| BANGKOK, 27 January 2005 - Accor is bringing its renowned
4-star Novotel brand back to Singapore with the re-branding of Hotel
New Otani to Novotel Clarke Quay Singapore. The re-branding is effective immediately and will be followed by a comprehensive multi-million dollar refurbishment and upgrading programme to rooms and public areas due for completion by the end of September 2005. To celebrate the addition of Novotel Clarke Quay Singapore to the Accor network, special rates from S$135 (+ local taxes and surcharges) per room per night are available online at www.accorhotels.com/asia. Novotel Clarke Quay enjoys a pre-eminent location, strategically located between Singapore  's main financial
centre at Raffles Place and the prime shopping area of Orchard Road. It
is also just five minutes away from Singapore's Suntec City Exhibition
Centre, the new Singapore Performing Arts Centre and is adjacent to
Clarke Quay's outstanding restaurants and pubs. This area immediately
around the hotel is one of Singapore's most dynamic and popular
entertainment districts.The 406-room hotel is also within walking distance to the Clarke Quay MRT Station, which offers train services to Orchard Road, Raffles Place, Raffles City and World Trade Centre and Changi International Airport on the Airport Extension Line. Novotel Clarke Quay is situated on top of a four-storey shopping centre with the hotel's main reception located on level seven. Guest accommodation occupies the eighth to 25th floors of the hotel tower, featuring stunning views of Raffles Place, the meandering Singapore River and the adjacent 26-storey Somerset Liang Court service apartments. Most of the hotel's three restaurants, bar and lounge, grand ballroom and meeting room, business centre, outdoor swimming pool are located on levels five to seven, with the fitness centre on level eight. The hotel's guest rooms, including 22 suites, will be upgraded to Novotel's latest design standards incorporating aspects of its latest 'Novation' room concept. The lobby, ballroom and meeting rooms will receive a fresh interior design and Novotel's innovative 'The Square' restaurant will also be introduced. An Executive Lounge will be created to cater for the projected growth in corporate and meetings clientele. Accor Managing Director Asia Pacific Michael Issenberg said the hotel would appeal to both business travellers and leisure guests with its outstanding combination of excellent location and facilities. "Singapore is clearly one of the most strategic business cities in the world and Accor is very pleased to add Novotel Clarke Quay to the global Novotel network. The hotel combines classic Novotel features of a top business location with facilities that appeal to both our leisure guests and executives looking to mix business and pleasure. "The hotel is already well established with Asian travellers, particularly with the Japanese, and with Novotel such a high-profile brand throughout the world, we expect the hotel to attract an even wider range of international travellers," he said. "We are investing a significant amount into the upgrading of the hotel and following its completion we believe the hotel will be amongst Singapore's finest 4-star hotels, with the highest quality facilities and the city's most prestigious location. Accor also manages Grand Mercure Roxy Hotel in Singapore and operates a network of 37 Novotel hotels in eight countries around Asia. An additional five Novotel hotels are committed to development and scheduled to open in Asia by early 2006. |