Accor first mover in Iran
Accor Hotels will become the first international hotel group to operate in Iran as the Islamic Republic opens up to the West following the deal on its nuclear programme.
AccorHotels will open an Ibis hotel and a Novotel branch near Tehran?s international airport.
The move comes just two months after the historic nuclear accord which the West says is aimed at preventing Iran from building a nuclear bomb.
The hotel contracts were signed by AccorHotels? chief executive Sebastien Bazin with representatives of Iranian company Aria Ziggurat, which owns the buildings.
The hotels are scheduled to open on October 15, with a total of nearly 500 rooms.
?There is an enormous potential for development of our brands in this country of nearly 80 million inhabitants whose economy is growing fast,? said Bazin.