Accor has signed a franchise deal to market Jupiter Hotels’ 24 UK properties under its Mercure brand.
The agreement will bring the French chain’s number of UK properties to 300 including 68 Mercure hotels.
Accor, whose brands also include Sofitel, Novotel and Ibis, described the agreement as a “landmark deal.”
It said that after a series of franchise agreements with UK properties in recent months, Mercure had “expanded rapidly” in the country and was now a “major player in the local mid-scale market.”
The 24 Jupiter hotels, formerly Jarvis Hotels, have 2,664 rooms and are spread across the country.
Among the locations are Brighton, Bristol, Chester, Edinburgh, Glasgow, Inverness, Leeds, Leicester, Manchester, Norwich and York.
Jean-Jacques Dessors, chief operating officer of Accor UK and Ireland. Said: “This major franchise agreement is a significant milestone for Accor in the realisation of our ambitious growth targets.
“This expansion further demonstrates our commitment to building the Mercure hotel brand in the UK, which is such an important market for Accor.
“We will continue to pursue further franchise growth opportunities this year and beyond.”