Accor of France has announced plans to open 100 hotels in mainland China within five years. David Baffsky, the Asia-Pacific chairman of the world's largest hotel group, said his aim was to double Accor's number of rooms in the region.
In 2001, Accor established a joint venture with -Zenith Hotels International, one of the leading hotel management companies in China. Zenith has eight hotel properties in China and another four under development. Accor is one of several international operators looking to expand in China. Starwood Hotels and Resorts is selling assets in Europe and the US to fund expansion in the region. In October, the Regent International hotel chain, owned by Carlson Hotels World wide of the US, announced a US$100m global expansion that includes China. Recently, it signed a 10-year contract to manage the 337-room Regent Beijing. The Beijing Marriott Hotel West opened recently, Marriott International's third property in the capital, while the Six Continents plans to open a property in 2004 in the luxury Fortune Plaza business complex.