BANGKOK, The Guangdong Airport Management Corporation has appointed Accor to manage the only hotel at the new international airport in Guangzhou, the gateway city to the booming commercial southern China region. The Novotel Baiyun Airport Guangzhou is scheduled to open in October 2005.

Accor Asia Pacific Managing Director, Michael Issenberg, and Guangdong Airport Management Corporation Vice President, Liu Zi Jing, signed the contract for the new Novotel today.

Guangzhou New Baiyun International Airport is expected to rival Hong Kong's Chek Lap Kok, with a capacity to handle up to 60 million passengers a year by 2010.

The 450-room hotel is only a short five-minute walk from the main terminal and easily accessible from both the arrival or departure halls. The airport is located in Guangzhou's Huadu district, 28 kilometres north of downtown.

Once completed Novotel Baiyun Airport Guangzhou will offer four restaurants and a lobby lounge, a 450sqm multi-function meeting space, health centre, swimming pool and business centre.

Accor Managing Director Asia Pacific Michael Issenberg said Novotel Baiyun Airport Guangzhou gave Accor a high profile hotel in one of China's busiest international airports

"This is an outstanding opportunity for Accor as Guangzhou is a major hub in southern China, both for leisure and corporate travellers. We now have a significant presence in all of China's major gateway cities and this hotel will be part of our rapid expansion throughout the country.

"It is very significant that Accor's co-founder, Paul Dubrule, is in China for this signing as he has been a great advocate for China and has been instrumental in pioneering Accor's development in the country."

Novotel Baiyun Airport Guangzhou is Accor's second major airport hotel signing in Asia this year, having already announced the management agreement for the exclusive hotel at Bangkok's new Suvarnabhumi Airport last month.

The Novotel Suvarnabhumi Airport is scheduled to open in September 2005.

These hotels will join an extensive network of airport hotels that comprises 60 hotels in 18 countries, including 20 under the Novotel brand. These include hotels at some of the world's busiest airports in cities such as

Paris, London, Frankfurt, Chicago and Sydney.

The addition of Novotel Baiyun Airport Guangzhou will grow Accor's China hotel network to over 40 hotels by the end of 2006 under its Sofitel, Novotel, Century and Ibis brands.

With 158,000 people 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:

  • hotels: nearly 4,000 hotels (462,000 rooms) in 90 countries, casinos, travel agencies, and restaurants;
  • services to corporate clients and public institutions: 14 million people in 34 countries use a broad range of services (food vouchers, people care and services, incentive, loyalty programs, events) engineered and managed by Accor.

Tom Racette
(662) 267 0810 ext 2008
Accor Asia