Accor installed Kara Randall as chief development officer for its luxury brands in North America effective Oct. 1, the French hotelier announced Monday. She joins after a 20-year run at Hilton, where she most recently served as vice president of Hilton's luxury, residential and corporate development group for North America.

Randall leads development across Accor's full luxury bench — Raffles, Fairmont, Sofitel Legend, Sofitel, Emblems Collection and MGallery Collection — and reports to Agnès Roquefort, the group's chief development officer of luxury and lifestyle. She also works alongside Edouard Schwob, senior vice president of global development for Raffles and Fairmont.

What does Randall bring from Hilton?

Her two decades at Hilton gave Randall direct exposure to some of the most expensive U.S. luxury construction deals in the segment. In her final Hilton role, she supported growth at Waldorf Astoria, Conrad Hotels & Resorts and LXR Hotels & Resorts. Her LinkedIn profile lists additional leadership posts during the tenure.

Roquefort said Randall brings experience "delivering complex and high-value development projects," signaling Accor's intent to push higher-end keys across the region.

Why North America, and why now?

The rationale is volume and source-market leverage. North America hosts several of Accor's most iconic luxury flags and serves as a feeder market for global high-end travel. Roquefort cited both functions:

• "Beyond being home to some of our most iconic luxury properties and flagship destinations, North America is also one of the world's most important feeder markets for luxury travel."
• "Strengthening our development capabilities in the region is essential to accelerating the growth, visibility, and long-term success of our luxury portfolio."

That positioning tracks with the brand activity already on the ground.

What projects will she touch first?

Randall inherits a pipeline already in motion:

• Fairmont New Orleans — the Louisiana hotel, originally slated to open in 2025, now debuts in November, per Accor's website.
• Sofitel New York — the U.S. flagship of the Sofitel brand finished a comprehensive renovation last year.
• Raffles Boston — opened in 2023 as the brand's first North American property and remains the marquee reference point for future U.S. deals.

Her pairing with Schwob on Raffles and Fairmont signals those two flags remain the priority engines for North American pipeline growth.

For Randall, the early priorities sit on the calendar: the Fairmont New Orleans opens in November, the next Raffles deal advances through her pipeline, and her Hilton-side relationships — owners, lenders, operators — translate into Accor contracts. Roquefort's stated objective: accelerate the growth, visibility, and long-term success of the luxury portfolio Randall now runs.