Hotelier is heading down under to start up new hostel network

Accor, one of the world’s largest hotel companies, is dipping its toes in the often overlooked backpacker market by launching a new hostel-style accommodation chain called base backpackers in New Zealand and Australia.

Accor, which operates about 3,600 hotels in 90 countries under the names Motel 6, Sofitel, Novotel, Mercure, Ibis and Formule 1, among others, will be marketing base backpackers to customers familiar with its other hotels. It has opened a hostel in Rotorua, New Zealand; hostels in Auckland and Wellington will be added later this year.

“The political and economic events of the past few years have highlighted that the backpacker sector is highly resilient and is set to grow even faster in the next few years as more traditional travelers are attracted by the backpacker style of travel,” said Michael Issenberg, Accor’s managing director for Australia and New Zealand.

Accor plans to take over established hostels and use its existing reservations and marketing systems. The company intends to hire experienced backpacker operators to manage the hostels.

To run the new network Accor hired Graeme Warring, who helped establish Kiwi Experience and Oz Experience backpacker bus services.

“The market will no longer stand for the flea-infested beds and dodgy facilities that were a rite of passage for backpackers in the early days,” Warring said. “Today’s backpackers are better educated and likely to be better informed and better traveled. They have high expectations from their accommodation and expect the latest in communications, entertainment and facilities.

“We will be targeting people familiar with Accor’s other brands who might be looking for more affordable accommodation and the opportunity to mix more freely with fellow travelers,” Warring said. “We expect to see people who wouldn’t traditionally stay in backpacker accommodation attracted to base because of its high standards of accommodation and facilities.”

Base hostels will offer inexpensive dorm and private rooms, shared cooking facilities, themed bars with DVD and large-screen TVs, game lounges, dancing and services including touring advice and assistance with visas, banking and employment. Rates in New Zealand will be about $8.50 to $10.50 per bed, per night; in Australia, $9 to $10.25.

The first base hostel, the Wall Backpackers (1140 Hinemoa St.; 011-64-7-350-2040, fax 011-64-7-350-3020, www.thewall.co.nz), opened in Rotorua in March 2001. Its name refers to the 66-foot climbing wall outside the rooms. Beds in dorm rooms (up to eight people share) are $9.50 per night. Doubles are $25.50 for two. Rooms with attached bathrooms are $32 for two. Sheet rentals are $1.60 per set. You can view the facilities and print out a discount voucher online.

For information log on to www.basebackpackers.com.

Within a few months, Accor is supposed to open the 298-bed Cambridge Terrace hostel in a historic 1930s Art Deco structure known as the King George Building, which is in Courtney Place, Wellington’s popular restaurant, entertainment and backpacker district.

Accor’s Auckland hostel will be in a historic building on Fort Street in the heart of the city’s backpacker and entertainment strip.

The 435-bed hostel will have 40 bedrooms with bathrooms and space for 355 people in shared rooms (four to six in a room).

There will be a bar and cafe area, cooking facilities and a travel center, which will provide Internet and job search facilities as well as assistance with visa applications, banking and other clerical services.

Accor will start a similar network in Australia next year in Sydney, Melbourne, Brisbane, Cairns, the Whitsundays, Adelaide, Darwin, Broome and Perth.

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Lucy Izon is a Toronto-based freelance writer and author of “Izon’s Backpacker Journal.” Her Internet site is www.izon.com.