude. It is not just a place to sleep: it is a refuge. In its 78 rooms, history and modernity combine with disarming simplicity.

Also readALL and SNCF Connect: a strategic alliance for a reinvented traveler experience

A discreet but significant European conquest

Accor doesn’t stop there. Handwritten Collection also extends to Europe where each new address is an invitation to travel. Tiranathe Adorn Hotel is settling in the heart of the Albanian capital. With only 25 rooms, including six suites, the establishment will display an unpretentious elegance from the fall. Still little known, Albania seems to be a new frontier of tourism, and this hotel fits perfectly there, with its warm atmosphere.

HAS NicosiaCyprus, The Classic Hotel claims an assumed simplicity. The 54 rooms decorated in terracotta tones will offer an echo of the Mediterranean warmth from September. Then, direction Düsseldorfin Germany, where the MUZE Hotel will open its doors in November. It is a hotel where art is invited to every floor. From places of rest, the rooms will also be transformed into exhibition spaces. Every corner seems to have been designed to surprise, to arouse the curiosity of the traveler.

Further west on the zealand coastin the Netherlands, Hotel Ter Zand is set in a stunning natural landscape. Its 53 rooms and 32 garden suites blend into the dunes, a refuge for souls seeking peace. Here, the horizon is clear, and the hotel exudes serenity, far from the hustle and bustle of the city. Finally, a 100-key establishment, the Tecadra Bucharest Hotel The brand’s first in Romania, will open its doors in 2025 with an ideal location in one of the most exclusive areas of the capital. And then there will be Belgium in 2026, in the heart of the Baraque de Fraiture, and many more…

Also readLong Journey: Yen Tu, the Soul of Eternal Vietnam

A model that challenges hotel standards

With its Handwritten Collection, Accor does not promise perfect stays, but human experiences, sometimes imperfect, but always sincere. These hotels tell stories, and each guest seems to have taken the time to choose every detail, like choosing a book for a guest. The Handwritten Collection does not sell rooms: it sells moments.

Since its launch, the collection has enjoyed growing success. Seventeen establishments are already open, and Accor aims to open 250 by 2030. With this collection, the French group is playing the authenticity card, a risky but necessary bet in a world where the hotel industry sometimes tends to become uniform. Here, it is the small imperfections that make the beauty of the places.

Also readBack-to-school getaway: 5 great places to go to Greece