After more than three years of targeted investment promotion and institutional collaboration led by the Dominican Republic’s Export and Investment Center (ProDominicana), leading global hospitality group Accor has officially announced its return to the Dominican Republic, marking a significant milestone for the Caribbean nation’s tourism sector.
The groundbreaking first conversation between ProDominicana and Accor’s leadership took place against the backdrop of the 2023 Americas Lodging Investment Summit (ALIS) in Los Angeles, where Dominican investment officials first pitched the country’s unique tourism and business advantages to the French group. Following the initial discussions, Accor received a formal presidential invitation to conduct on-the-ground exploration of untapped investment opportunities across the island.
By early 2024, Accor had formally designated the Dominican Republic as a strategic market priority, and the group identified high-potential project locations in the developing tourism regions of Pedernales and Punta Bergantín. Progress on the partnership accelerated in July 2026, when Accor’s delegation traveled to Santo Domingo to take part in the Americas Investment Forum 2026, an event co-hosted by ProDominicana and the World Association of Investment Promotion Agencies (WAIPA) that brought together global investment leaders to highlight the Dominican Republic’s open investment climate.
Today, Accor has unveiled two concrete projects that will pave its return to the country. In partnership with local developer Noval Properties, the group is developing Swissôtel Santo Domingo, a mixed-use development that will combine approximately 75 luxury hotel rooms with 180 private residential units. The second project, Novotel Punta Cana Airport, is a 105-room mid-scale hotel that represents a total investment of $22 million and is on track to open its doors to travelers in 2027.
As one of the world’s largest hospitality companies, Accor currently manages more than 5,800 properties across over 110 countries, with a diverse brand portfolio of more than 45 iconic names spanning luxury, mid-scale, and budget segments, including Swissôtel, Novotel, Sofitel, Fairmont, Pullman, and ibis Styles.
ProDominicana officials emphasize that Accor’s return extends far beyond new hotel developments. The move is expected to diversify the Dominican Republic’s hospitality offerings, attract new segments of international travelers, strengthen the country’s overall competitiveness in the global tourism market, and create new supply chain and business opportunities for local Dominican companies across multiple sectors.