Accor plans to expand hotel chain in South America

Accor, the France-based company and one of the world’s leading hotel businesses, is making plans to expand its operations in South America prodded by Brazil’s economic thrust, Chile’s financial sturdiness and Argentina’s hopes to score bigger numbers, the French hotel chain reported.

Amid the political and economic hurly-burly that’s turned South America into a tough region, Accor is considering to step up investments there with the opening of 70 lodging facilities to raise the total tally to 115 hotels in Brazil, Argentina, Colombia, Peru and Ecuador.

Accor president Gerard Pilisson said the company is bent on having 70 brand-new resorts in South America in the next couple of years as part of an investment package in the neighborhood of $200 million.

Brazil ranks high on the list of Accor’s priorities in the region thanks to president Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva’s good marks in politics and economics since he took over earlier this year.

“Today, Brazil is the name of the game for us,” Mr. Pilisson said pithily.

The French group has already joined forces with Chilean entrepreneurs to build the company’s first hotel in Santiago, exclusively designed for corporate guests with $13.3 million worth of investment.

Following the recent opening of a five-star hotel in Buenos Aires, Accor had decided to put other development projects on hold until the political dust settles down and economic recovery gets underway.