JO & JOE, a hybrid hotel brand that is part of the Accor Group worldwide, announces its arrival in Colombia with the construction of a new Open House concept in the city of Medellín.
It is aimed at a broad international community of global explorers with a special focus on reaching the millennial segment. It offers an experience of style, more than a standard accommodation, making a difference with traditional hotels. It is recommended for groups of friends, solo travelers or those who do it as a family. The new project joins two JO & JOE destinations already open in France, Paris and Hossegor, and with more emerging JO & JOE projects scheduled for the French capital, Rio de Janeiro, Budapest, Rome, Glasgow, Liverpool, Vienna, Moscow and London.
“We are excited to bring the JO & JO concept to Medellín, a rising tourist hotspot that has been completely transformed in recent years,” said Francois Leclerc, vice president of operations and brand for JO & JOE. “Shared accommodations have the Open House style that breaks traditional codes and creates a new standard for the lifestyle segment. This hybrid model is designed to appeal to travelers and locals alike, who can come together for lunch, drinks, fun and feel welcome for the night. "
Construction of the new JO & JOE location in Medellín began in August 2020. With 198 beds, the seven-story building will be located on Calle 10A in El Poblado in Medellín, a sector known as Nuevo Provenza. The hotel is expected to be completed in 2022 with an investment of approximately 18 billion Colombian pesos. Following the successful opening of JO & JOE Medellín, the brand plans to open more additional hotels in Colombia, in places like Cali, Bogotá, Santa Marta, Palomino (between Magdalena and La Guajira), Villa de Leyva (Boyacá) and San Andrés. Around the world, additional JO & JOE properties are expected to debut in Paris, Rio, Rome, Liverpool, Vienna, Glasgow, London and Moscow in the coming years.
JO & JOE is the union of two great concepts, the fun of a hostel and the comfort of a hotel. Coined "Open House", JO & JOE is a lively, surprising and innovative place. The concept is based on promoting cultural exchange and coexistence, with an abundance of common spaces, both outside and inside its buildings. Simple and minimalist design schemes blend seamlessly with eco-friendly raw materials used in architecture and furniture.
The project will come to life thanks to a team of award-winning local architects from ALH Architecture Studio (Arango Largacha Brothers). Through an intelligent and sensible analysis, the design team develops creative processes that provide efficiency and use rating systems to determine the level of environmental impact that the project will generate. A special feature of the project in Medellín will be the participation of local graffiti artists, since “street art” is highly recognized in the city. JO & JOE seeks to break with the conventional vertical distribution of spaces and functions found in traditional hotels. Here the spaces are flexible for greater freedom of movement and to promote interaction between guests. Visitors can easily move around in this Open House throughout their stay, energized by brightly lit and colorful spaces to meet or gather on all floors.
Guests will feel at ease whether visiting JO & JOE for business or pleasure. They will be able to choose from a wide range of accommodation styles. Group bedrooms, known as "Together", are generous rooms where multiple people can sleep while maintaining privacy with an adaptable modular space. The "Yours" option offers private hotel-style rooms, designed to accommodate two or three people.
The best atmosphere in its category
JO & JOE was launched by Accor in 2017 at two locations in France: Paris and Hossegor. The concept was born from a study that sought to understand why traditional hospitality was not succeeding with the new generation of travelers and what could be done differently, with an open mind and a millennial spirit of sharing.
The result was JO & JOE, with its philosophy of unexpected experiences and moments, where new and old friends can come together and even where teamwork can grow through the encouragement of daily group activities.