Accor to operate 24 hotels for Moorfield Group until 2032
Three Mercure hotels belonging to the Moorfield Group are to rebranded under the MGallery Collection label, following an agreement that Accor will continue to operate 24 hotels on behalf of the real estate and private equity company.
Accor has managed the hotels, under the Mercure brand, since 2007 and will now continue to operate them for a further 20 years.
Under the MGallery Collection, the Ardoe House Hotel and Spa, Aberdeen; Queen's Hotel, Cheltenham; and the Castle Hotel, Windsor (below), will be run as individual properties, but with the benefit of the worldwide distribution capabilities of Accor, which operate 3,600 hotels worldwide. They will join the Francis hotel in Bath to take the tally of MGallery hotels in the UK to four.
Ardoe House Hotel and Spa, Aberdeen
Queen's Hotel, Cheltenham
Castle Hotel, Windsor
There are currently 70 MGallery hotels in 22 countries and the intention is to increase their number in the UK to 10.
Meanwhile, a renovation programme, involving a new public area concept, will see six of Moorfield's existing Mercure hotels upgraded to flagship properties for the brand by 2015, joining the Mercure London Bridge, which is currently the only flagship hotel in the UK.
The hotels are the Holland House Hotel and Spa, Bristol; Holland House Hotel and Spa, Cardiff; Eastgate Hotel, Oxford; St.Paul's Hotel and Spa, Sheffield; Southgate Hotel, Exeter and Burford Bridge Hotel, Box Hill, Surrey.
Thomas Dubaere, managing director, Accor UK & Ireland, said that the company is looking forward to continuing working with Moorfied to drive further growth for its hotels.
.
"With three new elegant hotels in the MGallery Collection and six flagship hotels for Mercure, we are really proving the strength of our brands in the UK, and we are delighted to be working on this project alongside our long-term partner Moorfield."
Heiko Figge, head of operational management at Moorfield, added: "During the last six years we have enjoyed a successful partnership with Accor. The combination of Moorfield's expertise in financing, real estate and operational management has been complemented by Accor's deep knowledge of the hospitality industry and its track record of operational excellence. We are delighted to be extending our relationship with Accor in the UK and look forward to the portfolio's continued outperformance."
Accor currently own and manages a total of 200 hotels in the UK.
Accor to open 24 new Mercure hotels >>
Former Guoman and Thistle boss Heiko Figge moves to Moorfield Group >>