| 21 September 1998: Accor Asia Pacific will significantly
expand its presence in western Sydney with the addition of the former Parramatta
Travelodge, which will be rebranded as the Mercure Hotel Parramatta following
Accor�s management takeover.
Accor is already the largest operator of hotels in Sydney and the addition
of the Mercure Hotel Accor�s presence in western Sydney will grow substantially in late 1999 when the Novotel/Ibis hotel complex opens in the Olympic Village at Homebush Bay. Together with Formule 1 at Wentworthville, this will give to Parramatta and the west of Sydney each of Accor�s most popular brands. Commenting on the expansion, Accor Asia Pacific Chairman, David Baffsky, said: �We are very committed to further developing our presence in western Sydney as it is the demographic heart of Greater Sydney and an area which continues to grow in importance in terms of its commercial, industrial and tourism profile. �Our brands are ideally suited to business and leisure travellers visiting the area, as the emphasis is on providing high quality accommodation at genuinely affordable rates.� The 3½ star Mercure Hotel Parramatta is a contemporary hotel with 165 rooms, located along James Ruse Drive, with easy access to motorways that lead direct to the Sydney CBD. The hotel is conveniently located to numerous commercial and industrial areas in western Sydney, the Parramatta central business district and Homebush Bay, the site of the Olympic Games in the Year 2000. The hotel is a popular base for business travellers and conferences during the week, while on weekends its position - opposite Rosehill Racecourse and close to the State Sports Centre - attracts considerable leisure business. Recreation facilities include a swimming pool, spa and tennis court. Accor�s Mercure brand is one of the fastest growing brands in Australia
with 28 hotels operating. Accor is the largest hotel operating company in the world, with over 2,600 hotels. It is also a leader in tourism services, with considerable interests in travel agencies, car rental, casinos, restaurants and catering. |
Parramatta
will boost the group�s portfolio to 12 hotels in Sydney. Accor�s Australian
network of hotels will then increase to 60 hotels and almost 10,000 rooms
in Australia.
Worldwide,
the brand has close to 400 hotels ranging from Grand Hotels to Hotels and
Inns.