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Accor Wins Management Contract for 450-room
Sofitel in China�s �Motor City� Anting
BANGKOK, 2 April, 2004 � Accor has won the management contract for Sofitel Anting, bringing its luxury five-star hotel brand next to Shanghai�s newly completed Formula 1 circuit.

Located just outside Shanghai�s bustling metropolis in the Jiading district, the 450-room (including 97 service apartments) Sofitel Anting will open late 2005 as the closest five-star hotel to the Shanghai race way. China will host its first Formula 1 Grand Prix there this September and the circuit will feature an additional 16 motor racing events each year.

Anting is becoming established as China�s �Motor City�, with the special automobile economic zone including automobile manufacturing and assembly plants, an automobile trading centre and technical research centre. Major companies such as Volkswagen and General Motors have set up their manufacturing plants there, and there is a growing stream of domestic and international travellers visiting the area for business, conventions and exhibitions.

Accor Senior Vice President � Asia, Mr Reggie Shiu, said Shanghai�s future economic development plays a crucial role in Accor�s strategic planning for new hotels around the city.

�Shanghai is one of the world�s fastest growing business cities and the Formula One Grand Prix race has put the spotlight on the Anting region as the world-class centre for the automobile industry. 

�With Anting attracting an increasing international market, the Sofitel will be an important addition to the region�s tourism and hospitality infrastructure. The hotel will complement our two other high-profile Shanghai Sofitels in Pudong and Nanjing Road, and enable Accor to offer an extensive range of accommodation options for travellers visiting Shanghai.�

Shanghai International Automobile City Real Estate Co. Ltd Chairman Mr Fei Chun lu, said: �We made a very thorough study of hotel management companies doing business in China and we liked Accor�s international reputation.  Having a strong network, especially in sales and marketing, was crucial.

�We also were extremely impressed with Sofitel Boao on Hainan Island where the Boao Forum on Asia was held in 2003 will be held every year.�

The hotel will have one International restaurant and one Chinese food and beverage outlet. There is also a 1,800sqm multifunctional conference hall and Accor will also manage an adjacent 400,000sqm Convention and Exhibition Centre offering the latest audiovisual equipment and simultaneous translation capabilities.

Sofitel Anting is only a 45 minutes drive from Shanghai�s city centre, 54 kilometres from Pudong International Airport and only 22 kilometres from Hongqiao International Airport. 

It will be Accor�s eighth Sofitel in China after the high profile openings of Sofitel Boao, Sofitel Westlake Hangzhou and Sofitel Wanda Chengdu during 2003. This latest expansion will give Accor a current commitment of 33 hotels under management around China by the beginning of 2005 under its Sofitel, Novotel and Ibis brands. Accor also manages hotels under the Zenith and Century brands in China.

Sofitel is the prestige brand of Accor hotels, with more than 180 properties that bring a unique French �art de vivre� to prime locations around the world. 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.

 
Contact:
Tom Racette
Manager PR and Communications � Asia, 
Tel: (662) 659 4535
[email protected]

 
Also See: Accor and Jin Jiang Establish a Hotel Sales Network in China; The Jin Jiang Oriental Tower Hotel in Shanghai to be Reflagged Sofitel Jin Jiang Tower, Pudong / Jan 2002
Accor's Partnerships with Beijing Tourism Group and Jin Jiang International Management Corporation Fuels Hotel Management Contract Growth in China / Aug 2003


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