EUROPE
Accor's US hotels depress annual figures
French group Accor has reported a 0.3% decline in hotel turnover to €5.03b (£3.3b) during 2002. Total group sales fell by 2.1% to €7.1b (£4.6b), although like-for-like turnover increased by 0.9%. Sales rose by 0.6% in Accor's business and leisure hotels division and by 3.4% in its European economy hotels, but fell by 4.2% in its US economy hotels.
Hilton Vienna to be Austria's biggest hotel
The Hilton Vienna closes its doors this month for a €61m (£40.2m) revamp that will make it Austria's largest hotel and conference centre when it reopens in the spring. The new conference centre will have an 800sq m room for up to 1,000 delegates, plus 10 other meeting rooms ranging from 60sq m to 440sq m. The refurbishment will also upgrade all 570 bedrooms and add a new fitness centre, day spa, restaurant and bar.
Phnom Penn management partnership for Accor
Accor of France is to manage the newly built five-star Sofitel Royal Phnom Penn hotel, which opens in the Cambodian capital in December 2004 and is owned by Thai Nakorn Patana Co, Accor's partner in the Sofitel Royal Angkor in Siem Reap. Facilities will include 188 bedrooms - including 32 studios with kitchens - a business centre, swimming pool, golf driving range, two tennis courts, a children's playground, a spa and library.
FAR EAST
Raffles group reveals 16% profit rise
Raffles Holdings, whose properties include the Swissôtel chain and the Raffles hotel in Singapore, has announced a 16% rise in operating profit during 2003 to S$86.2m (£30.1m). Hotels boosted their profit contribution by S$27.8m (£16m) and maintained revenue per available room; but the group expects conditions to remain "challenging" during 2003.
Ascott boosts turnover at apart-hotels
Singapore-based Ascott Group saw turnover in its apart-hotels division increase by 13% to S$156.6m (£54.65m) last year. Chief executive Kee Teck Koon said: "Our serviced residence business continues to grow strongly, especially in China and Vietnam. But the general global economic slowdown has weakened a few of our serviced residence markets, particularly in Singapore and the UK."
Chinese New Year hotel blaze kills 33
Thirty-three people were killed by a fire that swept through the Tiantan hotel in Harbin, capital of China's north-western Heilongjiang province, near the Russian border. More than 100 people who were celebrating Chinese New Year at the hotel were evacuated.
REST OF THE WORLD
Fairmont to manage new-build hotel in Abu Dhabi
North America's Fairmont Hotels & Resorts has signed a deal with the National Investment Corporation of Abu Dhabi to manage its second hotel in the United Arab Emirates. The 300-bedroom resort will be built on a landscaped breakwater in Abu Dhabi and is expected to open in early 2005. It will complement the existing Fairmont Dubai, which is primarily a business hotel.
Starwood enters Vietnam with Sheraton Saigon
Starwood Hotels & Resorts makes its hotel debut in Vietnam this May with the opening of the 23-storey, 382-bedroom Sheraton Saigon Hotel & Towers in Ho Chi Minh City. The hotel, which includes 19,000sq ft of meeting and function space, an 8,000sq ft ballroom and designer boutiques, will be integrated with the 92 Sheraton executive apartments that opened last year.