The largest French hotel chain, Accor is investing heavily in renovating and expanding former government-owned hotels. Orlando Basto explained the company is advancing on the renovations of the Hotel Comercial, the Hotel Francés and the Nicolás de Ovando, all in the Colonial City area. The Hotel Francés, located at the intersection of the Calle Arzobispo Meriño and Mercedes should be ready to open in September. He said that in the patio of the hotel they will open a French restaurant. The restaurant could very well become one of the city’s better restaurants, and certainly the best French restaurant. Accor is also remodeling the Hotel Comercial with 87 rooms. The Hotel Comercial, off Calle El Conde, should be ready by December or January. The Hostal Nicolás de Ovando will open with 110 rooms at year’s end of 1999, to be expanded to 170 rooms by year 2000. "This will be the most lovely hotel in the DR and perhaps Latin America," said Basto. Accor hotel chain has 3,000 hotels in 76 countries of the world. The group purchased the three hotels from the state. The Hotel Frances will operate under the Mercure brand name. It will be a Gran Hotel Mercure. The Hotel Comercial will be an Ibis hotel, and the Nicolas de Ovando will be a five hotel star operating under the brand name Sofitel.
