To cater for the rising number of Chinese visitors to France, AccorHotels has started accepting UnionPay International as a payment method at some of its French properties.

Under the new initiative, 85 hotels across a range of segments, from economy to luxury, have been initially selected to trial the UnionPay system. In the second phase, which will run from May to mid-June 2017, the number of French hotels offering this payment option will increase to 200.

“The roll-out of the UnionPay card at our hotels in France is yet another example of our commitment to making things easier for our guests and offering a wide range of services at every stage of their stay,” explained Sophie Etchandy-Stabile, executive director of AccorHotels’ HotelServices division for France and Switzerland.

“With this new dedicated service, AccorHotels is making it as simple as possible for tourists from Asia to visit France, and at the same time is making France a more attractive destination.”

Under the new system, guests will be able to pay for their rooms and other hotel services using their UnionPay card, with transactions authorised in real time.

UnionPay cards can also be used at approximately two thirds of ATM machines in France.