Accor has signed a franchise agreement with Jupiter Hotels, the new owners of the former Jarvis Hotels, as part of its plans to increase its UK network to 300 properties by 2015.

The deal involves 24 hotels, totalling 2,664 rooms, which will open under the mid-scale Mercure hotel brand, bringing the total number of Mercure properties in the UK to 68.

The new hotels are located in various locations across the UK including Brighton, York, Edinburgh, Inverness, London, Leeds, Bradford, Manchester, Bristol, Gloucester and Leicester.

Accor said the partnership with Mercure will allow the properties to join a worldwide network of over 700 midscale hotels while retaining their own individual style.