SECOND FORMULE 1 HOTEL OPENS IN JAPAN IN NUMAZU

24 July 2002

The second Formule 1 hotel in Japan has soft-opened at Numazu, in the heart of the high-technology industrial area of Shizuoka Prefecture, 140 km west of Tokyo. The hotel will be officially opened on 2 August, but already on its first night, the F1 recorded a 63% occupancy rate, reflecting the potential of the hotel. 

The Formule 1 has a very visible position, just south of the Numazu Interchange off the Tomeu Expressway and on "Gourmet Street", the main thoroughfare into the city of Numazu and further beyond to Izu and the Hakone lakes district. The location is also convenient for travellers going east to Tokyo and west to Nagoya and Osaka on the Tomei Expressway. 

In addition to being a major business centre, the area is surrounded by many of Japan's most famous tourist attractions, including Mount Fuji and Izu Peninsula, home of some of the country's leading golf courses as well as tennis and other outdoor sporting facilities. 

The new hotel follows the debut of the first Formule 1 in Japan - at Isesaki, to the north-west of Tokyo - and is part of a proposed major expansion of Formule 1 in Japan. 

Formule 1 positions itself uniquely in the Japanese hotel market by being the first hotel to offer a standard room rate irrespective of the number of people occupying the room. This is vastly different from the standard practice in the Japanese market of charging on a per person basis.  

This innovative rate policy is expected to have a significant impact on the performance of F1 Numazu because the area around the hotel is so popular with holidaymakers, especially families. With rates of Yen 5000 per room for up to three people, the F1 will offer the most cost-effective, quality accommodation in the market. 

The 92 room Formule 1 Numazu is one of the most progressive F1's developed in the world, featuring two concept rooms that will give guests a taste of the future of Formule 1, with the new rooms boasting different bathroom designs. The hotel also has sweeping views of Mt. Fuji and the Numazu Bay area.

All Formule 1 rooms offer a queen size bed and overhead bunk bed plus ensuite bathroom. The hotels are usually positioned close to fast-food outlets and restaurants, but also offer a breakfast room and 24 hour a day vending machines. Reception is staffed 24 hours a day. 

"We are very confident about the prospects of this new hotel," said Michael Issenberg, Accor's Managing Director for Australia, New Zealand, Japan and the South Pacific. "The Numazu hotel has a highly visible location on a busy route servicing long haul traffic to what is both a major leisure and industrial gateway. 

Therefore, we expect the Numazu Formule 1 to enjoy a good balance between general leisure and corporate demand. In addition, we expect the hotel to be popular with sporting groups.  

"We will look closely at the results of this hotel to determine our future development strategy for the brand in Japan, but already the Isesaki Formule 1 has highlighted there is strong demand for quality, standardised accommodation at genuine value-for-money rates.". 

The site for the Formule 1 was introduced to Accor by Denny's; one of the largest and most respected family restaurant chains in Japan. One of the first Denny's restaurants to open in Japan is adjacent to the F1 site.  

Formule 1 is one of the brands of the French-based Accor group. There are over 600 Formule 1 and related ETAP hotels globally. With 147,000 associates in 140 countries, Accor is the European leader and one of the world's largest groups in travel, tourism and corporate services, with two major international activities: 

* hotels: more than 3,700 hotels (415,000 rooms) in 90 countries, casinos, travel agencies, and restaurants;

* services to corporate clients and public institutions: each day, 13 million people in 31 countries use a broad range of services (food vouchers, people care and services, incentive, loyalty programs, events) engineered and managed by Accor.