Mercure Sapporo

The Mercure Sapporo opened last week with an elegant ceremony presided over by Fumio Morio, Regional General Manager Accor Japan and Mr Yoshikazu Kitahara of Mitsui Fudosan (the hotels owner). The 285 room hotel is strategically located in the centre of Sapporo, flanked by hundreds of restaurants, bars and entertainment facilities in Susukino and the Sapporo Kokusai Ski slopes are just one hour away. A great base for leisure and business travelers alike, the hotel is a few minutes walk to the central business district, the famous Sapporo TV Tower landmark, where the world famous Sapporo Snow & Ice Festival is organised every year and is attached to a shopping mall.

General Manager � Mercure Hotel Sapporo, Mr Stephane Bryer says �The hotel is now delivering a blend of fine Japanese and French hospitality, that the Mercure brand has become known for in Japan. The interior design of the hotel compliments our approach to service. The guest rooms were designed by renowned French interior designer Isabelle Miaja and are a fusion French style motifs and textures combined with Japanese accents.

The hotel also has a �ladies floor� appealing to the ever increasing number of female travelers � traveling alone. The rooms on these floors feature L�Occitane bathroom amenities, fashion magazines and body pillow. This concept started with the Mercure Hotel Ginza in Tokyo and has proven very popular.

Bordeaux, Mercure Sapporo�s restaurant serves French Cuisine with a selection of signature dishes created by the hotel�s head chef Taisuke Hara, using the finest of local produce. As Mercure guests have come to appreciate, the hotel provides the Grand Vins Mercure Wine List, enabling guests to select a wine to suit their tastes and mood of the moment, with wines from all corners of the globe.

The hotel also provides 5 meeting rooms providing the city with superior facilities and services for events.

Mercure expansion in Asia Pacific

Accor operates 52 Mercure hotels throughout the Asia Pacific and 690 Mercure hotels throughout the world. The Mercure hotel brand is experiencing significant expansion during 2009 throughout Asia Pacific. In addition to the Mercure Sapporo, the Mercure Bangalore, Mercure Samui Fenix and Mercure Samui Buri have all opened in the past weeks. Additionally 14 further Mercure hotels are committed for development throughout the region, including hotels in Chengdu x 2, Zhangiajie (China) Pontianak, Bali, Manado, Solo (Indonesia), Hanoi x 2, Hue (Vietnam), Caroline Springs and Liverpool (Australia).

Special offer

Stay with Mercure Sapporo until October 31, 2009 and for 19,000� which includes daily breakfast as well as airport collection for 2 persons.

For reservations or enquiries online: www.mercure.com

Mercure Hotel Sapporo 2-4, Minami 4-jo, Nishi 2-chome, Chuo-ku, Sapporo Hokkaido, 064-0804 Japan tel. (81) 011-513-1100 fax. (81) 011-513-7575 Reservations email: H7023-RE1@accor.com

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Note to editor:

The hotel is walking distance to key areas of the city including: Sapporo Train station, 2 minutes from the subway, Sapporo Tower and Odori Park � home to Yuki Matsuri � the famous Sapporo Snow Festival (drawing 2 million visitors each year).

Accor operates 3 Mercure hotels in Japan � Mercure Sapporo, Mercure Ginza in Tokyo and Mercure Narita.

Within Accor, Mercure represents professional hotel know-how at the service of a personalised stay. For both business and leisure, the 758 Mercure hotels, which are all unique, respond to all expectations. Comfort, quality of reception and the art of welcoming have made Mercure�s reputation in 49 countries around the world.

Accor, a major global group and the European leader in hotels, as well as the global leader in services to corporate clients and public institutions, operates in nearly 100 countries with 150,000 employees. It offers to its clients over 40 years of expertise in two core businesses: - Hotels, with the Sofitel, Pullman, MGallery, Novotel, Mercure, Suitehotel, Ibis, all seasons, Etap Hotel, Formule 1 and Motel 6 brands, representing 4,000 hotels and nearly 500,000 rooms in 90 countries, as well as strategically related activities, such as Len�tre; - Services, with 30 million people in 40 countries benefiting from Accor Services products in employee and public benefits, rewards and loyalty, and expense management.

More detailed information on Mercure hotels available on www.mercure.com

Accor Press Contact

Evan Lewis Vice President Communications Accor Asia Pacific T : +65 6408 8840 E : evan.lewis@accor.com