Accorhotels expands Australia presence

Accorhotels is expanding its presence in Australia by opening new Novotel and Mercure hotels in Brisbane and Sydney, while also taking over the management of a new budget property that will operate under its Ibis brand. Speaking to the Australian Financial Review, Simon McGrath, Accorhotels Pacific’s chief operating officer, said that the group was working hard to establish a “balanced footprint across the luxury and upscale, midscale and economy segments" in the Antipodes. "We will see more than 10 new hotel projects scheduled to open or commence construction between 2016 and 2018, adding some 2,500 rooms across Australia and New Zealand," he said. First on the list is the existing 235-room Tune Melbourne, which Accor will take over later this week and rebrand as the Ibis Melbourne Swanston Street. Next up is a new-build property in southwestern Sydney, where Accor has signed a franchise agreement with Bankstown RSL Community Club to open a 240-room hotel under its Mercure brand. This will be part of a mixed-use development, and is scheduled to open in late 2017. Finally, the French hospitality group has also partnered with Kinstone Developments Group to open the 238-room Novotel Brisbane South Bank in late 2018. For more information, visit accorhotels.com Clement Huang