Accommodation is known as the heart of tourism, and hotels are the hub of accommodation. The hotel industry is both complex and highly competitive. Hotels can be categorized into either chains or independent ones. The former refers to major chains such as Sheraton, Hilton, and Accor. The major chains use different brands as a strategy to gain access to different segments of the accommodation market. Accor, for example, is an European leader and worldwide group which owns various brands from the very high-end Sofitel and Pullman to mid-market Mercure to the budget and economy Etap and Formule 1. Consumers who are attracted to such brands know exactly what they want and get: hotels within a given brand cost more or less the same and look and feel very similar no matter where they are located. Whether you are a hardened business executive or timorous first-timer, they can be expected and comforting. Independent hotels are privately owned and managed as a small/family business. They feature a sense of uniqueness, in contrast to the sometimes "identikit air" of the chain hotels. Independents can also offer the client a more personal experience and their staff turnover is generally lower.