Accor to open first luxury MGallery hotel outside London

09-Apr-2012 - Last updated on 21-Mar-2024 at 13:41 GMT

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Accor has announced The Francis in Bath will open in May as the second MGallery hotel in the UK and the first outside London

International hotel operator Accor has announced it is to open its second UK MGallery hotel in Bath in May; the first outside London for the luxury brand.

The Francis Hotel will open on 28 May 2012 following a £6m refurb of the venue which was previously operated by the France-based company as the Mercure Bath Francis Hotel.

The Grade 1 Queens Square property will feature individually-styled bedrooms, a lounge and bar and front parlour and breakfast room. Brasserie Blanc, the Raymond Blanc brasserie concept operated by Brasserie Bar Co., will adjoin the hotel when it opens and will serve both the general public and hotel guests.

Jonathan Sheard

In November last year Accor appointed Jonathan Sheard to the position of managing director operations for the MGallery and Mercure brands across the UK and Ireland to help deliver the 'ambitious growth plans' for the brands in both countries.

Speaking after the announcement of the new MGallery hotel, Sheard said: "The opening of our second MGallery hotel in just six months is further evidence of Accor hotel’s commitment to growing the MGallery collection in the UK."

"The MGallery collection stands for quality and distinction, and this hotel has both as well as being located in the centre of historic Bath. Guests who stay at the Francis Hotel will experience the truly special personality of this totally transformed hotel,” he added.

MGallery

The 98-bed property will be the first MGallery hotel outside London and only the second in the whole of the UK for the luxury brand. The opening of the St. Ermin’s Hotel at St. James, London in October last year marked the launch of the brand in the UK.

MGallery was created in 2008 and is the only upscale Accor brand. The collection now encompasses almost 50 hotels in 18 countries around the world and focuses on distinctive properties in four themes - vision, design, history and exceptional location.

The MGallery collection, which boasts actress Kristin Scott Thomas as a brand ambassador, is expected to grow to over 150 sites by late 2015.

Earlier this year BigHospitality reported Accor had opened 39,000 hotel rooms across its global estate last year. The record expansion year was driven in part by franchise deals that saw 24 UK hotels converted to its Mercure brand.