Accor SA, a France-based hotel company will be opening four new hotels in the UK by the end of this year.
The company is opening a Novotel and ibis hotel in Blackfriars, London, a second ibis hotel in Shepherd’s Bush, in London, and a new Mercure brand property, in Greenwich, London, all scheduled to open in October 2012.
In 2012, the company is opening a total of 1,000 additional guestrooms in the capital, with six new hotel openings in total, and extensions added to existing hotels. The company is also intending to completely refurbish around 12 of its London hotels soon.
The company has also reported that its MGallery and Mercure hotel brands have doubled their properties in the UK in 2012, with around 70 hotels in the country, taking the brand-wide total to 700 hotels globally.
Jonathan Sheard, the company managing director of operations for MGallery and Mercure hotels, said, ‘This is a really exciting time for MGallery and Mercure hotels in the UK. We have ambitious growth plans and both brands are well positioned in the upper and midscale markets to attract new partners to Accor. I am extremely proud to be working with these great brands at such an interesting time.’
Thomas Dubaere, the managing director for Accor UK and Ireland, said, ‘2012 is an incredibly important year for London.
As the market leader in Europe and a key business player in the hospitality industry, Accor has treated this important year as a strategic opportunity to boost our presence in the UK’s capital by investing in upcoming areas such as Shepherd’s Bush, Blackfriars, Whitechapel and King’s Cross, and improving the training and development of young people in the hospitality industry, to ensure a long term legacy for 2012 and beyond.’