Accor Hotels Expand Business in Asia-Pacific
By Kwon Mee-yoo
Staff Reporter
Major global hotel chain Accor Hotels held the fifth World of Accor Expo in Korea, showcasing its various brands at Sofitel Ambassador Seoul, Monday.
The Accor Group includes hotel brands like Sofitel, Pullman, MGallery, Novotel, Mercure and Ibis. In Korea, there's a Sofitel Ambassador in Seoul, one Pullman Ambassador in Changwon, four Novotels and three Ibis hotels.
The group marked relatively strong sales last year despite global financial woes. In particular, Hotel Ibis Myeongdong was ranked as one of Asia's top 10 bargain hotels by the TripAdvisor Travelers Choice Awards.
The hotel, located in Seoul's main shopping and business district, offers economic, quality services that guests seeking value accommodation have come to expect of the Ibis hotel brand.
Pullman, an upscale brand of Accor, announced a partnership with Korean Air. Those with Korean Air Skypass membership will earn 500 miles per stay at Pullman Hotels and Resorts, with special triple bonus mileage for those who stay between April 1 and June 30.
The special joint program has been applied to guests of Sofitel, MGallery, Novotel and Grand Mercure. Pullman will join by April.
``The partnership will benefit Korean travelers who have proven to be early adopters of the upscale Pullman hotel brand," an official of Accor said.
Accor also announced the expansion of the Mercure brand in Asia Pacific. The group currently operates some 50 Mercure hotels and resorts throughout the region, but the brand has not been introduced to Korea yet.
The hotel giant will open 11 new Mercure hotels in 2009, triangulating the region from Japan in the north, Melbourne, Australia in the south and Bangalore, India to the west.
``Accor has successfully managed the Mercure Hotel Ginza since 2004. We are delighted to be managing this additional Mercure hotel and look to bringing the success of the Mercure Hotel Ginza and Narita to Mercure Sapporo,'' said Patrick Basset, vice president of Accor Japan, South Korea, the Philippines and Vietnam.
Meanwhile, Novotel renewed its sponsorship contract with the Asian Football Confederation (AFC) Champions League for another two years. The brand has been an official sponsor of the league since 2007.
Ray Stone, the senior vice president of sales and marketing for Accor Asia Pacific said, ``The sponsorship exposes the Novotel brand through the television and print broadcast and also serves to connect our hotels with their local clubs and communities.''