Chinese travellers celebrating Chinese New Year (31 January 2014) in New Zealand are set to receive a warm welcome at Accor hotels across the country.

The Year of the Horse will gallop into life throughout eight Accor properties for Chinese New Year celebrations. From Lanterns adorning lobbies to special menus and red envelopes on turn down, guests staying for Chinese New Year will feel right at home during the festive period.

Novotel Queenstown Lakeside has enlisted the services of a local florist to help transform the hotel's lobby and restaurant with fragrant and flourishing blooms to celebrate the festival including plum blossoms arranged with bamboo and pine springs. The hotel will also offer guests foods that represent good fortune and wealth in Chinese tradition.

Across the lake at Hotel St Moritz - a member of the MGallery Collection, the 5-star hotel will display Chinese lanterns and Mandarin trees at the hotel entrance as treat guests to horse-shaped cookies, gold coins and give away custom bookmarks adorned with horse symbolism and red tassel.  Mercure Queenstown Resort is also participating in the Chinese New Year celebrations.

The festivities will continue further north at Novotel Auckland Ellerslie with special Chinese inspired buffet menu for $55 per person to kick start the Chinese New Year on Friday 31 January. A set menu to celebrate the festival will also run from 20 - 30 January.  Accor's 5-star Pullman Auckland hotel will adorn its entrance and magnificent trees with Chinese lanterns and make Chinese guests feel at home.

Outside of Auckland, Novotel and Ibis Rotorua welcome the highest concentration of Chinese visitors in New Zealand, favouring the natural wonders and healing powers of the geothermal region and distinctive centre of Maori culture. These two hotels will similarly surprise and delight guests with festive red lantern and floral displays in the lobby, red envelop gifts and good fortune food offered in the restaurant and at reception.

Accor launched its innovative Optimum Service Standards program for Chinese inbound travellers in New Zealand in April 2013, and now has eight hotels accredited to the program.

The Optimum Service Standards include Mandarin speaking staff, translation of hotel welcome kits, business cards, area maps and in-room menus, adaptor plugs and Chinese newspapers provided to guests. Hotel mini-bars stock Chinese teas and the breakfast buffets include Congee, soups and noodles with Chinese utensils.

Vice President Accor New Zealand, Fiji & Japan, Garth Simmons, said "Since the launch of the program in New Zealand just 8 months ago we have already seen the impact that our Chinese Optimum Service Standards have made in terms of booking growth with a 26.1% increase year on year to Accor versus the national growth of 18.7%."

"Chinese Optimum Service Standards show Chinese travellers arriving in New Zealand that we not only want the Chinese market but that we are pulling out all stops to provide them the best possible service."

"Chinese visitors are increasingly sophisticated and they have high expectations in terms of service. Accor has introduced specific training that ensure our staff are attuned to the sensitivities and preferences of our Chinese guests so that they experience New Zealand in the best way possible when they get here."

For more information about Accor's Chinese Optimum Service Standards and special offers visit www.accorhotels.com/chinaoss

-ENDS-

Media contact:

Ginni Post          

Accor Hotels

P: (02) 9280 9874

E: ginni.post@accor.com