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Accor is
aiming to revolutionise China’s economy
hotel sector with the opening of Hotel Ibis Tianjin in the Chinese industrial heartland outside Beijing.
Hotel Ibis Tianjin is offering an opening rate of 148RMB (US$18) on weekdays
and 128RMB on weekends until 30 April, making it one of, if not, the lowest rate for an internationally branded hotel in China.
The Ibis is situated in the Technology and Development Industrial Area
(TEDA) Tianjin, just 11/2 hours drive from Beijing, which is home to many of
the Fortune 500 companies doing business in China. Facilities include 154
rooms, meeting room, bar, restaurant (Kafe Noodles), coin laundry and business
centre.
Accor’s launch of its economy hotel division in China recognises the
changing travel patterns in the country. These include the strength of a
rapidly growing domestic economy and a move by Chinese corporations away
from top-end accommodation in preference for mid-market and economy hotels.
Accor Asia
Pacific Managing Director, Mr Michael Issenberg, said: “The hotel’s rate and location will attract Chinese and international business
travellers with factories and offices in TEDA Tianjin, and domestic holiday
leisure visitors from provincial cities in China.
“At present there are no other international brands operating in China that
satisfy this market need, despite demand growing rapidly. Even those companies that
have announced plans to follow Accor’s lead into China’s economy sector will
take a number of years before they can unveil product of the quality of Ibis.”
Two more Ibis hotels in China have been announced – Hotel Ibis Chengdu
(opening early 2005) in Sichuan Province and Hotel Ibis Qingdao (opening end
2005).
The opening of Hotel Ibis Tianjin follows the huge success of the Ibis brand
in Korea. The 317-room Hotel Ibis Seoul opened October 2003 and has exceeded
all market expectations, benefiting from its premier location in the heart
of Seoul’s Daechi-dong business district.
Occupancy during November and December 2003, Hotel Ibis Seoul’s first two
full months of operation, averaged 75 per cent, with 69 percent of that coming from
corporate FIT. The largest single nationality was Korean (35 per cent), showing a
high level of acceptance among the domestic business community. Over 88 per
cent of guests returning comment cards said they were either satisfied or very
satisfied with the hotel’s product and service.
The expansion of the economy hotel sector in Asia follows Accor’s pioneering
development of the sector in Europe, the UK, North America and Australia.
More recently, Accor has successfully introduced its three-star Ibis brand
in Indonesia, Hong Kong and New Zealand, and the two-star Formule 1 brand in
Australia and Japan.
Over 2,500 of Accor’s total of 4,000 hotels are in the economy hotel sector. |
