Just as Kylie Minogue's career explodes in the U.S, so is Accor's!
After years of watching from the sidelines as its competitors deepened their U.S. footprints, Accor is finally stepping into the American spotlight with some real oompf — and doing it with Vegas flair.
The French hotel giant has announced its first-ever property in Las Vegas (yes, really) by adding the 2,884-room Treasure Island – TI Las Vegas Hotel & Casino to its Handwritten Collection. The move not only marks Accor’s long-overdue entrée onto the Strip, but also crowns Treasure Island as the largest hotel in Accor’s global portfolio.
As someone who has long chided Accor for playing a curiously quiet hand in the U.S. — especially compared to its American competitors of Marriott, Hilton, and Hyatt as well as UK-based IHG Hotels & Resorts — this feels like a statement play. The company isn’t tiptoeing in with a chic little boutique; it’s adding a massive, neon-lit flag on one of the most iconic stretches of real estate in American hospitality.
Set to debut officially under Accor’s franchise model later this year, the newly minted Treasure Island – TI Las Vegas Hotel & Casino, Handwritten Collection will bring a bit of French flourish to Phil Ruffin’s long-standing Vegas stronghold. The property will retain many of its beloved features — free valet (a rarity these days), Gilley’s Saloon, and Cirque du Soleil’s Mystère among them — while tapping into Accor’s global distribution, sales, and loyalty machine. The hotel will join Accor Live Limitless, or ALL — Accor’s loyalty program, which boasts over 100 million members worldwide.
“This next chapter brings new energy to the resort while preserving its unmistakable spirit,” Ruffin, who owns the hotel and will continue to operate it, said in a statement. “We are proud to align with Accor — a global leader in hospitality whose values resonate deeply with ours, and we look forward to a successful and long-lasting partnership.”
For Accor, the move also beefs up its presence in North America, where it has more than 550 hotels — but until now, no serious stake in Vegas. Its only other Handwritten Collection hotel in the U.S. is the Hotel Stratford in San Francisco.
Treasure Island, built in the golden age of 1990's themed Sin City mega-resorts, has recently undergone a multi-million-dollar refresh. Guest rooms now feature SensaTIonal™ pillow-top beds, marble finishes, and views of the Strip, the Sphere, and the Spring Mountains. The tropical pool, a breezy lobby with self-check-in, 10 dining venues, eight bars and lounges, and a 90,000-square-foot casino round out the offerings. The resort also connects to Fashion Show Las Vegas and boasts a Four Green Globes® certification for its sustainability efforts.
While Accor's Handwritten Collection may not be a household name just yet — the soft brand launched in early 2023 — the brand aims to spotlight hotels with strong personalities and owner-led stories. Treasure Island certainly fits the bill. The resort’s playful nods to the Robert Louis Stevenson classic (and decades of Vegas kitsch) blend right into Handwritten’s ethos of expressive hospitality.
Accor says more than 60 Handwritten hotels are open or in the pipeline globally.
But with this deal, the company sends a clear message: It’s ready to play a bigger game in the U.S. — just like Miss Minogue.
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