Accor to expand in UK with seven Ibis hotels
French hotel group Accor is to open seven properties in the UK under its budget Ibis brand.
The hotels - in Canning Town, London; Greenwich, London; London Heathrow Airport; Crewe; Barnsley; Haydock; and Birmingham NEC - include one property under the prescriptive Ibis badge, while the rest are branded as Ibis Styles, a brand which offers more flexibility and individuality.
The three hotels in the capital include the 196-bedroom Ibis London Canning Town in the Hallsville Quarter development, which is part of the Canning Town and Custom House mixed-use, regeneration programme. It is being developed by Bougues Development.
Work has already started on a 46-bedroom Ibis Styles hotel in Greenwhich, which is expected to open in early 2016. It will operate under a franchise agreement with Conqueror Holdings.
Meanwhile the third new London hotel will be a 140-bedroom Ibis Styles at London Heathrow Airport, following the signing of a franchise agreement with Acre Heathrow, which is part of Acre Hotels and Westcombe Group. It is set to open in the summer of 2016.
Thomas Dubaere, managing director, Accor UK & Ireland said the signing of the new hotels signal Accor's ambition to strengthen the Ibis brands in the UK.
"The franchise deal for Crewe, Barnsley, Haydock, Birmingham and Greenwich not only reflects the strength of the Ibis Styles brand, but recognises our excellent position as a franchise partner. These new signings are in line with our ongoing strategy to grow our economy offering."
Originally launched in 1974, Ibis has 1,738 properties worldwide, including 92 in the UK.
Across all its 12 brands, which include Sofitel, Mercure and Novetel, Accor, is represented by more than 3,600 hotels globally.
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