GLOBAL

Accor partnership with Alltheway: Innovating Luggage Handling for Better Travel

Travel is supposed to be freeing—but hauling luggage through airports, trains and crowded cities often makes it feel like the opposite. From slow hotel check-ins to packed metro cars, baggage handling can disrupt the flow of a trip and add strain to guest experiences.

Despite this, luggage logistics remain overlooked. That’s where Alltheway comes in.

Founded by Emilie Gazeau, the Paris-based startup has created a platform that lets travelers check their bags at places like hotels or city centers, so they can travel light through airports or train stations—making their journey more convenient and stress-free.

The solution connects hotels, airports, rail stations and city centers. In doing so, it even unlocks new behaviors: travelers are more likely to choose trains or public transport when they’re not carrying bags. It also supports smoother hotel operations by reducing luggage congestion at peak times. This smart redesign of the travel journey creates ripple effects across the travel ecosystem and encourages more sustainable travel.

Accor’s innovation approach goes beyond investment.

The company partners closely with startups to pilot ideas in real hospitality environments to develop new extended services beyond the hotel stay only. This hands-on collaboration accelerates learning, reduces time to market and ensures solutions are built around genuine guest needs backed by proven concepts.

Alltheway’s first public trial launched at VivaTech 2023, putting the service to the test with real guests and real stakes. With support from Accor, the team used the opportunity to fine-tune the experience and stress-test operations in a live setting. During the trial, they closely monitored guest journeys from hotel check-in to airport pickup—tracking every step and gathering operational feedback. That test-first approach later shaped how the platform evolved.

Accor’s involvement included much more than providing a real-world testing ground. The Group offered operational insights, connected Alltheway to hotel teams and granted the kind of access startups often struggle to find. These early touchpoints were essential to refining the solution’s experience and earning user trust.

As Paris prepared for Paris 2024 Olympic and Paralympic Games, Accor helped scale Alltheway’s service across more hotel locations and key transit hubs. With the city expecting an unprecedented influx of international guests, the need for efficient, seamless mobility became even more urgent. The Games offered a high-pressure environment to demonstrate Alltheway’s ability to handle real volume, deliver consistent service and improve the overall guest experience at scale.

This partnership model—test, iterate, scale—reflects how Accor approaches co-innovation. The focus is on solving real problems with practical tools, always grounded in guest impact.

At its core, Alltheway’s platform is built on secure, transparent integrations. It connects hotels, airlines and transport providers through APIs and enables real-time tracking throughout the journey. Guests stay informed. Hotel and airport teams stay in sync.

This aligns closely with Accor’s emphasis on AI, data transparency and operational efficiency. Every touchpoint aims to enhance the experience while easing pressure on infrastructure and staff. By embedding smart logistics into the guest journey, the system transforms a pain point into a value-added service.

The results speak for themselves: a 90% guest satisfaction rate, 100% operational reliability and a measurable shift in behavior. Two-thirds of Alltheway users report switching from taxis to public transport thanks to the service.

That kind of impact is about more than convenience—it’s about rethinking how hospitality fits into the wider mobility ecosystem.

Looking ahead, Alltheway is preparing for expansion into the United States, Africa and other major European markets. The company is also deepening ties with rail operators like SNCF and Eurostar to support long-distance, luggage-free travel.

Together, Accor and Alltheway are helping build a hospitality model that’s connected, low-friction and designed for modern mobility. It’s an approach that reflects Accor’s broader innovation philosophy—bold, guest-focused and committed to performance and sustainability.

Source: Accor