Pullman Hotels and Resorts has been relaunched by Accor and the new positioning marks an exciting shift for the brand as stylish new hotels ready to open across the world. James Wilkinson reports from Dubai.

Accor’s Pullman Hotels and Resorts has been given an electric new image, the first major global refresh since the brand debuted globally at Sydney Olympic Park in 2008.

The new positioning will see Pullman, part of Accor’s global Premium portfolio, elevated and focused on innovative events, excellent food and beverage and stylish lobbies, rooms and suites.

Accor’s new-look for the brand was revealed at the Pullman Dubai Downtown last week (Nov 13-14), during the launch of a new global events series called ‘Pullman xChange’ which featured visionary artists, developers and thinkers, including a neuroscientist and cyberpsychologist.

Accor’s Global Brand President, Premium, Benoît Racle, said the relaunch was designed to inspire, energise and strengthen Pullman’s position as one of the world’s most dynamic hotel brands.

He said since 1859, Pullman has reimagined what it means to travel, meet and connect and the relaunch marks the next chapter in that legacy, one built around exchange.

“Pullman’s transformation marks a bold step into the future — one that fuses our heritage of movement and modernity with a renewed sense of purpose,” he said.

Racle said elevating Pullman in the brand’s comp-set of Hilton, Marriott, InterContinental and more was about firmly positioning the brand as the leader in the upper-upscale segment.

“Each hotel is conceived as a place of exchange, where ideas and people move freely, fostering creativity and connection. Launching this transformation alongside Pullman xChange felt instinctive, as the event truly brings our brand philosophy to life,” he said.

“It embodies our new spirit, [which is] dynamic, connected, and alive with possibility. And this is only the beginning of a movement that will continue to unfold across our hotels worldwide.”

Upgrading the lobbies of Pullman hotels across the world, creating edgy food and beverage outlets and hosting world-class events are three of the key pillars for the brand going forward.

Racle said the brand’s transformation redefines the hotel as a dynamic social stage, designed to reflect the fluid rhythm of today’s traveller.

He said a striking expression of the new brand language is the Pullman Portal. Inspired by the railway tunnels of Pullman’s past, these sculptural entryways mark the transition into a distinct world of exchange.

Each Portal acts as a bold architectural signature – recognisable globally, yet reinterpreted locally through materials, form, and colour, according to Accor.

Guests can already experience the Pullman Portal at Pullman Dubai Jumeirah Lake Towers, while upcoming openings including Pullman Perth Airport and Pullman Hamilton will introduce the design signature to new markets. Further installations will roll out across the network as renovation programs progress.

Accor Chief Commercial Officer – Premium, Midscale & Economy for Middle East, Africa and Asia Pacific, Kerry Healy, said meeting and event spaces have also been re-imagined with flexibility at their core – places designed to transform with ease from keynote venue to creative studio, from workshop arena to cultural runway – celebrating the belief that exchange thrives in environments built for possibility.

“Pullman’s transformation echoes the incredible momentum we’re witnessing across the Middle East, Africa, and Asia Pacific — regions that are redefining global travel through bold innovation, cultural confidence, and an elevated guest experience,” she said.

“Our presence across MEA APAC is both long-standing and future-focused, with destinations like Dubai playing a central role in shaping the brand’s next chapter.

“At its core, Pullman is about bringing cultures together and offering guests spaces that spark inspiration and a sense of belonging,” she said.

Healy said in culinary and mixology experiences sit at the heart of the Pullman experience as bars take center stage as social anchors, alive from the first espresso to the final cocktail.

On the back of that, next year Pullman will launch ‘Unexpected Pairings’, an experiential bar ritual that will invite guests to draw from a deck of playing cards to discover imaginative flavour combinations of food and cocktails.

Healy said the experience playfully redefines the art of mixology and dining, encouraging playful curiosity and provoking conversation and exchange through contrast, discovery, and taste.

The launch of Pullman xChange is also a key pillar of the Pullman brand launch and in 2026, Pullman xChange will come to life in Europe, Asia, and South America, each edition co-created with a cultural collective to reflect local context.

The event forms part of a three-year collaboration between Pullman and the House of Beautiful Business, bringing together a hospitality leader and a global community of creatives and thinkers.

The program in Dubai featured immersive workshops, artistic performances, and discussions led by pioneering voices including Abdulaziz AlJaziri, Deputy CEO and COO of the Dubai Future Foundation; neuroscientist Hannah Critchlow; cyberpsychologist Elaine Kasket; and architect Adib Dada.

Speaking exclusively to Wayfarer, Healy said the feedback from owners about the brand changes had been very positive and upcoming hotels like Pullman Tokyo Ginza in Japan and Pullman Hamilton in New Zealand have been adapted to feature the new ‘Portal’ entrance.

“We have down directionally where we wanted to go [with the new design],” she said. “So, the ones that have opened the last few years are closer to it, but we’re going to have a conversation with some of our owners to bring them on that journey and sell them the new story.”

With more than 150 hotels in over 40 countries and more than 70 projects in the pipeline, that’s a lot of owners to have on side with the changes, but Healy is confident of success.

“We have something super strong to go to the owners with and it’s not just a marketing spiel,” she told Wayfarer.

Healy said the new brand marketing elements would also allow Accor to get more targeted with new customers.

“It’s going to allow us to be deeply personal in the messaging in the in the audience targeting, and I think the type of marketing campaigns that we’re now ready to do.

“The owners are going to like that as well because it’s going to build much more awareness, much more brand love, and much more consideration, which all filters down the funnel to performance,” Healy told Wayfarer.

In addition to the new brand positioning, over the past 18 months, Pullman has introduced a new learning program for its teams, focused on empathy, cultural awareness, and connection-building.

Healy said to date, around 60% of Pullman’s 20,000-plus ‘Heartists’ have completed the training, with the remainder set to follow in 2026, equipping teams to respond to guests not only efficiently, but with greater insight and sincere care.