The Novotel Zhongguancun, Beijing West has commenced construction and when it opens in early 2005, it will be the fourth Novotel in Beijing and ninth in China. The 300-room Novotel Zhongguancun will offer guests a minimum room size of 47sqm. Eighty per cent of the rooms will feature duplex designs, while the hotel will offer two restaurants, an executive lounge, meeting room for up to 300 people, swimming pool and fitness centre.

Zhongguancun is located in the Haidian District of Beijing and is known for its high technology and computer industries, including the Zhongguancun Science Park, the centre of software development in China. There are 39 elite universities (Beijing University, Tsinghua University) and 213 research institutes, including Chinese Academy of Sciences and Chinese Academy of Engineering, located near the hotel.

Accor Managing Director Asia Pacific Michael Issenberg said Novotel Zhongguancun�s location would also make it a strategic addition for Beijing�s Olympic games infrastructure and would perform a similar role to that of Accor�s Novotel at Sydney Olympic Park, the site of the 2000 Olympic Games.

�The Zhongguancun area is similar to our Novotel at Sydney Olympic Park, surrounded mainly by hi-tech businesses, international industries and manufacturing companies. But it will also have an important role to play with the Olympics and future sporting events at the facility after the games,� he said.

�Accor has great expertise in operating hotels in special commercial and events areas, both in France and Australia, and it will cater to both the international and domestic business coming to this important emerging area of Beijing. 

�It is an exciting time for tourism and travel in China. This is an ideal time to build a substantial hotel network around the country, especially strengthening our existing network in Beijing, which will help create the hospitality infrastructure for the 2008 Olympic Games.�

Accor was the Official Hotel Partner of the Australian Olympic Committee and Australian Olympic Team during the Sydney 2000 Games, and will provide accommodation for the country's athletes in the lead-up to both the Athens 2004 and Beijing 2008 Games. Accor is also a sponsor of the French Olympic team.

The latest expansion will give Accor a current commitment of 32 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. Recent high profile openings include Sofitel West Lake Hangzhou in October, Sofitel Boao on Hainan Island in April this year and Sofitel Jin Jiang Oriental Pudong in Shanghai in late 2002.

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.