Accor is to manage three more new hotels around Thailand - in Bangkok, Pattaya and Chumphon - and is set to introduce its versatile All Seasons brand to the Kingdom.The 260-room All Seasons Pattaya will be Accor’s third hotel in the dynamic resort city, located in central Pattaya on the main tourist strip between Beach Road and Second Road. The hotel is the first All Seasons in Thailand, and second in Asia after the All Seasons Legian in Bali, and is scheduled to open in November 2006. It will offer all day dining in the coffee shop, swimming pool and modern Spa and Fitness Centre.

Novotel Chumphon Beach Resort & Golf adds an emerging destination to Accor’s beach resort network in Thailand. Chumphon is half way between Bangkok and Surat Thani and is a primary transfer point for ferries to Koh Nang Yuan, where Accor will open an exclusive Sofitel resort in 2007.

The hotel will open with 80 rooms in December 2006, doubling to 160 rooms in 2007. The Novotel Chumphon will have 2 restaurants and 2 bars, one fun pub night club, swimming pool, spa and fitness center once fully operational. An international quality 18-hole championship golf course will surround the resort and open with the second wing in 2007.

Grand Mercure Suites Bangkok will be the first Grand Mercure Suite hotel in Thailand and third Grand Mercure in Bangkok. The Grand Mercure is located on Phayathai Road a short 5 minute walk from the Rajavitee BTS Skytrain station that connects to major shopping and entertainment areas and the Bangkok Metro system. It is scheduled to open in December 2007 with 165 suites, one restaurant, one bar, one fun pub night club, swimming pool and fitness centre.

These three hotels add to Accor’s brisk development pace in Thailand where the group has already opened four hotels in Bangkok this year - two Ibis hotels and the Grand Sukhumvit by Sofitel in May - and a fourth, the Sofitel Residence Asoke, which soft opened 1 June.

Accor Asia Pacific Managing Director Michael Issenberg said that Accor’s development strategy was to cover the full spectrum of the market and add hotels that were of strategic value to the network.

“What makes Accor unique is that - unlike most international hotel groups - we don’t just concentrate on the top end of the market,” Said Mr Issenberg. “Our development strategy extends from 5-star Sofitels and Grand Mercures to 3 star Ibis and All Season hotels, with Novotel, Mercure and All Seasons covering the mid-market.

“Thailand has enjoyed an exceptionally strong start of the year, with our hotels in city and resort areas all achieving strong occupancies, and with Thailand’s new international airport set to open and the prospect of rapid expansion in air services to airports across the country, we believe we are well placed to achieve a record operating year for the group in Thailand.”

“We are looking at growth in the international inbound market, but we are also seeing substantial growth in the regional and domestic markets, particularly in demand for economy and mid-scale accommodation.”

In August Accor will launch Novotel Suvarnabhumi Airport Hotel extending the group’s strength at key airports in the region. The hotel will join the newly-opened Novotel Citygate at Hong Kong’s international airport and will be followed by the launch of Novotel Baiyun Airport Guangzhou in September.

The opening of the Novotel Suvarnabhumi Airport Hotel and Suvarnabhumi International Airport is expected to considerably benefit Accor’s two existing hotels in Pattaya, and will give the All Seasons - great impetus when it opens.

Accor’s flagship resort opening in Thailand for 2006, the 250-room Sofitel Phokeetra Krabi, opens In November in time to benefit from direct international flights to Krabi from a number of regional centres across Asia, making it an attractive gateway to one of southern Thailand’s premier leisure destinations.
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