Maria Ashton leads Accor’s luxury development throughout Northern Europe, reinforcing Accor’s #1 position as the leader in Luxury & Lifestyle hospitality. 

She is a luxury specialist focusing on the growth of Raffles, Orient Express, Fairmont, Sofitel Legend, Sofitel, the Emblems Collection and MGallery.

 

A hospitality and real estate professional with over 16 years of experience, Maria has a strong international background in hotel development, feasibility and asset management encompassing North America, LATAM, Europe, Africa, and the Middle East. Before joining Accor, Maria was VP of Business Development at Oakwood Hospitality, and before this, Maria spent 13 years working for Hyatt Hotels in various senior development roles throughout the UK, Switzerland, France and the US. 

 

Maria joined Accor in mid-2021 and is committed to driving luxury excellence through organic growth and acquisitions. During her short time at Accor, she has made a significant difference, signing five impressive luxury deals in Northern Europe, with more expected to be signed in 2024. 

 

Accor has an unrivalled portfolio of brands from luxury to economy and 50 years of experience as a leading operator and hospitality provider. Beyond accommodations, Accor has a proposition and brand portfolio for guests to live, work and play, with development opportunities across luxury, premium, midscale and economy hotel brands, entertainment and nightlife venues, restaurants and bars, branded private residences, shared accommodation properties, concierge services, co-working spaces and more.