What a symbol: while the new Pullman Gurgaon marked the inauguration of the 500th Accor's operations in South-East Asia, the hotel group has announced within hours of each other the sale of Motel 6 and Studio 6. The two budget brands dedicated to the North American market, which represent 1,102 hotels with a total of 107,347 rooms, are being sold to a subsidiary of Blackstone Real Estate Partners VII, for a total of 1.9 billion dollars. The transaction should therefore contribute to Accor's major ambitions in more dynamic markets, as confirmed by the Group's senior management: "This transaction strengthens the Group's resources to capture the tremendous growth potential offered by Asia-Pacific, Latin America and Europe in particular, markets in which the leadership of our brands is one of the key levers of our future growth," said Denis Hennequin, Chairman and CEO of Accor. However, the sale of this American business unit means that the French group has slipped from fifth to sixth place in MKG's world rankings, even though Accor now appears to be in a position to redeploy its funds in the most dynamic markets.
