News

Accor adds ten Mercure hotels in the UK

13 Jan 2011 by BusinessTraveller

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”.

For an indepth interview with CEO Peter Cashman on the Focus Hotels portfolio, see Hotelier of the Week on our sister site ABTN.

The agreement will see 763 rooms across ten properties added to the Mercure network, with the mid-market Accor brand increasing its UK portfolio to 43 hotels. Mercure aims to have a total of 300 UK properties by 2015.

Commenting on the agreement Cashman said:

“Our strategy in taking on these hotels, many of which were in administration, was to bring them up to a high standard and make them profitable, with a view to finding the right ‘home’ for them. 

"I am a passionate believer in matching the brand to the property and we identified Mercure as the perfect partner for these ten hotels; Mercure will allow them to maintain their individuality and character whilst offering the credibility of one of the most respected international hotel brands.”

For more information visit mercure.com, accorhotels.com, focushotels.co.uk.

Report by Mark Caswell

The Focus properties rebranded as Mercure hotels:

  • Mercure Altrincham Bowden Hotel
  • Mercure Blackburn Ribble Valley Hotel
  • Mercure Chester North Hotel
  • Mercure Hatfield Oak Hotel
  • Mercure Hull Royal Hotel
  • Mercure Stafford South Penkridge Hotel
  • Mercure Swindon East Hotel & Spa
  • Mercure Telford Hotel
  • Mercure Wigan Oak Hotel
  • Mercure Wolverhampton Hotel
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