SINGAPORE - In another landmark deal sealed within a month, AccorHotels will be managing two new hotels under the Sofitel brand in Singapore and Malaysia for mainboard-listed GuocoLand.
The deal will see the French group manage the Sofitel Singapore City Centre located at Tanjong Pagar Centre and the Sofitel Kuala Lumpur Damansara in Damansara City.
Last month, AccorHotels paid US$2.9 billion (S$4.1 billion) to buy out FRHI Holdings, which owned the Raffles, Fairmont and Swissotel hotel brands.
GuocoLand said on Wednesday that the 222-room Sofitel Singapore City Centre will be part of the upcoming multi-billion dollar Tanjong Pagar Centre, which will redefine mixed use developments in Singapore.
Located between historic Chinatown and the vibrant central business district, Tanjong Pagar Centre will feature Singapore's tallest building at 290 metres, a prestigious residential and office tower, premier retail and event spaces and luxury Sofitel hotel, all set around beautifully landscaped parklands and with direct MRT station access.
In neighbouring Malaysia, the 312-room Sofitel Kuala Lumpur Damansara is also an integral part of a new 8.5 acre integrated development in the upmarket Damansara Heights enclave called Damansara City which will feature two Grade A office towers, two luxury high-rise residences, and an F&B-centric lifestyle mall in addition to the luxury hotel.
GuocoLand Group chief executive Raymond Choong said: "Our upcoming world-class mixed use developments in Singapore and Kuala Lumpur are set to bring modern, liveable spaces to the heart of the business districts in both cities. GuocoLand is pleased to appoint AccorHotels as the hotel manager for both properties as we see strong synergies with the Sofitel luxury brand and services that will cater to the differing needs and demands of our office tenants, residents, visitors and guests.
"The hotels' business and dining facilities will be easily accessible to office tenants and residents within both developments, providing them with quality working and living experiences in a cosmopolitan setting."
JLL Hotels & Hospitality Group acted as exclusive advisor to property developer GuocoLand in the negotiation of the deal which added a total of 534 rooms to the AccorHotel's luxury brand. Following the deal with FRHI last month, AccorHotels will become the largest operator of hotels in Singapore. The group currently operates 2,102 rooms in Singapore and with more than 1,470 in the pipeline, on top of the 2609 added by the FRHI deal, the group will grow to over 6100 rooms in the Lion City.
