Belgrade, June 13th 2017. – Orbis Hotel Group, strategic partner of AccorHotels – world-leading travel & lifestyle group – in Eastern Europe and the sole licensor of all AccorHotels brands in the region, enters Serbia with the opening of Mercure Belgrade Excelsior. The first AccorHotels branded property in the country, to open on September 2017, will be managed by Orbis Hotel Group in the frame of a management contract with the owner and investor LAMPSA SA.  The new partnership between a French hotel chain and French, Polish, Greek hoteliers will make Serbia becomes 96th country in which Accorhotels operate and famous Belgrade “Excelsior” will be part of a worldwide group, having more than 4.100 hotels globally. In this way, Belgrade will become a new potential destination to discover for all 32 million loyalty club members of this well known hotelier worldwide.

“Our aim is to reinforce our leading position in the region through the expansion of our hotel network, predominantly through partnerships with strong investors, also by entering new markets where we are not present yet. Serbia is a well developing market with great potential for hotels under international brands with a strong regional support as Orbis. With the arrival of Mercure, we are introducing to the Serbian market the only midscale hotel brand that combines the strength of an international network with a strong quality commitment and the warm experience of hotels that are rooted in their local community.” – commented Gilles Clavie, President and CEO of Orbis Hotel Group.

The existing Hotel Excelsior offers 73 rooms, a restaurant and a conference room. With its neoclassical exterior and interior atmosphere, in the heart of the vibrant Serbian capital, the hotel offers an ideal location to discover the history and the future of Belgrade. Thanks to its century long and eventful history, the hotel gives its guests the unique opportunity of lodging and dining where outstanding individuals such as Ivo Andric, Jean-Paul Sartre and Josephine Baker have each left their imprint.

“We are pleased to introduce the Mercure Brand to the great City of Belgrade, our partnership with AccorHotels/Orbis will give us the opportunity to be part of one of the strongest and most respected hotel companies with worldwide distribution and marketing power. We are certain this partnership will help showcase our Hotel and the city of Belgrade,” – said Anastassos Chomenidis Managing Director of LAMPSA SA.

Hotel Excelsior Beograd was constructed in 1921 and opened on March 15th 1924. The construction project is attributed to architects from Vienna. Before World War II the Hotel was used for lengthier stays by many famous authors – Nobel Prize winner Ivo Andrić (who lived in the hotel from March 1933, while he worked as an Adviser and later as the Chief Secretary of the Foreign Ministry, as well as the editor of the Serbian Literary Magazine), Miloš Crnjanski, Vasko Popa – and famous athletes, actors, singers and other figures in the public eye.

About Lampsa SA:

LAMPSA Hellenic Hotels SA is a publicly listed company in the Athens Stock Market since 1946. In addition to the Hotel Excelsior, it is also the owner of Hotel Grande Bretagne in Athens, A Luxury Collection Hotel, the Sheraton Rhodes Resort and the Hyatt Regency Belgrade.

About Orbis Hotel Group:

The Orbis Hotel Group is the largest network of hotels in Poland and in Eastern Europe. Orbis comprises 117 hotels and is the sole licensor of all AccorHotels brands in 16 countries including Bosnia and Herzegovina, Bulgaria, Croatia, Czech Republic, Estonia, Hungary, Latvia, Lithuania, Macedonia, Moldova, Montenegro, Poland, Romania, Serbia, Slovakia and Slovenia. It offers a total of 20,000 rooms. The hotels operate under the brand names Sofitel, Pullman, MGallery by Sofitel, Novotel, Mercure, ibis, ibis Styles and ibis budget. These brands, recognized throughout the world, provide a quality of service to various standards, ranging from luxury 5-star to budget 1-star hotels.

Orbis’ strategic partner is AccorHotels.

About AccorHotels:
AccorHotels is a world-leading travel & lifestyle group and digital innovator offering unique experiences in more than 4,100 hotels, resorts and residences, as well as in over 3,000 of the finest private homes around the globe. Benefiting from dual expertise as an investor and operator through its HotelServices and HotelInvest divisions, AccorHotels operates in 95 countries. Its portfolio comprises internationally acclaimed luxury brands including Raffles, Sofitel Legend, SO Sofitel, Sofitel, Fairmont, onefinestay, MGallery by Sofitel, Pullman, and Swissôtel; as well as the popular midscale and boutique brands of 25hours, Novotel, Mercure, Mama Shelter and Adagio; the much-prized economy brands including JO&JOE, ibis, ibis Styles, ibis budget and the regional brands Grand Mercure, The Sebel and hotelF1. AccorHotels provides innovative end-to-end services across the entire traveler experience, notably through the recent acquisition of John Paul, world leader in concierge services.
With an unmatched collection of brands and rich history spanning close to five decades, AccorHotels, along with its global team of more than 250,000 dedicated women and men, has a purposeful and heartfelt mission: to make every guest Feel Welcome. Guests enjoy access to one of the world’s most rewarding hotel loyalty programs – Le Club AccorHotels.
AccorHotels is active in its local communities and committed to sustainable development and solidarity through PLANET 21, a comprehensive program that brings together employees, guests and partners to drive sustainable growth.

Accor SA is publicly listed with shares trading on the Euronext Paris exchange (ISIN code: FR0000120404) and the OTC marketplace (Code: ACRFY) in the United States.