Accor Goes for 'Gold' with New Beijing Hotels
Two hotels part of bold expansion for Beijing 2008 Olympic Games
BANGKOK, November 21 2005. Accor is going for 'gold' in time for the Beijing 2008 Olympic Games, adding adjacent Novotel and Ibis properties in the Capital of China and creating a diverse portfolio of at least 7 hotels and over 2,000 sellable rooms in time for the games.
Accor and major Beijing-based developer China Resources Land Ltd signed the two hotel deal today, which will be an important part of the Phoenix Plaza commercial and retail complex being built adjacent to the Beijing city centre. The 312-room Novotel Phoenix Beijing and 405-room Ibis Phoenix Beijing are both scheduled to open early 2008.
Together with Sofitel Wanda Beijing (opening early 2007) and Novotel Zhongguancun Beijing (opening mid 2007), the hotels under development join Novotel Xinqiao Beijing, Novotel Peace Beijing and Novotel Oasis Beijing to create a multi-brand hotel offer near many primary Olympic venues and in key commercial areas.
The Phoenix Plaza will comprise 9 towers of office buildings, the Novotel and Ibis hotels, and a large shopping mall. It is a 15 minute drive from both Beijing International Airport and the new Olympic Village. Two new subway lines will cross under Phoenix Plaza, connecting the development with Beijing's CBD (Sofitel Wanda) and Zhongguangcun (Novotel Zhongguancun), Beijing's Silicon Valley.
Accor Asia Pacific Managing Director Michael Issenberg said the Phoenix Plaza's strategic location near the Olympic Village and other sports facilities greatly enhanced the group's accommodation offer for the games.
"This is an ideal time to establish a substantial hotel network around the capital, strengthening our existing network in Beijing. The Phoenix Plaza hotels are indeed timely, joining Sofitel Wanda Beijing and Novotel Zhongguancun Beijing in time for the Olympics. It also gives Accor a multi-brand portfolio in Beijing and significantly boosts the city's hospitality infrastructure.
"Accor has great expertise in operating hotels in special commercial and events areas and these hotels will cater to international and domestic travellers coming to Beijing for the games. They will also have an important role to play at future events after the games," Mr Issenberg, added.
Accor also recently launched its second Ibis hotel in China, Ibis Chengdu, and the first Ibis hotel in Tianjin is being extended. During 2006 Accor plans to open new Ibis hotels in Qingdao, Chongqing, Wuxi and Zhongshan, and the network is scheduled to grow to at least 12 by 2007.
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