15 replies to this topic

[Tekno Arkitect]

Designed by: N/A
Status: Completed
Construction Date: N/A
Completion Date: Jul 2007
Developers: Accor Hotel
Contractors: N/A
Building Type: Hotel
Area: N/A
No. of Blocks: N/A
Height: N/A
Floors Above Ground: N/A
Floors Under Ground: N/A
Hotel Floors: N/A
Parking Floors: N/A
Location: Terminal 1, Jinnah International Airport, Karachi

Description: N/A

Website: Mercure Hotel Accor Hotels

Pix:

[Tekno Arkitect]

Aziz stresses need for more hotels

KARACHI: Prime Minister Shaukat Aziz says with increased economic activities, need for more hotels is growing in the country and new ones coming up in Karachi, Lahore and Islamabad.

With economy moving ahead, movement of people is linked to economic growth, he said while inaugurating 118-rooms five star facilities Grand Mercure Hotel, close to Jinnah International Airport, Karachi on Saturday.

Pakistan is one of the fastest growing economies in Asia and looking at 6 to 8 per cent annual growth. The per capita income this year will be US$1,000, he said.

With its historical past, Mughal, Ghandhara period and Indus civilization attracts fair number of people who want to explore these areas. There is also need for more tourist facilities in the country, he said.

The prime minister said the government is trying to improve national carrier PIA and encouraging competition. PIA and private airlines are expanding as well as many foreign carriers are coming to Pakistan as they see growth in business. He said airport management has become a specialized field. New Islamabad Airport’s construction has started and another will be built at Gwadar.

Director General, Civil Aviation Authority Farooq Rahmatullah and General Manager Grand Mercure Hotel Thierry Goepfrort also spoke at the inauguration ceremony attended by Sindh Governor Dr Ishratul Ebad and ministers.

Source: The News

[Tekno Arkitect]

[*PK Revolution*]

[musiddiqui]

saw this hotel from outside on saturday unfortunately it was too dark to take pics. has been completely renovated nothing like when i last visited 1 or 2 years ago. this place used to look like this

[S Mohsin Ahmad]

This is a wonderful hotel. I have been to it once and was amazed by the total conversion from an ordinary hotel a year earlier to the only 5* hotel in Karachi. The pool site itself is luxurious with spas and bars bordering it. Wonderful Place!

[musiddiqui]

Source: Mercure

[shanta]

great pics....mercure seems to be fabulous!

[Waqar]

great hotel man we need more and more great hotels .

[JADI]

Very nice hotel...How is this hotel compared to rest of Karachi´s luxury hotels?

[Zain Abbass]

They have done a great job converting this hotel...

[musiddiqui]

[musiddiqui]

Accor pulls back franchise
Sunday, March 02, 2008
By Saad Hasan

KARACHI: International hotel chain Accor pulled back its franchise from Karachi Airport Hotel after the owner started negotiating better terms with other brands, The News learnt on Saturday.

Mercure, one of the brands of Accor, was running the managerial affairs of the airport hotel opened in March 2007, as part of a Civil Aviation Authority drive to utilise its commercial estates effectively.

On February 10, Accor, which has over 4,000 hotels and other brands like Sofitel, Pullman, Novatel and Suitehotel around the world, cancelled its contract with United International Group (UIG) and later announced that it no longer guarantees hospitality standards associated with Mercure.

Despite repeated attempts, Akhtar Qureshi, CEO of UIG Private Limited, could not be reached at his office for comments.

Ideally located at a few minutes’ drive from Jinnah International Airport Terminal in the security limits of CAA, Grand Mercure Karachi International Hotel was the first international brand to come to Pakistan in the last two decades.

Alqra Atiq, Director Commercial CAA, told The News that land has been leased to UIG on condition that they bring a brand of international repute to run the management. “They have assured us that they will come up with a name in a few weeks.”

The CAA has set a two-month deadline, from the date Mercure stopped its operations, for the group to find a suitable match.

However, while Atiq and Director General CAA Farooq Rehmatullah stressed the French management of Mercure left because of internal rift, a UIG official said that the worsening law and order situation was behind that decision.

Afaq Ahmed, a sales manager at the hotel, said that the departure of the international brand is a setback, but soon another foreign franchise would take over the operation. He said the hotel was doing roaring business as most foreign passengers and guests of multinational firms were staying there.




Source: The News

[*PK Revolution*]

It certainly wud hv been an internal rift otherwise Accor wud hv also stopped the construction of sofitel!! Otherwise they r not tht stupid so as 2 construct a 28 storey hotel (Sofitel) if it wud hv been law and order problem!! As far as the UIG officials statement r concerned they wont tak the blame direclty n wud put the blame on others 4 the withdrawl cuz it may hurt their reputation!

[musiddiqui]

US Ramada Plaza to franchise brand name
Friday, March 28, 2008
By Saad Hasan

KARACHI: American hotel chain Ramada Plaza, has agreed to franchise its brand name to Karachi Airport Hotel, which up until last month, was run by the management of European market leader Accor, The News learnt on Thursday.

Mercure, one of the brands of Accor, was running the managerial affairs of the airport hotel opened in March 2007, as part of a Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) drive to utilise its commercial estates effectively.

In February last, Accor, which has over 4,000 hotels and other brands like Sofitel and Novatel around the world, announced the annulment of its contract with local United International Group (UIG), which owns the airport hotel property, without citing any reasons.

Ideally located at a few minutes drive from Jinnah International Airport Terminal in the security limits of CAA, Grand Mercure Karachi International Hotel was the first well-known foreign brand to come to Pakistan in the past many years. “We will file a lawsuit against Accor in Pakistan,” said M Azeem Qureshi, Director Operations at UIG. “They have violated terms of the agreement whereby Mercure was supposed to run the management till its replacement was found.”

Deliberating on reasons behind Accor’s rollback, he said hotel operator believed that UIG was not letting its management work by questioning its performance. “(Grand Mercure) management had failed to meet revenue target, and expenditures crossed initial estimate as well,” he said reflecting on the cause of disagreement, and added that this forced UIG to seek an explanation. “I think that offended them.”

Qureshi said UIG will use Ramada Plaza’s franchise while retaining existing human resource as part of the management. Notwithstanding the swift change in managements of Karachi Airport Hotel, the hotel industry in Pakistan is poised to see a lot of growth in the coming years, provided that the security situation improves, people associated with hospitability business say.

Hashoo Group, which runs Pearl Continental and Marriot hotels in Pakistan, has already announced the introduction of a new network of budget hotels across the country, in a bid to target the booming middle class that is looking for better standards of hospitality.

Lack of good hotels is believed to have impeded tourism growth in the country, which is blessed with diversified cultures, beautiful scenery and historical sites. Tariq Bin Yousif, General Manager of Destination of the World, an international tour facilitator, regretted that a lot of potential remains unexploited because of insufficient number of resorts. Citing Karachi as a case, he said more than a quarter million picnickers throng the seaside every weekend, and have to use the shabby huts in the absence of a hotel.

Chairman Pakistan Hotels Association Mustansir Zakir said there was a wide room for hotel business to expand here since the country had only 10-15 international quality hotels. However, he said government assistance in terms of right policy decisions was necessary. He said 8-10 per cent bed tax in addition to a 15pc sales tax, has artificially taken up the room rent, making hotels an expensive proposition. “Bed tax is charged on basis of capacity available in a hotel,” he said, adding the tax should be collected on basis of actual utilization of capacity. “We would really want the new government to waive bed tax, at least now."




Source: The News

[ajivapk]

The new name of this hotel is 'Ramada Plaza Karachi Airport Hotel'


Hotel's website