with the signing of the landmark Park Lanehotel to the group’supscale Pullman brand , Accor celebrates its 600th hotel in Asia Pacific.

Accor has announced its 600th hotel in Asia Pacific with the signing of the landmark Park Lane hotel to the group’s upscale Pullman brand. The rebranding of the Park Lane Hotel to Pullman is doubly significant because it is the brand’s 50th hotel in the region, representing enormous growth since Pullman Hotels debuted in late 2007.

Accor, the leading international hotel operator in Asia Pacific, has announced its milestone 600th hotel in the region with the signing of The Park Lane Hong Kong to its upscale Pullman brand. The announcement comes as The Park Lane celebrates it 40th anniversary and signifies a new era for the hotel.

"The addition of The Park Lane Hong Kong to the Pullman brand is a huge milestone for Accor because it brings us a strategic hotel in the centre of one of the world’s most important business and tourism hubs at a time when Pullman is really affirming itself as one of the most exciting hotel brands in the region, " said Michael Issenberg, Chairman and CEO of Accor Asia Pacific, "The fact that it becomes our 600th hotel in the region is further cause for celebration because it is testament to Accor’s strong growth in the region and our investment in Pullman as a brand of the future. The Park Lane’s relaunch on 1 January 2015 will, I am sure, signify a very strong year for the Pullman brand, with more than 40 more Pullman hotels in the pipeline across the region for the new few years. "

The Park Lane is one of Hong Kong’s most beloved hotels, boasting 826 rooms in the centre of Causeway Bay.  While the hotel is very well maintained, a full renovation program has begun to bring it to Pullman’s exacting global standards which will include a make-over of the Park Lane Suites,executive floors, dining outlets, meeting rooms and executive lounge.  With its roof top garden terrace boasting spectacular views over Hong Kong, the Park Lane features three restaurants and bars, 14 meeting rooms with a total of 10,371 sqft. of event space, a gym and wellness centre complete with sauna and steam bath, as well as a range of room styles to suit every type of traveller from business executives to families in one of the best locations in town. The interior design elements of the rooms will be overseen by LRI Hong Kong with renovations phased to avoid disruption to guests and the hotel will remain open throughout.

"We are very excited to join the Accor family and the Pullman brand and believe this will open The Park Lane hotel to greater distribution channels and more guests from across the globe," said Luc Bollen, Regional Director Park Lane Hotels International. "Pullman is the perfect brand for The Park Lane because it appeals to today’s cosmopolitan and connected traveller looking for upscale services and excellent business and meeting facilities. Our owners, Victoria Park Hotels Ltd are spending $200m HKD in the next two years to rejuvenate the hotel and we look forward to this new journey after celebrating 40 successful years in business."

In just over seven years since its launch, Pullman has become one of the most dynamic upscale hotel brands in the region, quickly establishing itself as the largest five-star hotel brand in Australia and Accor’s fastest-growing brand in Greater China. The Pullman brand aims to set new benchmarks in upscale accommodation, with a network of 80 hotels across 23 countries and 5 continents. Pullman hotels are typically vibrant hubs of exchange, offering tailored services, innovative technologies and a new approach to organising meetings. With contemporary architecture and design, a warm welcome and the promise of connectivity, Pullman hotels are aimed at today’s busy and demanding traveller.

The fact that Accor’s 600th hotelis part of the Pullman family is a great symbol of Accor’s future growth in the region, with the group increasingly focused on expansion in the upscale and luxury sector. While Accor launched in Europe in 1967, the group’s first hotel in Asia Pacific - the Novotel Orchid Singapore – opened in 1982. It took Accor 14 years to reach more than 100 hotels in Asia Pacific but from 1997 - 2007 the network tripled in size to over 300. Showing its strong focus on the region, Accor then doubled that network to 600, achieving in just six years what had previously taken 25 years.

Development has now reached record levels, with an average of one Accor hotel opening per week in Asia Pacific. This growth will continue to climb exponentially along side the growing middle class in the region which is fuelling demand for quality, globally-branded hotel accommodation.

Accor is the world’s leading hotel operator with 3600 hotels across all segments : luxury-upscale with Sofitel, Pullman, MGallery, Grand Mercure and The Sebel ; midscale with Novotel, Suite Novotel, Mercure and Adagio ; and economy with ibis, ibis Styles, ibis budget and Formule 1/hotelF1.