Accor Group To Operate Nikko Hotel Under New Name

Jakarta (Antara Bali) - Accor Group has taken over the operation of  Nikko Hotel Jakarta under a management cooperation agreement which also provides for a name change to "The Pullman Hotel", it was officially announced here Thursday.

Franky Montung Setjoadinata, president director of PT Wisma Nusantara International, owner of the hotel building, said the change of management was an effort to widen the hotel's market.

"When we operated as Nikko Hotel, we focused on the Asian-Pacific market but now we want to have a wider, more  global market," he said.

He said the Accor Group  was also to invest in the hotel's renovation, including adding more  rooms, improving the ballroom  and other hotel facilities.

Regarding the hotel's name change, Setjoadinata said, there had previously been some worry that it might cause a decline in the hotel's Japanese market.

"I personally was also worried about the Japanese market because as Nikko Hotel we had already become well known among Japanese people. The number of our Japanese guests increased 53 percent last year but I think the new management has already thought about this," he said.

Meanwhile, a representative of Mitsui Corporation  (owner of 21 percent of the company shares), Tadashi Takasaki, said the change in the hotel's management would not alter anything and there was no need to worry about the Japanese market.

"We have very good Japanese guest officers, and our Japanese clients have  confirmed that they still want to cooperate with us," said Takasaki.

Fpr his part, chairman and chief operating officer of Accor Asia-Pacific, Michael Issenberg, said the hotel's rebranding into  Pullman Hotel Jakarta was very important for the group because the new name would indicate it was one of Accor's upscale or five-star hotels  in Asia-Pacific.

"Regarding the Japanese market, we still have wide opportunities there because our market orientation is business. Moreover, in Jakarta, there so many Japanese companies as  our clients and we will keep them," said Issenberg.

He said  Indonesia's economic growth will be supported through the management cooperation which will increase investment and employment.

Accor Group is a leading hotel management network  with 45 years experience and expertise  available in more than 90 countries with 4,200 hotels and 145,000 employees all over the world.(T007)