Paris -- Accor Casinos today announced it had acquired the concessionaire of the Grand Casino in Le Touquet on France's northern coast. The casino, located in the Palais des Congrès convention center, includes gaming tables, 151 slot machines, a restaurant and conference rooms.

In 2001, the Grand Casino generated EUR 16.3 million in gross revenues. The leading casino on the northern Normandy coast, it serves both a French and an international clientele. Accor Casinos intends to enhance the attractiveness of the casino and the Touquet Paris Plage resort by developing an extensive program of entertainment, cultural, artistic and tourist activities.

In a separate development, France's Ministry of the Interior has authorized Accor Casinos to open the Casino de Carnac in Brittany. Located at Carnac-Plage across from a seawater therapy complex that includes a Novotel and an Ibis hotel, the casino features gaming rooms, a bar and restaurant, and a 300 square-meter exhibition space. The casino was built with local stone and fits perfectly into its surroundings, A room of gaming tables will open on July 5. The casino employs 40 people and represents an investment of approximately EUR 7 million.

Following the June 20 inauguration of the Casino de Bordeaux, the two new establishments strengthen the Accor Casinos network. The company currently manages 18 casinos and is preparing the opening of six new ones, in France and in other countries.

Accor Casinos SAS is an equally owned subsidiary of Accor and ColEven SAS, a subsidiary of Colony Investors IV L.P.

In 2001, Accor Casinos reported EUR 302 million in gross revenues.

With 147,000 associates in 140 countries, Accor is the European leader and one of the world's largest groups in travel, tourism and corporate services, with two major international activities:

  • hotels: more than 3,700 hotels (415,000 rooms) in 90 countries, casinos, travel agencies, and restaurants;
  • services to corporate clients and public institutions: each day, 13 million people in 31 countries use a broad range of services (food vouchers, people care and services, incentive, loyalty programs, events) engineered and managed by Accor.

Marie Claire Camus (ACCOR)
+ 33 1 45 38 84 85
Accor