5 APRIL 2011: Leading hotel management group Accor will boost its presence in Tropical North Queensland to welcome the Cairns Colonial Club Resort to its expanding network in early May 2011.

The popular hotel will be marketed beneath Accor’s All Seasons brand, to become the All Seasons Cairns Colonial Club, and will be the largest All Seasons hotel for the brand worldwide.

Distinct in their individual style and location, All Seasons hotels are renowned for their warm welcome and personal attention. With an extensive range of locations across Australia, New Zealand, Asia and Europe, this rapidly expanding network of ‘value for money’ hotels, resorts and apartments delivers true hospitality for both business and leisure travellers.

All Seasons has been a prominent part of the Australian hotel sector for some 30 years, with a particularly strong presence in regional and remote Australia. The All Seasons brand is operated by Accor, the largest hotel operator in Australia and Queensland specifically.

The All Seasons Cairns Colonial Club is the first new hotel addition in Far North Queensland since 2009 when it welcomed its original All Seasons branded hotel – the All Seasons Cairns. Other All Seasons hotels in the region include the All Seasons Magnetic Island and All Seasons Stradbroke Island in the states south.

The signing comes at a time when tourism to Tropical North Queensland is in the spotlight, with local operators set to benefit from private sector investment, local and state Tourism Authority initiatives to drive business back to the region post Cyclone Yasi in Cairns.

“We are extremely pleased to be associated with Accor,” said Peter Blackburn, General Manager of the All Seasons Cairns Colonial Club. “I’m sure that Accor, with its strong, well-known brands, will help us grow and prosper in the future.”

Accor’s General Manager Franchise Hotels, Dino Mezzatesta, says the property is a great strategic addition to the national All Seasons network.

Set within 11 acres (4.5 hectares) of award-winning, lush, tropical gardens, the All Seasons Cairns Colonial Club evokes the tranquility of the North Queensland rainforest and combines tropical resort features with the advantages of a mainstream hotel

Accommodation includes 345 comfortable and spacious rooms and suites, offering guests an excellent range of holiday accommodation to choose from. The hotel also boasts a choice of three lagoon-style pools, two restaurants, and two bars.

The All Seasons Cairns Colonial Club offers business events guests’ access to a fully equipped meetings facility called the Conference Centre, which can house conferences, banquets, weddings and functions for up to 650 people.

A stand-alone heritage building in charming Queenslander-style, the Conference Centre features five meeting rooms and opens out to a peaceful garden and gazebo recreation area.

The All Seasons Cairns Colonial Club will be available for bookings from the beginning of May. For information visit www.all-seasons-hotels.com or call 1300 65 65 65.

Accor is the worldwide leader in hotels, tourism and corporate services, employing 160,000 people in 100 countries. . It offers to its individual and corporate clients nearly 40 years of expertise in its two core businesses:

• Hotels: over 4,000 hotels (475,000 rooms) in 90 countries (including 150 hotels and resorts in Australia, New Zealand and the Pacific under the brands Sofitel, Grand Mercure, Novotel, Mercure, All Seasons, Ibis and Formule 1) as well as backpacker hostels, travel agencies, restaurants and casinos;
• Services to corporate clients and public institutions: 21 million people in 35 countries benefit from Accor Services’ products – employee assistance programs, people care and services, incentive, loyalty programs, events, food vouchers.