Paris, July 2nd 2003._ Thalys International and Accor today formed a partnership that will
enable their customers to simultaneously book a hotel room and a Thalys train ticket from
France, Belgium, the Netherlands and Germany. With the new system, the high-speed
train network and Europe’s leading hospitality group intend to make travel within Europe
easier. The agreement also provides for joint promotional offers and marketing campaigns.
Convenient booking: a hotel room and a Thalys train ticket at the same time
The new system now makes it possible for travelers from the four countries served by the
Thalys network to book their hotel room at the same time as their train ticket, with just a few
clicks on the www.thalys.com website. Rooms can be booked in a wide range of Accor
hotels in Brussels, Rotterdam, The Hague, Amsterdam, Aachen, Cologne and other major
European cities. The hotels run from luxury to economy, and include such brands as Sofitel,
Novotel, Mercure, Suitehotel and Ibis.
In France, customers already have a variety of booking possibilities with the Train+Hotel
service, which allows them to reserve at the train station, in an SNCF boutique or by calling
Ligne Directe Thalys on the 0892 35 35 36 toll number (€ 0.34 per minute).
Exclusive offers for Thalys travelers:
Thalys passengers who simultaneously book their hotel room and train ticket will benefit from
exclusive offers throughout the year. They can receive discounts of up to 40% on weekend
stays in a Sofitel, or 20% in a Novotel, Mercure or Suitehotel, or 10% during the week at a
Sofitel or a Mercure. (*)
Accor will also participate in one-off promotions, by offering preferred rates for Thalys
passengers, frequent Thalys travelers with the Cybelys card, etc.
Five Accor brands are participating in the partnership:
Sofitel: More than 160 addresses featuring French “Art de Vivre” throughout the world.
Novotel: Innovation, harmony, freedom and consistency. 373 hotels and resorts in 63
countries.
Mercure: Traditional hotels firmly anchored in their regions. A network of 691 hotels in 45
countries.
Suitehotel: A new way of hotel living. Space, well-being and intuitive relationship with
guests. 30 m 2 and services available 24 hours a day, in 10 hotels.
Ibis: Round-the-clock service and budget prices at more than 670 hotels worldwide.
Thalys, the unique European high-speed rail network, connects daily four countries : France,
Belgium, Germany and the Netherlands. Everyday, 33 Thalys trains run between Paris and
Brussels, 7 between Paris and Cologne and 6 between Paris and Amsterdam. In 2002,
Thalys carried more than 6 million passengers and had an income of € 310 million. The
Thalys concept combines speed, frequency, comfort, safety and accessibility. It aims to
develop seamless “door-to-door” services by forging partnerships that facilitate access to its
rail network and promote the travel as a whole. Thalys is operated by Thalys International,
the company responsible for the commercial and operational management of the high-speed
trains of the Thalys rail network .
With 150,000 associates in 140 countries, Accor is the European leader and one of the
world’s largest groups in travel, tourism and corporate services, with two major international
activities:
á Hotels: nearly 4,000 hotels (450,000 rooms) in 90 countries, casinos, travel agencies,
and restaurants;
á Services to corporate clients and public institutions: each day, 13 million people in 32
countries use a broad range of services (food vouchers, people care and services,
incentive, loyalty programs, events) engineered and managed by Accor.
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