HYATT CHECKS OUT OF AUCKLAND AS PULLMAN CHECKS IN

A new era has begun for Auckland’s most prominent 5-star hotel, with Hyatt Regency checking-out of the city and Pullman Auckland Hotel & Residences checking in.

The Hyatt was New Zealand’s first 5-star hotel and commands a central position in the heart of Auckland’s commercial and retail district.

Accor management took over at the hotel following the sale of the hotel to new owners. The change-over also marked Accor’s ascendancy to New Zealand’s largest hotel group, with a total of 29 hotels and 4017 rooms across the country – 500 rooms more than its nearest competitor. Accor will increase its network further in mid-year when it adds Novotel and Formule 1 hotels at Auckland Airport.

Accor Vice President New Zealand, Paul Richardson said that the new owners would undertake some minor upgrades of the hotel, but as all rooms had received a NZ$7 million refurbishment just two years ago, the hotel was in excellent condition and is an ideal addition to the Pullman network.

“The launch of Pullman will be very beneficial for Auckland’s tourism sector with a fresh approach to upscale hospitality,” he said. “Over the coming months, we will be enhancing the hotel to bring the property up to Pullman standard, providing a complete array of personalised services and innovative technologies including a Connectivity Lounge and the groundbreaking ‘Co-Meeting’ concept which ensures flawless success for meetings and events.”

The Pullman hotel offers 267 rooms, suites and apartments, with three Pullman Executive levels, all of which were refurbished in 2009. The hotel is one of Auckland’s leading hotels for conferences and events with facilities capable of hosting functions for up to 1000 delegates. Facilities range from a grand ballroom to the Top of the Town boardroom, one of Auckland’s most exclusive venues, which is located on the top floor of the hotel, providing superb views of the harbour, city and parks

A feature of the hotel’s facilities is the Spa and Health Club, one of the largest of its kind in New Zealand. Available to hotel guests and external clients, the Spa includes six treatment rooms, gymnasium, a 25 meter heated lap pool with a retractable roof, steam room, jacuzzi, juice bar and spa boutique

While making its debut in New Zealand, Pullman has a rich heritage in the global hospitality and tourism world. It is the fastest growing 5-star brand in the Asia Pacific region, with major additions in countries such as Vietnam, China, India, and Malaysia, building on the existing network in Australia, Thailand, Malaysia, South Korea and China as well as in Europe. The Pullman network already extends to over 50 hotels in some of the world’s most renowned cities and is set to double in size over the next three years.

ABOUT PULLMAN

Pullman is Accor’s upscale hotel brand designed with the requirements of business women and men in mind.

Located in the main regional and international cities, Pullman hotels provide an extensive range of tailored services, access to groundbreaking technologies, and “Co-Meeting”, a new approach to organizing meetings, seminars and high-end incentives. At Pullman hotels, business travelers can choose between being independent or choosing help from our staff available round the clock.

By the end of 2010, the Pullman network will include 60 hotels across Europe, Africa, Middle East, Asia-Pacific and Latin America. In time, we anticipate a network of over 150 establishments around the world.

Further information concerning Pullman hotels is available on the website www.pullmanhotels.com.