Originally Posted by
lost_in_translation
I would say Accor has exactly the same issue where quite a few of their brands operate in overlapping market segments (what's the difference between a Novotel and a Mercure? I have no idea.)
Mercure is easy- it's the dumping ground for full service properties that don't really fit to any other specific Accor brand standard- you might get a nice country manor complex or a ski hotel or a concrete bunker just off the motorway. So Doubletree without the cookie baker. Novotel is the modern IKEA theme with better food options than an Ibis Style