Accor lines up Max Myanmar hotel deal

French hotel chain Accor is negotiating to partner with Max Myanmar to open a Novotel Hotel in Yangon, a spokesperson for the Myanmar conglomerate said last week.

The proposed hotel would be established in a Max Myanmar property known as Pyay Tower on Pyay Road. Max Myanmar Hotel Group project manager U Bo Chan Tun said the proposed hotel will have 366 rooms, including 159 rooms in 14-storey Tower A and 207 rooms in 16-storey Tower B.


“The building is owned by Max Myanmar Group but we are now in negotiations for the operational management of the hotel to be handled by Accor Hospitality. The name of this hotel will be Novotel Hotel (Yangon),” he told The Myanmar Times.

The hotel will feature a presidential suite, penthouse, ball room, meeting room, conference rooms, café, wine bar, French restaurant, swimming pool, fitness centre, spa and tennis court.

He said the hotel will help to alleviate the shortage of hotel rooms in Yangon and also create job opportunities.

“After finishing this hotel project, I hope we will be able to recruit more than 600 staff,” he said. “Developing a big hotel with many rooms like this will help to meet demand for hotel rooms.”

The building structure was designed by Singapore-based International Interior Design Association (IIDA), while Vietnam-based AA Corporation has been engaged for the interior design, he said.

Pyay Tower was formerly a joint project between four construction companies – National Development Companies Group, ACE, A1 and Wah Wah Win – and the government. Construction started in 2001 but quickly stalled because of financial problems and Max Myanmar acquired the 60 percent privately held stake in 2009-10.

Earlier this month, Bangkok Post reported that the world’s second-largest hotel chain, Best Western, will open its first Myanmar property in 2013.

The hotel chain is looking at locations in Yangon and Mandalay, the report said.

Best Western, which manages more than 4000 properties worldwide, has been discussing franchising and ownership options of the hotels in Myanmar with potential investors, Mr Glenn de Souza, Bangkok-based vice president of international operations for Asia and the Middle East at Best Western, was quoted as saying.

source: The Myanmar Times
http://www.mmtimes.com/index.php/business/property-news/4109-accor-lines-up-max-myanmar-hotel-deal.html