PARIS—The signing of a management contract for the 953-room Pullman Paris Montparnasse has Accor believing its upscale Pullman brand is well-positioned in the City of Lights.
The hotel was sold to Unibail-Rodamco, the existing freeholder of the property, last month. The leasehold interest and business ownership was sold by London-based Starman, which is owned by affiliates of Lehman Brothers and Starwood Capital Group.
Denys Sappey, general director of Pullman France, said the transaction was good news for the brand network. Pullman took over management of the hotel, which previously operated as Le Meridien, on 7 January without closing the hotel.
The Pullman Paris Montparnasse is now Accor’s largest hotel worldwide, however, Sappey was quick to point out the company is “quite used to operating large hotels in city centers.”
Meetings are crucial
The meetings opportunity is crucial to the brand vision.
“It’s a key strategic opportunity for us,” he said. “This is the hotel in Paris which allows us to welcome over 1,000 people in a meeting or convention, and up to 2,000 people for a dinner.”
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Denys Sappey |
When events exceed the Montparnasse hotel’s capacity, they can also propose accommodations at the several Pullmans that are in a concentrated geographic area within Paris, Sappey said. Properties in Paris are: Paris Bercy; Paris CDG Airport; Paris la Défense; Paris Rive Gauche; Paris Tour Eiffel; and Versailles Château.
“We operate as being a significant market player today, but if you look at our capacity with four Pullmans within the city center, we can claim to be the market leader as an upscale chain in Paris, where our primary focus is international business travelers,” he said. The business mix is more than 60% foreign guests at Pullman properties.
The property will begin a renovation program in September, which will address guestrooms, security and technical systems such as HVAC and fire regulation items. Rooms will be upgraded with flat-screen televisions and new keycard door entry.
Sappey said the Montparnasse property also will be part of a pilot program in which the Welcomer staff--the brand’s trademark lobby contact--have iPads to help guests access information. The program was tested at the Tour Eiffel property and will be added at Montparnasse in the next two months.
The iPad service complements Pullman’s Connectivity Lounge, he said.
“The clientele, which is very much North American clientele, appreciates this service,” Sappey said. “It’s dynamic and instantaneous. We can provide rich content, videos, anything the client would like to visit.”
Sappey said Pullman would only add one or two more properties to the brand within France. Pullman Hotels and Resorts, which launched in 2008, has 14 hotels in France and a total of 47 locations worldwide as of 2010. The brand’s long-term goal is to grow to 150 hotels with a focus on Europe and Asia/Pacific.