With 17 years experience in hospitality, including four with Accor, Mr Scanlan returns to Sydney from the Gold Coast where he rebranded and launched the popular Mercure Resort Surfers Paradise. Previous to that, Mr Scanlan successfully opened the Novotel Rotorua in the role of Executive Assistant Manager.

With the hotel opening still nine months away, the pre-opening office, which is based at the State Sports Centre, is receiving numerous calls for group bookings, particularly from sporting groups and various Olympic authorities and interest groups.

�As the only Sydney hotel to have a 60 day guarantee with SOCOG over the Olympic period, our focus is establishing the complex as a prominent accommodation and conference venue pre and post Olympics� commented Mr Scanlan.

�Novotel and Hotel Ibis Homebush Bay, as the only hotels on the site until 2008 will service the growing business and industry sectors of the area and will provide accommodation for the hundreds of conferences, exhibitions, incentive groups and sporting events that will continue to take place, as well as provide restaurant and function facilities for Sydney's newest suburb Newington.

�Through the good work of the ATC and Tourism NSW as well as official Olympic bodies, Homebush Bay is clearly in the international spotlight and the interest in our hotels and the precinct in general is staggering. With the professionalism and co-ordination I�ve seen already between the players out here, Homebush Bay is going to win gold well into the next millennium�, continued Mr Scanlan. 

The Novotel and Hotel Ibis Homebush Bay enjoys the most central location on the Olympic site, with the railway station next door, the recently opened 110,000 seat Stadium Australia across the road, and all major venues and facilities, including the Showgrounds, Aquatic Centre and Millennium Parklands within easy walking distance.

Delivering a new standard in environmental hotels, an extensive range of initiatives have been incorporated at design stage and will include the installation of one of Australia's largest commercial solar hot water systems, a comprehensive recycling and waste reduction program, use of carefully selected building materials and a 40% equivalent reduction in energy use compared to similar hotels. A full time Environment Manager has also been appointed.

Comprising 168 rooms and 19 floors, the ellipse shaped four star Novotel will be the highest building on the Olympic skyline. Located within the same complex is the three star Hotel Ibis with 150 rooms. Room types include standard accommodation, luxury suites in the Novotel and team accommodation in the Hotel Ibis. Function facilities offer nine meeting rooms including an outstanding, naturally lit ballroom for up to 600 delegates. As well, the observation floor on Level 17 provides the best and highest vantage point overlooking all of Homebush Bay and the Olympic Village, and will be a sought after spot for meetings and tours. 

The hotels' two restaurants and bars will also be very popular with guests and visitors, offering a wide choice of menu styles suitable for all tastes. The themed bar on the lower ground floor hosts 1000 people and is a perfect meeting place for a casual drink or meal. Named the Homebush Bay Brewery, make sure to taste the home brew lager.

Opening rates until the end of January 2000 start from A$95.00 per room at the Hotel Ibis and A$132.00 per room at the Novotel. The combined hotels expect to employ 200 full time positions.

�Looking at previous Olympic venues and their success as an incentive destination, there are tremendous opportunities for the Meetings Industry market well before and after the 2000 Games. In Barcelona for example, the Convention, Meetings and Incentives market increased by 1125% specifically in the year following the 1992 Olympics with the overall industry up by 129% on the number of conferences held in the host city in 1992 (1992 � 310 conferences, 1993 � 710 conferences). In Atlanta, an additional 206,000 delegates attended conventions the year after the 1996 Games (Source SCVB) � we look forward to similar successes at Homebush� Mr Scanlan concluded.

Novotel and Ibis Hotels are managed by Accor, Australia's leading hotel group with 60 hotels, and is part of a worldwide network of over 2800 hotels. Hotel owners TAHL are the largest hotel investor in Australia and New Zealand. There are currently 330 Novotel hotels and over 450 Ibis hotels worldwide.