Accor Group announced that its affiliated budget hotel brand Ibis will increase expansion in the China market and their first Ibis hotel in Wuxi, Jiangsu Province, will be opened soon.

Located in the business hub of Wuxi new district, Ibis Wuxi will provide 216 rooms, a meeting room, a restaurant and a bar. It is the fifth Ibis hotel of Accor in China.

With the development of China's travel consumer market, the demand for economy and budget hotels is on the rise. A China National Development and Reform Commission report shows that the top ten budget hotel brands in China are growing at an average of 74% annually, while budget hotels in the country account for less than 10% of the total hotels. It is estimated that budget hotels will grow by over 50% before the end of 2008.

Ibis now runs more than 700 hotels around the world. Local media report that Ibis room occupancy in the China market has reached more than 90%.