Accor, the leading hospitality player in Asia Pacific has formed a joint venture with the Araneta Group to build a new hotel in the Philippines – Novotel Manila Araneta Center. Targeted to open in 2010, Novotel Manila Araneta Center is located adjacent to the Araneta Coliseum and fully integrated with the Araneta Center Master Plan.

Novotel Manila Araneta Center will be the only upscale hotel in Quezon City. With 415 rooms, a 600sqm ballroom and large meeting facilities, the hotel is well positioned to cater to the needs of the 56,000 registered businesses in Quezon City and to the MICE (both domestic and international) market. Its strategic location, at the intersection of two major thoroughfares (EDSA and Aurora Boulevard) and major mass railway lines (MRT 3 and LRT 2) will allow the hotel to position itself as the preferred venue for product launches, political summits, weddings and incentives in Quezon City.

Novotel – Designed for natural living

Novotel offers nearly 400 hotels and resorts located in the heart of major international cities, business districts and tourist destinations. Everywhere, the brand upholds its fundamental values of modernity, good design, simplicity and efficiency so that today's travellers feel naturally at home.

Through a consistent top quality offer, Novotel contributes to the well-being of business and leisure travellers alike. Guests will always find spacious rooms with flexible features adapted 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 centres and places to relax.

Novotel has long been committed to promoting sustainable development through its active involvement in the Accor Group's Earth Guest program. Today, it reaffirms this position by pledging to achieve Green Globe environmental certification for its entire network by 2010. In 2008, the Novotel network includes 382 hotels and resorts, representing a total of more than 66,000 rooms, in 59 countries. By 2010 it will have an additional 20,000 rooms and be present in 70 countries.

The Araneta Group is a progressive and diversified group of companies anchored on property development, food, and leisure. Araneta Group is the owner, developer and operator of the Araneta Center, a 35-hectare mixed use facility with 5 million square feet of retail, entertainment (the Araneta Coliseum is Manila’s premiere concert/show venue), offices, and residential complex in Quezon City, MetroManila. Manhattan Garden City, the Center’s residential component boasts of 20 residential towers, with over 8,000 apartment units, is currently under construction. The Araneta Group also holds the master franchise for Taco Bell, Pizza Hut and Dairy Queen in the Philippines with over 160 outlets nationwide.

Said Jorge L. Araneta, Chairman and President of the Araneta Group, “Accor brings to this project a wealth of experience in the hotel management and design. We are looking forward to working together to make this hotel a world-class product and promote new standards for business travelers and tourists at great value”.

Patrick Basset, Accor Vice President, East & North East Asia added, “We are excited by the growth prospects in the Philippines. We are confident that our extensive global hospitality experience and partnership with the Araneta Group, coupled with their strong understanding of the local market, is a good start for us to enter an emerging market and further expand our brand portfolio”.