AccorHotels has announced it has signed a management agreement with Acropole Holdings Limited for Novotel Downtown Dubai. Construction on the hotel will start in February 2017, with the opening date anticipated prior to Expo 2020. The Novotel Downtown Dubai is set to serve as an internationally branded upper-midscale option and will offer 266 rooms, in an area that predominantly caters for the upscale and luxury market, according to Olivier Granet, MD and COO of AccorHotels Middle East. AccorHotels operates 87 hotels in the Middle East, encompassing over 26,300 rooms from the luxury to economy segments. Its regional network also includes 80 hotels under development, which would add c24,000 additional rooms to the Middle East. (Arabian Business)