French hotel group Accor is considering a bid for Intercontinental Hotels Group.
Reports made in France say Accor’s chief executive, Sebastien Bazin, put together a team in June to investigate an approach.
Investment banks Centerview and Rothschild have been consulted, while JP Morgan and Deutsche Bank are also believed to be involved in an advisory capacity.
It is thought Bazin could team up with private equity group Colony Capital Europe, which he used to run.
A marriage of the two groups would create the world’s largest, with 11,000 hotels.
