PARIS--Accor Hotels is delighted to announce that it is joining British Airways, Avis and The Daily Mail as part of the Backing Britain campaign launched this week.
As one of the leading global hotel groups with over 4,000 hotels worldwide and as a preferred hotel partner to British Airways and UKTI, Accor Hotels will match the airlines’ offer of 5,000 free flights with 5,000 free room nights worldwide, to anyone that qualifies for the British Airways offer.
Frédéric Fontaine, Accor head of sales, Marketing and Distribution, UK and Ireland said: "We are wholehearted supporters of this campaign. Small businesses are the beating heart of the British economy and it's absolutely right that their importance and value is recognised and supported. It is with great pleasure that we back this outstanding initiative and offer 5,000 free nights to match SME's earning 5000 free British Airways flights. This initiative is in line with our longstanding commitment to small businesses for who we offer a free to join SME scheme – called Accor Away On Business - providing them with instant registration and access to up to 10% discounts on our best on line rates across 1,300 hotels and seven brands (Sofitel, Pullman, Novotel, Mercure, Ibis, All Seasons and Hôtels Barrière) to match all budget needs. The scheme also includes an upgrade to its AIClub worldwide loyalty programme. With Accor Hotels, SME’s can lower their costs without lowering their standards.”
Accor’s offer of 5000 free room nights is a half a million pound investment - to encourage trade and travel to stimulate international business.
Accor Hotels is in the process of finalising terms and conditions of the proposal with UK Trade & Investment (UKTI) and British American Business, who are also backing the campaign.
For more information, or to register free to the SME Accor Away on Business scheme, please visit www.accorawayonbusiness.co.uk
More details of the offer including how to apply will be available within the next few days – please visit www.ukan.uktradeinvest.gov.uk for further details.
Accor
Accor, the European leader and a major global group in hotels, the global leader in services to corporate clients and public institutions, operates in nearly 100 countries with 170,000 employees. It offers to its clients over 40 years of expertise in its two core businesses:
- Hotels, with the Sofitel, Pullman, Novotel, Mercure, Suitehotel, Ibis, all seasons, Etap Hotel, Formule 1 and Motel 6 brands, representing more than 4,000 hotels and nearly 500,000 rooms in 90 countries, as well as strategically related activities, such as Lenôtre.
- Services, with 30 million people in 40 countries benefiting from Accor Services products in human resources, marketing services and expense management.
Sofitel Luxury Hotels
Sofitel has made each of its hotels around the world a truly unique establishment. Combining the spirit of each place with the values of modernity, refinement and absolute comfort, they are all imbued in their inimitable way with the French “art de vivre”. Whether their setting is a great business metropolis like Paris, New York or Bangkok, or a holiday location in Indonesia, Polynesia or Brazil, each Sofitel hotel offers travellers a genuine haven of peace, so that each guest, for an overnight stay or longer, during a business trip or for a holiday, can enjoy the rich variety of these unique places in complete comfort.
In the UK there are three Sofitel hotels - Sofitel St James London, Sofitel London Heathrow and Sofitel London Gatwick.
Mercure
Within Accor, Mercure embodies the hospitality know-how that makes every stay unique. For both business and leisure travels, the 758 Mercure hotels form a family united around common values: the specific personality of each establishment, the quality of the attention reserved to each client, its cultural reflection of the city and the region, the Grands Vins Mercure. Comfort, service quality and hospitality are the foundations of the reputation of all Mercure hotels in 49 countries.
Novotel
Novotel offers nearly 400 hotels and resorts located in the heart of major international cities, business districts and tourist destinations. Everywhere, the brand upholds its fundamental values of modernity, good design, simplicity and efficiency so that today's travellers feel naturally at home.
Through a consistent top quality offer, Novotel contributes to the well-being of business and leisure travellers alike. Guests will always find spacious rooms with flexible features adapted to both work and relaxation, a balanced choice of food and beverages available around the clock, and friendly, attentive staff, plus children's play areas, fitness centres and places to relax.
Meeting@Novotel provides the perfect combination of customized planning and guaranteed services that businessmen and women need to organize their events.
Family&Novotel reflects Novotel's expertise in catering to family holidays. At easy-on-the-budget prices, families enjoy a special welcome and many extras just for the children.
Novotel has long been committed to promoting sustainable development through its active involvement in the Accor Group's Earth Guest program. Today, it reaffirms this position by pledging to achieve Green Globe environmental certification for its entire network by 2010.
In 2008, the Novotel network includes 387 hotels and resorts, representing a total of more than 69,000 rooms, in 61 countries. By 2010 it will have an additional 20,000 rooms and be present in 70 countries.
Ibis
ibis, the worldwide economy hotels brand of the Accor group, offers consistent quality accommodation and services in all its hotels, for the best local value: a well-designed and fully-equipped en-suite bedroom, major hotel services available 24/7 and a wide choice of on-site food and beverage options. The quality of the ibis standard has been recognised by the International Organization for Standardization certification ISO 9001 since 1997. ibis is also the world’s first hotel chain to demonstrate its environmental commitment through securing the ISO 14001 certification, which has already been awarded to nearly one third of its hotels. Established in 1974, ibis is the European leader and the fifth economy hotels chain in the world, with 769 hotels in 38 countries, including 48 across the UK and one in Ireland. The brand is rapidly growing its worldwide network and will total 1200 hotels in 2010. For additional information, please visit www.ibishotel.com.
Etap
Etap Hotel is the smart choice for travellers. With over 370 hotels located in city centres, near motorways or airports in 10 European countries, Etap Hotel is ideal for stop-overs and offers comfortable rooms at great prices, so you can enjoy extra spending money. Be smart, stay smart with Etap Hotel.
Outside Europe (South Africa, Australia, Brazil, Indonesia, Japan, New Zealand), over 50 hotels offer the same level of accommodation and service quality under the Formule 1 brand.