January 22, 2008 - Accor today officially launched its new upscale brand, Pullman, into the Asia Pacific market. The launch event took place at the Pullman Bangkok King Power, the first Pullman hotel to open in Asia.
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Pullman hotels will target the business and conference markets in particular.  They will typically be located in the heart of large international and regional cities and close to major airports The launch of the Pullman hotel brand is part of Accor's drive to reposition its brands, which will in particular elevate Sofitel into the luxury segment. This strategy has created the opportunity to launch a new brand of hotels clearly positioned in the upscale segment.  Conviviality, calm and connectivity Pullman hotels will provide specific services and facilities to create an atmosphere that balances conviviality, calm and connectivity. These will include a 24 hour IT solutions manager on site, there will also be �Pullman Welcomers� who will not only be responsible for welcoming, but also for immediate actioning of guest requests. There will be wireless and broadband communications, chill out zones, executive floors and lounges, health club facilities and the latest in hi-tech facilities for meetings and function organisers.  Fast communications and connectivity is facilitated by the latest equipment with further enhancement likely as a result of a partnership with Microsoft.

Pullman Bangkok King Power Hotel 8-2, Rangnam Road Thanon Phayathai Ratchathewi 10400 Bangkok, Thailand

The launch of the Pullman brand follows the European launch last month, which saw 12 Pullman hotels in announced.  By the end of 2009, the Pullman network will consist of 59 hotels and over 15,600 rooms in 23 countries in Europe, Asia-Pacific, the Middle East and South America. In the medium to longer term, Accor�s ambition is to develop a worldwide chain of 300 hotels by 2015, with 100 hotels in Asia-Pacific, growing at a rate of 25 new hotels a year

The Accor�s fatest growing brands in the Asia Pacific Region

Announcing the launch of Pullman, Accor Asia Pacific Managing Director, Michael Issenberg, said that Pullman would be one of Accor�s fastest growing brands in the Asia Pacific region. �There is great scope for both new-build and re-branded Pullman hotels in Asia,� he said. �With economies throughout Asia continuing to grow strongly, and with the corporate and meetings sectors being particularly fast growing markets, the Pullman hotel brand is being launched to meet a clear market demand�

A rapid expansion in China

Pullman hotels in Dongguan and Sanya in China were also announced. Both hotels will open in the first quarter of 2008.

As Michael Issenberg said, �In the Asia Pacific region, the Pullman brand will expand rapidly in the next 12 months, particularly in China. Further extensive development is planned throughout the region over the coming years, with an estimate of at least 18 hotels in operation by 2009 and a longer term aim of 100 hotels in Asia Pacific.�

Pullman Bangkok, a stylish new hotel

While some Pullman hotels � particularly in Europe � will result from upgrading and rebranding existing hotels, the first group of Pullman hotels in Asia will largely be new build hotels, such as the Pullman Bangkok King Power.

This stylish new hotel in Rangnam Road near Victory Monument is located close to two BTS Skytrain stations and is just 30 minutes transfer to Suvarnabhumi Airport. The 386 room hotel has the capacity to host events for up to 1000 delegates, with state of the art facilities, supported by the latest smart technology.

Pullman Bangkok, a name with a rich heritage

The Pullman name derives from the opulent Pullman railway carriages that changed the face of overnight railway travel in America � and later in the UK and Europe � from the 1860s. Accor has owned the Pullman brand name since the early 1990s when it took over the Compagnie Internationale des Wagons-Lits.

Pullman is the upscale, non-standardised hotel brand of Accor. It was designed with the requirements of business women and men in mind.

Located in the main regional and international cities, Pullman hotels provide an extensive range of tailored services, access to groundbreaking technologies and the "Co-Meeting" offer, a new approach to organizing meetings, seminars and high-end incentives. At Pullman hotels, business travelers can choose between being independent or relying on the staff available round the clock.

Starting 2009, the Pullman network will count on 59 hotels in 23 countries across Europe, Asia, the Middle East and Latin America. By 2015, we expect over 300 establishments around the world.

Accor, the European leader and a major global group in hotels, the global leader in services to corporate clients and public institutions, operates in nearly 100 countries with 170,000 employees. It offers to its clients over 40 years of expertise in its two core businesses:

- Hotels, with the Sofitel, Pullman, Novotel, Mercure, Suitehotel, Ibis, All Seasons, Etap Hotel, Formule 1 and Motel 6 brands, representing more than 4,000 hotels and nearly 500,000 rooms in 90 countries, as well as strategically related activities, such as Lenôtre.

- Services, with 23 million people in nearly 40 countries benefiting from Accor Services products in human resources, marketing services and expense management.

Peter Hook Tel: +61-407 462213 
email: [email protected]