December  17, 2009

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

DALLAS, Texas – Accor North America (ANA), parent company of Motel 6, Studio 6, Sofitel, Novotel and Ibis hotel brands in the U.S., Canada and Mexico, announces the appointment of Olivier Poirot, CEO of Accor North America, Motel and Studio 6, to Chief Financial Officer of Accor Hospitality. Following Accor’s appointment of Jacques Stern as Deputy CEO of Accor in charge of Accor Services and Finance, Poirot will transition into his new role during the first half of 2010, while continuing to carry out his current duties as CEO of ANA.

Poirot began his career with Accor in 1992 and served as CFO of Accor UK Ltd. in charge of finance, IT, procurement and legal for Accor hotels in the United Kingdom and Ireland before joining ANA in 2001. He was appointed CFO of ANA in 2003, and during his tenure, Poirot coordinated and completed the company’s $1.312 billion sale of Red Roof Inn and concluded the Platinum transaction, a sale-and-management-back transaction encompassing eight of the Sofitel properties in the United States.

Since his appointment as CEO of ANA, Motel 6 and Studio 6 in September of 2007, Poirot has launched numerous initiatives aimed to improve brand consistency, increase market share and grow the Motel 6 brand. Under his leadership, the company made its first corporate acquisition in eight years and opened a record number of franchised hotel properties in 2008 and 2009. Most recently, Poirot has led the brand’s rollout of its most ambitious renovation project to date with the introduction of the “Phoenix” prototype design, setting a new standard for the economy lodging segment. The Phoenix brand initiative has led to 18 months of consecutive market share growth for the Motel 6 Brand.

Poirot’s extensive experience in the United States and United Kingdom, notably in the areas of finance, asset management and hotel property management, will enable him to support Accor Hospitality in addressing all of its strategic challenges.

During the following months of Poirot’s transition, Jim Amorosia, President and COO of Motel 6/Studio 6, will handle the day-to-day management of these brands. Poirot’s successor as CEO is expected to be named by the end of the second quarter of 2010.


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About Accor North America
Headquartered in Dallas (Carrollton), Texas, Accor North America operates more than 1,000 upscale and economy properties including nationwide economy leaders Motel 6, Studio 6, Ibis, Sofitel Luxury Hotels and upscale Novotel locations in the U.S., Canada and Mexico. For more information, visit accor-na.com.

About Accor Worldwide
Accor, a major global group and the European leader in hotels, as well as the global leader in services to corporate clients and public institutions, operates in nearly 100 countries with 150,000 employees. It offers to its clients over 40 years of expertise in two core businesses:
- Hotels, with the Sofitel, Pullman, MGallery, Novotel, Mercure, Suitehotel, Ibis, all seasons, Etap Hotel, Formule 1, Studio 6 and Motel 6 brands, representing 4,000 hotels and nearly 500,000 rooms in 90 countries, as well as strategically related activities, such as Lenôtre;
- Services, with 32 million people in 40 countries benefiting from Accor Services products in employee and public benefits, rewards and motivation, and expense management.

Laura Rojo-Eddy
Director, Corporate Communications
972-360-5970
lrojo@accor-na.com

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