Mercure Hotels & Resorts has been named “International Brand of the Year” at the European Franchise Awards 2025, organized by the European Franchise Federation (EFF), recognizing the brand’s rapid global expansion and dynamism in the franchise-operated hotel segment.
Founded in 1973, Mercure has positioned itself as a promoter of authentic, locally inspired hospitality. Today, the brand has the largest development plan in the Accor group, with more than 210 hotels under construction globally.
In Romania, Mercure owns 10 hotels with a total of 829 rooms, in cities such as Bucharest, Sibiu, Sighișoara, Mediaș, Timișoara, Galați, Alba Iulia and Cozieni (Ilfov).
The EFF Awards are judged by a panel of 18 national franchise associations, bringing together winners from across Europe. In addition to International Brand of the Year, the competition includes categories such as Franchisee of the Year, Franchisor of the Year, Emerging Franchise Brand and Hall of Fame Award.
EFF leadership emphasized the role of the awards in recognizing excellence and best practices in the industry, while Accor representatives pointed out that Mercure’s success is closely linked to local partnerships and a commitment to authentic guest experiences.
EFF brings together over 3,000 franchise concepts and supports a network of more than 3 million franchise professionals, covering 500,000 locations across Europe.