Accor signs its largest deal in Asia with four new hotels under one roof

Accor Ambassador Korea partners with Seobu T&D to develop four hotels in Yongsan, Seoul with three brands new to Korea: Grand Mercure, Suite Novotel and ibis Styles

Accor Ambassador Korea, a joint venture between French hotel giant Accor and Korea-based hotel management company Ambassador, announces a significant partnership with Seobu T&D Co., Ltd. to develop four new hotels in one complex in Yongsan, Seoul.

The four hotels are: Grand Mercure Ambassador Seoul Yongsan, Suite Novotel Ambassador Seoul Yongsan, Novotel Ambassador Seoul Yongsan, and ibis Styles Ambassador Seoul Yongsan. This agreement will introduce three hotel brands new to Korea: upscale Grand Mercure, upper-midscale Suite Novotel and economy ibis Styles. The announcement also marks the brand debut of Suite Novotel in the Asia Pacific region.

“We’re ending 2013 with a big bang, signing four new hotels with around 2,000 rooms in one go and introducing three new hotel brands to our South Korea network. This is the largest hotel project we have signed in Asia so far, which will strengthen our position as the largest international hotel operator in South Korea,” said Mr Michael Issenberg, Chairman and Chief Operating Officer of Accor Asia Pacific. “This project would not have been possible without the great support of Chairman Suh Jung Ho of Ambassador Group and the trust we have received from Chairman Man-ho Seung of Seobu T&D for choosing to work with us and our strong hotel brands for these four properties.”

“This new partnership is a great reflection of 26 years of a successful relationship between Accor and Ambassador in Korea. The combination of global brands and standards with local expertise enables a ‘glocal’ hotel management system that works well in South Korea,” said, Mr Patrick Basset, Senior Vice President for Accor South Korea, Thailand, Vietnam, Cambodia, Laos, Myanmar and the Philippines. “The hotels here have performed exceptionally well these past years. With the increasing demand for international brands in the country, we anticipate that these four hotels will be another successful story of our partnership in Korea.”

The hotel project will be strategically located in Yongsan-dong in central Seoul near Yeouido Business District (YBD) and Central Business District (CBD). It is just a stone’s throw away from the Yongsan railway and subway station (Line 1) and Shin-Yongsan subway station (Line 4). Consisting of approximately 2,000 rooms, the project will open in phases beginning in mid-2017.

Accor in Korea

Accor first entered into South Korea with the establishment of a partnership with Ambassador Group 26 years ago. Accor is the largest international operator of hotels in South Korea, operating 12 hotels with nearly 3,500 rooms, and covering a range of segments including upscale Pullman, mid-scale Novotel and Mercure, and economy ibis.