JO&JOE reinvents hospitality with new forms of hospitality

At JO&JOE, everyone is free to do what they want. Somewhere between a youth hostel and a hotel, the brand's Open House stands out as a living space with a unique design.
In partnership with AccorHotels, Skift decodes this hybrid concept designed for millennials in its report ?European Hospitality's Creative Renaissance?.

Having analyzed the pillars of hospitality in Europe, Skift and AccorHotels are continuing their analysis of the European hotel sector and are now turning their attention to JO&JOE, an innovative brand that is bringing about a new way of traveling in France.

A new form of hospitality
Most European niche brands are created by entrepreneurs or players working in the hotel industry. This is not the case for JO&JOE: the concept was born in a ?lab?. More precisely, the brand was conceived by AccorHotels' Global Marketing Innovation Lab and designed by Lee Penson, Director of Penson and Company in the United Kingdom.
JO&JOE overturns preconceived ideas by blending the personality of private rentals (think Airbnb-style) with the communal experience of youth hostels. All without compromising on the comfort and safety of hotels! It is an urban concept designed for a new generation of travelers drawn to modern design, sophisticated organization and a choice of affordable accommodation options.

After presenting his concept on a global scale, Lee Penson was chosen to work with AccorHotels to create, from scratch, a new brand that would change the game in the hotel industry. ?When we won the competition, we were novices in hospitality. By creating a new brand, AccorHotels precisely wanted a fresh perspective, to do something different. The Group wanted a brand capable of taking on the challenges of Airbnb and new modes of accommodation.?
According to Christian Giraud, SVP Development Europe, the brand above all offers its guests options: ?We decided to create several types of rooms in each property. Some guests only want to pay for the essentials, which is why we have dorm-style rooms with 4 to 8 beds. There are also private rooms for up to 3 people, as well as family rooms with small kitchens. JO&JOE will also offer extraordinary rooms, with unusual accommodations such as yurts, buses or treehouses.?
The interior of the rooms is customizable, with furniture that can easily be moved according to guests' needs.

Values of conviviality, design, comfort and accessibility
But more than a simple accommodation solution, ?JO&JOE was designed as a catalyst for experiences, with its offbeat design, its innovative digital ecosystem and its food and beverage offering,? explains Frédéric Fontaine, SVP of AccorHotels' Global Marketing Innovation Lab.

With its ?Open House? concept, the brand is diversifying by welcoming travelers and locals alike, so that they consider JO&JOE an extension of their living room. JO&JOE's public spaces are designed to serve as community hubs, where people come to take classes, eat and be entertained.

We think about the experience and the emotion of the place. The brand's consistency rests on emotion and on a certain philosophy. That is what will form the identity of each new address. The brand is a community of people rather than a community brought together by the same interior decor.?