Accor Spends Canadian Dollars On Novotel Properties

By Carolyn Green / July 30, 2000

<B>Accor Spends Canadian Dollars On Novotel Properties</B>

By Carolyn Green

French hotelier Accor North America has invested about US$8.4 million upgrading three Novotel hotels, which includes a US$3.4 million addition to its Novotel Montreal Centre and an additional US$5 million to renovate two Toronto properties--the 325-room Novotel Mississauga and the Novotel North York.

"These hotels were opened in the mid-'80s," said Didier Obeuf, Accor's regional manager for Canada. "They were tired and we felt we had to bring them up to date. We had to do it to justify rate increases, to keep our customers satisfied with our products and to remain competitive." Obeuf said a hefty chunk of Accor's investment was directed at its Montreal property, where it expanded the building sideways and added 26 guest rooms to the existing 200, as well as a dedicated 4,000-sq.-ft. multimedia conference suite. The renovation was completed late last year.

Designed for small to midsize corporate meetings, the four-room conference center features state-of-the-art technology that includes high-performance sound systems featuring wireless microphones, high-speed ISDN lines for Internet connections, etc. Three rooms have ceiling-mounted projectors while the other room has rear-screen projection. Unlike traditional meeting rooms where banquet chairs and tables are reconfigured to suit a client's meeting or food and beverage requirements, conference suite rooms have permanent U-shaped tables and ergonomic chairs.

At the company's North York property in North Toronto, about US$1.3 million was invested to renovate the 8,000 square feet of meeting space, which can accommodate a 300-person group, and replace the fitness center equipment. As well, an additional US$1.7 million was spent on the guest rooms, replacing carpeting, drapes, mattresses, lighting, etc. Accor also spent about US$2 million on its Mississauga facility. The renovation included refurbishment of the lobby and all 16 meeting rooms.