24/09/2010
Accor consolidates its positions in the Czech Republic

The Mercure Ostrava City will be opening in the Czech Republic in early 2011. The Group is continuing its development in the country and ambitions to develop a network totalling 15 hotels by the end of 2011, particularly through franchising.

Accor started its operations in the Czech Republic in 1998. Today, the Group operates seven hotels in the country: the Century Old Town hotel, member of the MGallery collection, the Novotel Praha Wenceslas Square and five ibis hotels, the latest of which opened in the city of Plzen.

At the beginning of 2011, the opening of the Mercure Ostrava will mark the first milestone in the strategy for steady development through franchising, as Yann Caill�re, Deputy CEO, in charge of Europe/Middle East/Africa, Sofitel Worldwide, Design and Construction explains: �The Group has a portfolio of strong brands, powerful distribution and reservation systems, as well as the best international standards of operational excellence, which makes us the ideal franchising partner�.

And Accor expertise, notes Bruno Coudry, DCOO Accor Central and Eastern Europe, �will allow us to take advantage of market opportunity for midscale and economy hotels�.

Rising occupancy rate

The Czech Republic holds real potential for development, as Luc Gesvret, COO Accor Czech Republic, points out: �Independent hotel business accounts for 79% of the portfolio�. Thanks to franchise solutions based on the Group�s know-how and expertise, �we already have projects under development in Olomouc under the ibis brand and in other cities�. This dynamic development is also due to the positive results for Accor Czech Republic, as �the hotels occupancy rate increased by 8% this year�.

In a few months, the Mercure Ostrava City will be welcoming guests in 140 spacious, comfortable rooms. Utmost attention has been given to meeting facilities. Finally, the restaurant and bar, inspired by the history of the building slated to receive the new Mercure, will include the French touch in food and wines.

Vietnam: five Pullman hotels by 2013

Accor, the largest international hotel operator in Vietnam, has just announced the launch of two new developments in this country - Pullman Danang Beach and Pullman Hai Phong Flamboyant Island Resort.


Patrick Basset, Accor Vice President of Operations for Vietnam, the Philippines, Japan and South Korea, explains the pace of the hotel openings. �With sustained economic growth and significant investment in infrastructure leading to increased volumes for business travel and continued international and domestic leisure travel strength, opportunities continue for quality upscale hotel developments in Vietnam.�

In all, Accor will develop five Pullman hotels in Vietnam: Pullman Danang Beach, due to open in the middle of next year; Pullman Vung Tau and Pullman Hanoi Horison, scheduled for opening in the last quarter of 2011, and then Pullman Saigon Centre and Pullman Hai Phong Flamboyant Island Resort in 2013.

These new establishments are further proof of the network�s dynamism in the Asia-Pacific area.

Pullman Danang Beach (2011): right on the beach
This hotel is located on the seafront and will open in 2011. It will feature 207 rooms, 4 restaurants and extensive leisure facilities including three swimming pools. This first Pullman hotel in Vietnam should immediately attract the many tourists from Vietnam and abroad who visit Danang, a favorite destination renowned for its beaches, which are considered some of the world�s most beautiful.

Pullman Vung Tau (2011): business and leisure
This hotel will have 360 rooms, a ballroom that can accommodate up to 500 guests, several smaller meeting rooms with �chill-out� zones, a business centre, a gym, a spa and a swimming pool. The hotel will also provide an all-day dining restaurant, a specialty restaurant and a lobby bar and lounge. Pullman Vung Tau will be located close to the international convention centre and just a 5-minute walk from the beach.

Pullman Hanoi Horison (2011): a face-lift
This hotel is located in the city centre and is currently undergoing extensive renovation and modernization. Once completed, it will boast 250 rooms, a large event area accommodating up to 1,000 guests, as well as facilities including an outdoor swimming pool, a fitness centre, restaurant, lobby and pool side bars. With an extensive range of tailored services to accommodate meetings and seminars, Pullman Hanoi Horison will attract business travelers and events in the nation�s capital.

Pullman Hai Phong Flamboyant Island Resort (2013): indoor and outdoor swimming pools
This 300-room hotel, located in Hai Phong � an industrial and seaport centre on Vietnam�s northern coast - on Flamboyant Island in Do Son District, will offer the increasing number of travelers to the northern parts of Vietnam remarkable upscale hotel services. The hotel will have superb facilities with three restaurants, two bars, a ballroom, meeting rooms, indoor and outdoor swimming pools, an entertainment center, a spa and an amphitheatre.

Pullman Saigon Centre (2013): design and modernity
This 290-room hotel will be built in the center of District One of Ho Chi Minh City. The brand new building will boast contemporary architecture and chic interiors as well as a 1,500 square meter ballroom and meeting area, two restaurants, a bar, an outdoor swimming pool, a business centre and a gym

Accor has today (December 9) announced a deal to take over management of the Le M�ridien Montparnasse, Paris� second largest hotel.

From January 7, the 953-room hotel will operate under Accor�s upmarket Pullman brand, to be known as the Pullman Paris Montparnasse.

The hotel has had tenuous links with Starwood and its subsidiaries for more than 30 years. It was built by Sheraton in the 1970s, before being taken over by the Meridien Group which was eventually itself taken over by Starwood, also the parent company of Sheraton.

But the property's owner Unibail-Rodamco has now signed a new management contract with Accor.

The hotel is also one of Europe�s largest conference hotels, according to Accor, with space for 2,000 delegates.

Gilles P�lisson, Accor's chairman, said the takeover was an �important phase in the development of the Pullman brand, launched three years ago.�

�It demonstrates the strength of Pullman, which � now with a hotel in the heart of Paris � has established itself as an international player and a leader in the upscale business travel segment.�

There are currently six Pullman-branded properties in the greater Paris area, totalling 2,360 rooms.

TUNISIAONLINENEWS- Mr. Slim Tlatli, Tourism Minister received on Monday, in Tunis, Co- founder and President of �Accor� Hotel Group, Mr. G�rard P�llisson, currently on a work visit to Tunisia.

The meeting was an opportunity to discuss the situation of International Tourism and means to further develop co-operation between Tunisia and Accor Group.

After being briefed about the group development and investment programs in Tunisia, the Minister expressed the will of the Tunisian government to support these programs and provide all the necessary conditions for their success.

Speaking of the new development strategy of Tunisia�s tourism by the year 2016, the Minister stressed that it is chiefly based on diversifying products, innovation, quality and command of the new information and communication technologies.

This strategy has been crowned with a precise plan of action, which will be implemented during the next five years, he added.

The Minister also said that several products such as cultural tourism, yachting, and ecological tourism or thalassotherapy had been constantly developing in Tunisia and providing a good plus to Tunisia�s tourism.

For his part, Mr. G�rard P�llisson announced the return of Accor Group to Tunisia as of 2011, with the management of two hotels in Tunis and expressing the will of his group to carry on its investment programs in Tunisia, adding that training is an essential basis for partnership with Tunisian tourism.

The Co-founder of Accor Group also said that Tunisia had great potentialities in terms of Tourism and that the choice of quality retained as part of the new development strategy of Tunisian tourism is judicious, expressing the will of his group to support this choice in the sectors of training, innovation, and new information and communication technologies.

Accor has signed a franchise agreement with Focus Hotels to rebrand ten UK properties under the mid-market Mercure brand.

The hotels are located in regional towns and cities including Chester, Hull, Wigan and Wolverhampton, and were previously branded under the Choice Hotels International offering, before being taken over by Focus Hotels in 2009. The full list of rebranded properties is listed below.

Several of the properties were in administration when Focus Hotels stepped in, and the group says it has �has systematically upgraded its product over the past few years, investing heavily in refurbishment and training with a view to identifying suitable franchising partners�....

Iconic Blue Mountains resort gets refurb

17 January 2011

One of the great names in Australian hotels – Fairmont Resort in the Blue Mountains – is set to undergo a complete transformation following the purchase of the iconic property by Sydney hotel investor, Dr Jerry Schwartz.

The hotel, with its peerless location overlooking the Jamison Valley in a World Heritage listed area will be managed by hotel group, Accor. The Fairmont will join Accor’s prestigious MGallery Collection of hotels.

Fairmont Resort was launched in 1988 and was the first major upscale hotel in the Blue Mountains. For almost two decades the resort was a top destination for luxurious holidays, weddings and conferences.

MGallery Fairmont Resort general manager, Geoff York, said the aim was to upgrade the hotel’s facilities and services to meet the demands of today’s travellers......

Hyatt checks out - Pullman checks in

Guests staying at Auckland’s oldest five-star hotel, the Hyatt, tonight will find the hotel has a new name when they wake up in the morning.

The Hyatt Regency will become Pullman Auckland Hotel & Residences just after midnight when international hotel management group Accor takes control.

Plans to rebrand the hotel on Waterloo Quadrant follow its $60 million sale last year to a confidential buyer within the GPR Hotel Group.

Pullman is Accor’s corporate “check-in, chill out” brand of upscale hotels for business travellers, with a network of 50 internationally.

Its entrance is part of a major New Zealand expansion by Accor, which took over what was Hotel So in Christchurch (formerly owned by developer Dave Henderson) for conversion to its All Seasons economy brand just before Christmas.

Accor vice president New Zealand Paul Richardson said the Pullman was off to an auspicious start with close to a “full house” tonight.

“Guests obviously won’t notice a vast difference by the time they wake, though we will have a large contingent of staff working through the night to begin the re-branding, including changing the main signs on the roof,” he said.

“By the weekend it will be very obvious to everyone in Auckland that the hotel has changed and that a new – and internationally renowned – brand name has made its debut in the city.

Accor will become New Zealand's largest hotel group when it opens the new Novotel and Formule 1 hotels at Auckland Airport in the middle of next year.

The company said yesterday there were a number of other projects under consideration in New Zealand.

The Hyatt opened in 1968 as the Intercontinental, or "Big I" as it became known, and boasts some of the largest conference facilities in Auckland, with the capacity to host events for up to 1000 delegates.

These include the grand ballroom and Top of the Town boardroom – one of Auckland's most exclusive venues – on the top floor of the hotel. The hotel received a $7 million refurbishment last year.

As the Pullman, it will offer 267 rooms, suites and apartments, with three executive levels.

The French hotel group Accor, which operates in Peru two hotels in Lima and Cuzco under the Novotel brand, plans to open 15 Ibis brand hotels in Peru until 2015, informed the president of Accor Latin America Roland de Bonadona.

He noted that the first hotel under the Ibis brand will be in Miraflores and will open in March. Have approximately 240 rooms aimed at a niche shared economic and business tourism.

Ibis has the potential to become the biggest hotel chain in Latin America and our development plan is focusing on this objective. The economic situation in Latin America is ideally for expansion with the emergence of a middle class with high purchasing power�, explains Roland Bonadona, CEO of Accor Latin America.

Pullman hotels and resorts has revealed plans to expand its Asia-Pacific portfolio this year. It has announced openings in Vietnam, Indonesia and India as well as additional properties in China and Malaysia.

Since the upscale brand of Accor entered Asia in 2008 with the Pullman Bangkok King Power, it has since expanded to 18 properties. With this year's additions, the inventory will total 25.

Kicking off the expansion was the Pullman Ocean Bay Sanya resort, which opened on January 5, marking Accor�s 100th hotel in Greater China. The 405-room product consists of six restaurants, a private beach and nine meeting spaces, the largest one accommodating up to 600 guests.

The Hyatt Regency in Auckland was rebranded as a Pullman Hotel on January 24, establishing a presence for the brand in New Zealand. The 267-room hotel will have three Pullman Executive floors and the largest conference facilities in Auckland, with the capacity to accommodate over 1000 guests.

In April the hotel plans to open another leisure option in China � Pullman Lijiang resort, close to the DaYan Ancient Town, a UNESCO World Heritage site.

By middle of the year, though exact dates have yet to be confirmed, Pullman will debut in Vietnam with the Pullman Danang Beach featuring 207 rooms, four dining options and three swimming pools. About the same time, the hotel will open its first property in Bali � the Pullman Bali Legian Nirwana, boasts 351 rooms, eight meeting facilities, an infinity pool and tennis courts.

In June, the hotel group will enter India with the Pullman Gurgaon Central Park, which will consist of 285 rooms, three restaurants, 13 meeting spaces, a golf course, a beauty salon, gym and a swimming pool.

Finally, in July, the Pullman Kuala Lumpur Bangsar is set to be the brand�s biggest property in Asia-Pacific. The 26-storey hotel will be located in the Bangsar district, close to the Mid Valley Mega Mall, the Plaza Cygal office complex and KLIA express rail link station. The property will have 515 rooms, 11 meeting venues, gym, swimming pool and five restaurants.

Vietnam: the curtain rises on the Hanoi Opera Hotel, the newcomer in the MGallery collection

The Hanoi Opera Hotel, the new member of the MGallery collection, is located in the heart of the city�s historic centre, just minutes from the emblematic Hanoi Opera House.

The hotel invites its guests to travel through time and experience the glamour and excitement of a night at the opera.

A theatrical decor

The hotel�s 107 room and suites, including four �Grand Opera Suites�, feature modern design and a striking view of the city�s opera house, combining French-style refinement with a theatrical d�cor and all the comfort demanded of a 21st century hotel.
The theatrical theme is present everywhere, from the architecture to the reception hall, and cleverly blends with the contemporary style of the areas reserved for dining and relaxation.


A la carte

The Hanoi Opera Hotel proposes several gastronomic dining options. The �Caf� Lautrec� and �Le Satine� restaurants and the bar �La F�e Verte�, offer foodservice adapted to the different desires of guests, from sophisticated cuisine to a buffet formula.

Business

The hotel�s four meeting rooms, inspired by the elegance of French living rooms, can be arranged to accommodate small and medium-sized groups, product launches or private receptions.

Relaxation

Finally, for a moment of relaxation, clients will soon be able to take advantage of various leisure facilities, including an indoor swimming pool with a solarium along with a spa and a fitness room.

Two new resorts have been added to the MGallery collection in Thailand: Veranda High Resort Chiang Mai and Veranda Resort & Spa Hua Hin. The hotels, both one-of-a-kind establishments, offer a subtle blend of tradition and modern design in the heart of exceptional landscapes.

Veranda High Resort Chiang Mai

A few kilometres from the city of Chiang Mai, the hotel is situated in a superb setting surrounded by mountains.

Its 69 modern, spacious rooms and villas with private swimming pools feature large balconies overlooking the breathtaking landscape.
Rooted in the region�s traditions, the d�cor is balanced by numerous hints of the modern world.

Dining
The hotel boasts two restaurants with menus to satisfy the most demanding gourmet. The �Higher Room�, which opens out onto a veranda, proposes international cuisine. The �Rabiang-Cha�, specialising in modern Thai cooking, gives diners a more �local� experience with a panoramic view of rice paddies and tea plantations.

The High Resort has a number of facilities suited to business as well as leisure clients, including an infinity pool, spa, fitness centre, library and meeting rooms.


Veranda Resort & Spa Hua Hin

The resort, located in an idyllic seaside setting near the town of Hua Hin, has 118 rooms and 9 villas.
Its contemporary Asian architecture is resolutely modern, with luminous open spaces and verandas.

Dining
Guests can choose between two restaurants: the �Dining Room� proposes both a Thai menu and a Western menu every day of the week. The �I sea� restaurant, at the water�s edge, features local cuisine with a modern accent, based on fresh seafood.

For relaxation, a spa, swimming pool, two bars and a wide selection of leisure activities are available to make your stay unforgettable.

Accor and Interglobe Hotels announce the opening of ibis Mumbai Airport
Thursday, 17 February 2011

Debut of the international economy hotel brand in Mumbai, marks a significant development for ibis Hotels in India

Accor, the fastest growing international hotel operator in India, reaffirmed its commitment and confidence in the growing Indian tourism sector by announcing the debut of the ibis hotel brand in Mumbai with the launch of ibis Mumbai Airport. Strategically located at the Domestic Terminal and less than 3kms from Chhatrapati Shivaji International Airport, ibis Mumbai Airport, will welcome guests from today onwards. This is the third ibis to open in India and the first for Mumbai and follows hotels in Gurgaon and Pune.

Mr. Nitin Bhatia has been appointed as the General Manager to spearhead the operations of the hotel. Mr. Bhatia has over a decade of experience in the hospitality industry and was most recently the General Manager of Ibis Cardiff City Centre, UK.

Uttam Dav�, President & CEO of InterGlobe Hotels said, �We are pleased with the growth of the ibis network in India, where committed developments have kept pace with our expectations and where we have 17 ibis hotels committed to development. Following the opening of this strategic ibis at Mumbai Domestic Airport, we will add an additional five ibis in 2011 taking the network to network to eight hotels by year.� The hotel is located in the vicinity of the Mumbai Airport and features 146 guest rooms. ibis Mumbai Airport is the only international economy hotel at the airport and will re-define the hospitality space in the financial capital of India by providing quality, value accommodation to travellers.

Speaking about the hotel�s opening, Jean-Michel Casse, Senior Vice-President � Accor India, said, �We are particularly delighted with the opening of an ibis hotel within the Mumbai Airport Precinct. The ibis Mumbai Airport like all ibis hotels in India will provide guests with the reassurance of one of the world�s largest and most respected economy hotel brands. Quality and consistent accommodation at affordable pricing and guaranteed with a �15 minute satisfaction contract� is exactly what is required in the Indian economy hotel environment.�

ibis Mumbai Airport will specifically cater to the discerning needs of business and leisure travellers. The hotel offers comfortable, well-designed, fully equipped guest rooms with en suite modular bathrooms, contemporary fit-out including flatscreen TV, Wi-Fi and broadband internet access to suit the needs of business travellers. 24 hour a day services, quality well priced food and beverage including 8-hours non-stop breakfast concept starting from 4 am, unique in the economy hotel industry with competitive, consistent and simple accommodation rates are the key highlights of ibis Mumbai Airport.

Such value for consumers is made possible by a highly efficient design and operational processes that have been perfected in nearly 900 hotels and 100,000 rooms in almost 45 countries globally.
For quality well priced food ibis Mumbai Airport has developed Spice it � a spirited and casual dining space that offers the best of world cuisine: �any flavour, any time� in an interactive kitchen environment with a choice of buffet and a la carte. The Hub, with its energetic ambience, refreshing beverages and free Wi-Fi will serve as a gathering place throughout the day. The first ibis launched in India in 2008, ibis Gurgaon and is already a market leader in its segment, and was judged the best Economy / Midscale hotel in India in 2009.