£15m will be invested across six hotels, each undergoing complete refurbishment and will be rebranded from Park Inn to Accor’s midscale Mercure brand.

The properties in Bedford, Cardiff, Harlow, Nottingham, Telford and Birmingham, part of the Danish real estate property group Proark, have a total of 864 rooms between them, and will open between summer 2019 and December 2020.

Philip Lassman, vice president of development, AccorHotels UK and Ireland, said: “AccorHotels has seen a strong growth in the UK in both new management contracts and franchise agreements over the past year. We expect this growth to continue as hotel owners, operators and management companies continue to see the benefits of partnering with international brands to reach, attract and retain the loyalty of guests, with a progressive hospitality group that can provide the very best and latest services to maximise profitability.” Thomas Dubaere, chief operating officer of AccorHotels Northern Europe, added: “We are delighted to be partnering with Proark for these six hotels. The Mercure brand is an ideal choice for this portfolio as its flexibility allows us to take a tailored approach to fit each particular hotel. This is important to enable owners to generate more revenue per square metre.”

More business news:

A £12m luxury hotel on Blackpool’s famous pleasure beach

Planned opening of the new hotel, The Boulevard Hotel, on Blackpool Pleasure Beach in spring 2019. The new £12M hotel, located to the south of Blackpool Pleasure Beach, will have 120 bedrooms, as well as dining and conference facilities. This new venture will create 30 new permanent jobs and 40 new seasonal vacancies.

Amanda Thompson OBE, managing director of Blackpool Pleasure Beach, comments: “I’m delighted with the progress which is being made at the Boulevard Hotel and cannot wait for the first guests to be welcomed through the doors. The Boulevard Hotel is going to be the resort’s most stylish hotel and will help set the standard for luxury accommodation in Blackpool.”

You’ll find more articles in the upcoming editions of Housekeeping Today UK. Subscribe for your edition or browse online here.

Housekeeping Today UK is the place for keeping informed in the hospitality and cleaning industry. Click here to view housekeeping news.