Accor to Manage Iconic Princes Gate Hotel, Rotorua

MEDIA RELEASE

29 November 2007

Accor to Manage Iconic Princes Gate Hotel, Rotorua

Accor is to take over the management of Rotorua's historic Princes Gate Hotel on 1 January 2008, an iconic hotel with a fascinating history that dates back more than 100 years.

Built in 1897, Princes Gate Hotel is one of New Zealand's finest boutique hotels, having been beautifully restored to offer a truly unique and authentic experience. Owners Brett and Vlasta Marvelly purchased the Hotel in 1986 and are extremely passionate about the property. When they bought the hotel, they had one thing in mind: to make the Princes Gate Hotel not only New Zealand's finest boutique hotel, but an attraction for locals and tourists alike.

The award winning hotel is an iconic building in Rotorua, with its Victorian facade, luxurious décor and superb location adjacent to the iconic Rotorua Gardens in the centre of town.

Klaus Gottschalk, Accor's Area General Manager for the Central North Island is based in Rotorua and is excited to have such a well-loved hotel joining the network.

"Princes Gate is a Rotorua icon and will be a great asset to Accor. Rotorua is one of New Zealand's biggest tourist destinations and draws millions of domestic and international visitors every year. We are also lucky that the owners of the hotel have a great passion for maintaining the unique qualities that make this hotel so special."

While embracing its rich history, Princes Gate does provide all the modern conveniences to meet guests' needs. The hotel has 34 hotel rooms and 16 one and two bedroom apartments with full kitchens. In-room features include Sky TV, tea and coffee making facilities, radio and telephone, while the sumptuous en suite bathrooms have baths, showers, and a range of personal toiletries. Hotel facilities include an on-site restaurant and bar, heated pool, sauna, tennis court and laundry facilities. There are also two conference rooms and a boardroom available for corporate guests.

Princes Gate is also a perfect venue for weddings, with its romantic ambience and beautiful setting and the street-side café is popular with locals, hotel guests and other visitors.

'A hotel so good, they built a city around it.'

The Princes Gate Hotel – A fascinating history

The Hotel was originally built in Waihi in 1897 by Mr E.Morgan. It had 75 rooms and was named the New Central Hotel.

Prohibition was voted into Waihi in the early 1900s, as an act of defiance against the proprietor at the time Shorty Buckland, who had increased the beer prices at the hotel. Prohibition, coupled with a population decline, led to the hotel being dismantled piece by piece and bullocked to the rail road in 1917. The hotel's re-construction in Rotorua began in January 1921.

It was then re-named Princes Gate Hotel, a reference to the archway entrance to the neighbouring Government Gardens, which had originally been built to commemorate the visit by the Duke and Duchess of Cornwall in 1901. The archway was originally erected across the junction of Fenton and Hinemoa Streets, and was re-erected on its present site in 1920 to commemorate the visit of the Prince of Wales. The hotel was also used as a hospital during the First and Second World Wars.

For more information about the hotel, visit www.princesgate.co.nz

Accor, the European leader and a major global group in hotels, the global leader in services to corporate clients and public institutions, operates in nearly 100 countries with 170,000 employees. It offers to its clients over 40 years of expertise in its two core businesses:

- Hotels, with the Sofitel, Pullman, Novotel, Mercure, Suitehotel, Ibis, All Seasons, Etap Hotel, Formule 1 and Motel 6 brands, representing more than 4,000 hotels and nearly 500,000 rooms in 90 countries, as well as strategically related activities, such as Lenôtre.

- Services, with 23 million people in nearly 40 countries benefiting from Accor Services products in human resources, marketing services and expense management.

ENDS

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