Dubai, United Arab Emirates, 17 November 2013

Accor to operate a cluster of two new properties under Ibis and Adagio brands in Doha, Qatar

Accor Middle East, one of the leading hospitality groups in the region, signed a management agreement to operate two new hotels, a 3-star ibis hotel (150 guest rooms) and a midscale aparthotel Adagio (150 apartments) in Doha. The two hotels will introduce an innovative and valuable offer in the buoyant Qatar hospitality market, to which Accor demonstrates its commitment as the Group continues its dynamic expansion strategy across the Middle East.

Christophe Landais, Managing Director for Accor Middle East said, “We are excited with this outstanding project which will definitely fill a gap in the hospitality market of Doha, being the perfect hub for regional and international business, as well as MICE events. Our guests visiting Doha will appreciate and welcome the international service and reliability offered by ibis and Adagio, renowned for the levels of comfort and value-for-money they offer”.

The hotels are part of a master plan combining hospitality, retail and office space situated in the heart of Doha. The project is located on the C-Ring Road, connecting Doha's central business district, the expanding airport and the Corniche, hence providing easy access from every part of the city and a high degree of visibility.

This new development will see the ibis and Adagio brands and concepts introduced to the Qatar market for the first time, bringing new dimensions to a hospitality segment that already exhibits strong growth potential.

Popular for its modern and simplistic design, the ibis hotel focuses on the well-being of its guests through initiatives that focus on service and comfort. The hotels, designed as a standardised product, each include an element of local flair in its design offering guests a warm and welcoming atmosphere on arrival. The ibis guarantees a consistent level of service through its proximity to transport hubs and business centres, and internationally trained, attentive staff that are committed to achieving the ibis, 15-minute service guarantee.
 
Designed to be a new network of urban aparthotels, the Adagio range offers midscale apartments with optional services for “feeling at ease” in major destinations.The aparthotel Adagio includes a mix of spacious studios, one- and two-bedroom apartments that come fully equipped with kitchen. It offers flexible and dynamic pricing designed for various lengths of stays. Widely regarded throughout Europe as the number one brand in its segment, the Adagio will offer future guests a high standard of service for business and leisure travel with total freedom and independence through the fully equipped apartments.

ibis Doha will complement a regional Ibis network of 12 hotels already in operation and 7 currently under development, whilst Adagio Doha will the 5th branded hotel in the region. The signing of the new properties in Qatar is in line with Accor's strategy to achieve a target network of 100 hotels in the Middle East in three years. Currently Accor has 86 hotels opened or committed, representing over 20,000 rooms.

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Accor MEAccor ME is one of the fastest growing hospitality groups in the Middle East. Currently, the Group's regional portfolio includes a total of 60 operational hotels representing 14,273 rooms in ten countries. Among the existing global brands ranging from Sofitel, Novotel, Mercure and ibis, new brands such as Pullman and Adagio are emerging as strong players in the region.

With over 25 years of regional experience, Accor ME is the first to establish a training academy. Dubbed as Tamheed – Accor Academie Middle East, the training facility is dedicated to educate and prepare staff at all levels and ensure optimal career development.

Accor, the world's leading hotel operator and market leader in Europe, is present in 92 countries with more than 3,500 hotels and 450,000 rooms. Accor's broad portfolio of hotel brands - Sofitel, Pullman, MGallery, Grand Mercure, Novotel, Suite Novotel, Mercure, Adagio, ibis, ibis Styles, ibis budget and hotelF1 - provide an extensive offer from luxury to budget. With more than 160,000 employees in Accor brand hotels worldwide, the Group offers its clients and partners 45 years of know-how and expertise.

www.accor.com | www.accorhotels.com

IbisFollowing the stimulation strategy dedicated to the economic brands of Accor Group, first hotel operator worldwide with over 3,500 hotels in 92 countries, ibis evolves. Amongst the main innovations, a plan of evolution for the bedding and a new set up for the common spaces, as an illustration of the high level of service, the ultimate comfort and the caring and efficiency that characterize the brand. Ibis is the first hotel chain to obtain the ISO 9001 certification – 84% of the network certified – for is professionalism and reliability. More than a third of the ibis network is also certified ISO 14001, giving concrete expression to the brand's environmental involvement. Established in 1974, ibis is the European Leader and the 4th economy hotel chain in the world, with more than 117,171 rooms and 957 hotels in 55 countries.

www.ibis.com
About Aparthotels Adagio:The Aparthotels Adagio, N°1 in Europe, offer comfortable and spacious apartments in urban locations, with fully equipped kitchen and hotels services for extended stays based on attractive tiered pricing from fourth night onwards.
Created in partnership with Accor and Pierre & Vacances Center Parcs Groups, the brand provides 2 product ranges:
- Adagio, the upper midscale aparthotels in the heart of Europe's leading cities;
- Adagio access, economic range, aparthotels located on cities' doorstep.
The network has 100 aparthotels and 10,000 apartments in Europe, targeting 150 aparthotels and 19,000 apartments in the world by 2016.