Novotel and a genuine commitment to football

Novotel has a solid portfolio of football sponsorships throughout the world � with 3 key major partnerships: Novotel became the major partner of Olympique Lyonnais in 2006, France's leading professional football club, which has been French Champion seven times running and participates in the European Champions League. Since 2001, Novotel has also partnered the Danone Nations Cup, which allows over 2.5 million children aged from 10 to 12 to participate in an international tournament in 40 countries and develop their passion for football. This year, in Brazil, Novotel became Official Partner of the National Beach Soccer Team.

Ray Stone � Senior Vice President Sales and Marketing for Accor Asia Pacific says �Many of the 83 Novotel hotels and resorts within Asia Pacific, are located in cities that have representative teams in this exciting and essential club level competition. The sponsorship exposes the Novotel brand through the television and print broadcast and also serves to connect our hotels with their local clubs and communities. We are delighted to extend this valuable sponsorship for another 2 years and even happier that Novotel is sponsoring both the Asian and Middle East competitions.�

An opportunity to raise international visibility to serve ongoing development of the Brand:

This sponsorship contract, signed with AFC Champions League for a renewable period of two years, gives Novotel wide media exposure (advertising billboards in stadiums, TV, radio, posters, press and web advertising, etc.), guarantees new international public relations opportunities (tickets, VIP invitations, press conferences, etc.) and allows the Brand to develop its commercial relations with participating clubs, organisers, the media and other sponsor companies, as well as fans of the different clubs. This commitment will serve the ongoing development of the Brand, which already has 83 hotels in the Asia-Pacific region (with 22 more to open in the coming 2 years) and 5 hotels in the Middle East, where there are plans to open 3 more Novotels during 2009.

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AFC Champions League 2009 � Format

The AFC Champions League, Asia�s premier club competition, has been re launched for 2009 with greater prize money and a new format. This year�s group stage features 32 teams in eight groups, four in the west and four in the east, with all opponents playing each other home and away. In the round of 16, the competition remains split by zones as each of the first-placed teams plays one match at home against a second-placed side. The eight winners are then entered into a draw, with the quarter-finals and semi-finals played in home-and away formats. The final will be held for the first time over one leg, in the National Stadium in Tokyo on November 7, when the champions will win US$1.5 million and the runners-up US$750,000.

Novotel operates nearly 400 hotels and resorts in 60 countries in the hearts of major international cities, business districts and tourist destinations. Throughout the world, our staff upholds the brand's fundamental values of distinctly modern design, simplicity and efficiency, making today's travellers feel naturally at home. Offering comprehensive hotel services, Novotel ensures the well-being of business and leisure travelers alike. Guests will always find spacious rooms that easily adapt to both work and relaxation, a balanced choice of food and beverages available around the clock, and friendly, attentive staff, plus children's play areas, fitness centers and places to relax.

Novotel has long strived to promote sustainable development through its active involvement in the Accor Group's Earth Guest program. Today we strengthen this commitment by pledging to achieve Green Globe environmental certification for our entire network by 2010.

AFC Contacts Natasha Storer Marketing Manager World Sport Group Limited Tel: +852 2586 6510 M: +852 9276 0439 e: n.storer@worldsportgroup.com.hk

Novotel Contacts Evan Lewis Vice President Communications Accor Asia Pacific T: +65 6408 8840 M: +65 9853 2441 e: evan.lewis@accor.com