Accor's highly-anticipated Pacific Franchise Awards were held at Pullman Melbourne on The Park on Wednesday 29 January, as part of the Group's annual franchise conference, attended by over 130 delegates.

Nine awards were presented throughout the evening by Yvonne Sampson, Australian television sports presenter and commentator, in recognition of the outstanding performance and achievements of the group's franchise hotels.

The coveted Development of the Year Award went to the Lewis Land Group on behalf of the brand new-build Mercure Sydney Rouse Hill. The hotel, which is part of The Fiddler Entertainment precinct, has managed to meet demand in the booming Hills District of Greater Western Sydney with its clever, contemporary design. The Hotel of the Year crown was awarded to Voyages Ayers Rock Resort's Outback Pioneer Hotel & Lodge following a record-breaking year of guest experience and loyalty results, as well as service to the community.

Food and Beverage Hotel of the Year went to Hardy's Verandah, Mount Lofty House MGallery By Sofitel. Hardy's Verandah was awarded three Chef Hats with the Australian Good Food Guide 2019, placing it in the top 30 restaurants in Australia, and the ranked #1 Fine Dining Restaurant on Tripadvisor in Greater Adelaide.

Accor 2020 Pacific Franchise Hotel Awards, full list of winners:

Simon McGrath, Accor Pacific's Chief Operating Officer, says, “Accor's performance across the Pacific continues to defy market conditions, as we lead the industry. Without the support, trust and confidence of our owners and franchise partners, we would not be in the leading position we are in, and tonight is all about honouring the commitment they have made to Accor.

“Underpinning the Franchise hotels' success is their access to our powerful global distribution platforms and global loyalty lifestyle program ALL (Accor Live Limitless), which brings together the group's booking engine and loyalty program into a single platform to drive brands, services and experiences and guest engagement - a powerful combination, alongside our obsessive focus on the guest experience. 

“We congratulate all our franchise award winners and look forward to another exciting year ahead of growth in our franchise portfolio,” concluded Mr McGrath.

In 2019, Accor welcomed seven new properties to the franchise family including Mercure Sydney Rouse Hill, The Sebel Melbourne Moonee Ponds, The Sebel Canberra Civic, Mantra Mackay, Mercure Bendigo Schaller, Mercure Canberra Belconnen, and Novotel Christchurch Airport.

ENDS