Historic Hotel in Hue joins Accor Network

La Residence Hotel & Spa, Hue's historic icon on the Perfume River, is joining Accor's hotel network in Vietnam.

Le Residence is a unique mix of the old and the new, blending an original French colonial structure with its unique Art Deco design. The hotel's history dates back to the early 1920s when it was the official residence of French governors responsible for looking after central Vietnam.

After 1975 it was used as a government guesthouse and the original structure was enlarged, while the most recent project involves the renovation of two existing buildings and an additional structure that connects the three into one exclusive hotel.

The result is a stunning 122-room boutique property that captures the essence for Hue's rich cultural history and its importance to Vietnam.

The hotel also features modern facilities to complement its time-capsule evocation of the French colonial era. The Restaurant Le Parfum offers all day dining with two private 15-seat boardrooms, there is also a conference room for up to 140 participants Le Gouverneur Lobby Bar, fitness centre, Spa, swimming pool, tennis court, a library, art gallery and business centre.

Accor Managing Director Asia Pacific, Michael Issenberg, said La Residence Hotel & Spa was a perfect complement to Accor's two other celebrated historic hotels in Vietnam, Sofitel Metropole Hanoi and Sofitel Dalat Palace.

"We are delighted to add La Residence Hotel & Spa to our network of historical colonial hotels in Vietnam. Some hotels are truly destinations in themselves, and Accor now offers three properties in Hanoi, Hue and Dalat that promise an experience that can only be found at these hotels.

"Hue is the cultural heart of Vietnam with its UNESCO World Heritage status.

La Residence reflects the city's timeless allure and offers guests an outstanding location to explore the Citadel and the many other historical attractions along the banks of the Perfume River.

"It will appeal to Vietnam's booming leisure travel sector and also attract the very top end of the corporate meeting and incentive markets.

"2005 has seen an exceptional first quarter for our hotels in Vietnam, with many of our hotels enjoying occupancies of 20 percentage points above figures for the same period in 2004. There is unprecedented interest in Vietnam as a destination, and with Accor strong in key feeder markets such as Europe, America, Asia and Australia, we are confident that we can maximise the potential of La Residence and give it a similar profile to Accor's other hotels in Vietnam."

La Residence joins a network of nine Accor hotels located in Vietnam's key commercial and leisure centres. Accor is the largest international management company operating in Vietnam, and in 2006 will add Novotel Ha Long Bay in the country's other UNESCO-listed World Heritage area.

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