With a US$12.7 million (20 million real) initial investment, Accor has opened its first Pullman hotel in Brazil, the Pullman São Paulo Ibirapuera.
The Pullman brand continues to become a bigger part of the Accor portfolio as it is expanding into six new countries this year, including Netherlands (Eindhoven), Brazil (Sao Paulo), Indonesia (Bali and Jakarta), New Zealand (Auckland), Vietnam (Hanoi) and India (Gurgaon). By the end of 2011, the Pullman network is expected to include 70 hotels.
The Pullman brand also has a strong pipeline in China and will grow to a network of 12 (four this year) by the end of the year. In Latin America, executives are expressing strong ambitions with a goal to open a Pullman hotel in all major cities over the next few years. In Brazil, Accor already has more than 140 hotels.
“In the long term, the brand will have 150 hotels worldwide, with a focus on locations in the center of large cities, near major airports or close to key tourist attractions,” said Frédéric Fontaine, senior vice president of marketing for Pullman.
The 350-room Pullman São Paulo Ibirapuera is expected to generate an average daily rate starting around US$171. The new property is located in an exclusive neighborhood near Ibirapuera Park and is very close to the city’s main business centers.
