|
Flagged the Sofitel Plaza Hanoi
BANGKOK, September 5, 2001 - In a move to further strengthen its lodging
portfolio in Vietnam, Accor has signed a management agreement that will
add another Sofitel to its six existing hotels in the country.
| The 322-room Sofitel Plaza Hanoi
(formerly the Meritus Westlake Hanoi) enjoys a prime location, 35 minutes
from Noi Bai International Airport and just 10 minutes from the capital's
historic Old Quarter. It overlooks Hanoi's beautiful West Lake and the
Red River in the capital's scenic Lake District.
The property features four fantastic bars and three exciting restaurants,
in addition to extensive meeting and convention facilities. The pillar-less
ballroom can accommodate up to 400 people, making it one of Hanoi's favourite
entertaining choices for business and social functions.
It also has an all-weather, heated 18-metre swimming pool with a retractable
roof, the first of its kind in Southeast Asia.
Accor Asia Pacific Deputy Chairman, Jochen Dobel, said the addition
of the Sofitel Plaza Hanoi was part of the company's strategy to align
itself with strong investors that are well respected and established in
the region.
"Accor sees this agreement as taking our relationship with United Overseas
Land (UOL) to the next level. This is our fourth hotel management contract
with them, and is a clear indicator of how we view this very important
partnership. UOL is an extremely valuable strategic partner for Accor.
They have a significant presence around Asia, and we are confident that
the two companies will continue to find future business opportunities to
explore together."
|
Meritus Relinquishes Managment of Hanoi
Property Following Change of Ownership
SINGAPORE, SEPTEMBER 1, 2001 - Meritus Hotels & Resorts
wishes to announce that following the change in the ownership of the Meritus
Westlake Hanoi, it will relinquish its management of the hotel with effect
from September 1, 2001.
Meritus was appointed the hotel management company when
its parent company, Overseas Union Enterprise Ltd, (OUE), took up a minority
stake in Westlake International Company (WIC) alongside with Pidemco Land
(now known as CapitaLand). When CapitaLand announced its intention to divest
its ownership of this property in Hanoi, OUE opted to follow suit.
Meritus� President, Michael Ow, said that these developments
have made it necessary for Meritus to re-rationalise its presence in Vietnam.
It is strategically more attractive for Meritus to concentrate in destinations
where OUE has interest to expand.
He said that nevertheless, Meritus Hotels & Resorts
is proud of the fact that since the official opening of the
322-room deluxe hotel in September 1998, it has successfully
positioned the property as the premier hotel in the capital city of Vietnam.
The hotel has been the official venue of numerous ASEAN Ministerial Meetings
as well as key international conferences and events.
In the year 2000, two years after it opened, Meritus Westlake
was officially conferred the prestigious national 5-STAR AWARD by the Vietnam
National Administration of Tourism (VNAT). Following that, it was named
one of Vietnam�s TOP TEN HOTELS of the year. In February 2001, Meritus
Westlake was named the BEST BUSINESS HOTEL IN HANOI.
Mr Ow said that his most immediate concern was to assure
the employees of the hotel that Meritus� withdrawal from the property should
not affect their employment in the hotel. He also said that Meritus will
secure the agreement of the new owners to honour all contracts entered
into, including reservations accepted, during its management period. He
assures the public and travel trade partners that the change will not affect
the hotel�s operations nor its customers. |
|
In addition to the Sofitel Plaza Hanoi, Accor currently manages the 290-room
Sofitel Plaza Saigon, in which UOL through its subsidiary holds equity
interest; UOL's wholly owned 146-room Novotel Garden Plaza Saigon in Ho
Chi Minh City, and UOL's majority owned 359-room Sofitel Plaza Yangon.
According to Mr Dobel, the Sofitel Plaza Hanoi would perfectly complement
the historic Sofitel Metropole Hanoi, offering business and leisure travellers
two exciting locations from which to experience Vietnam's unique northern
hospitality.
| "The Metropole has traditionally been strong
in the corporate market and has also attracted travellers fascinated by
the history of the hotel. The Sofitel Plaza Hanoi is a modern hotel located
in a different part of the capital that will appeal to another market segment,"
Mr Dobel, said.
Other Accor managed hotels in Vietnam include the Sofitel Dalat Palace,
Novotel Dalat and the Novotel Coralia Phan Thiet.
|
Sofitel Plaza Hanoi -
formerly the Meritus Westlake Hanoi
1 Thanh Nien Road, Ba Dinh District,
Hanoi, Vietnam
|
The announcement of the Sofitel Plaza Hanoi follows recent Sofitel launches
in Bangkok, New York, Paris, Tokyo and Siem Reap; with additional Sofitels
scheduled to open over the next year in London, Buenos Aires, Chicago and
Washington.
Sofitel is the premier brand of Accor hotels, with over 150 properties
that bring a unique « art de vivre à la française »
to prime locations around the world.
With 145,000 associates in 140 countries, Accor is the European leader
and one of the world's largest groups in travel, tourism and corporate
services, with two major international activities. |
