Many will not have heard of it, but this once-obscure hotel brand has become a heavy- hitter in Australia.

Pullman has become the largest five-star hotel brand in the country, snatching the title from Hilton.

The Pullman brand, which is owned by Accor Hotels and has been in Australia for just four years, has been applied to a number of luxury properties in a short space of time.

Sea Temple resorts at Port Douglas and Palm Cove in far north Queensland last month had Pullman added to their names, while two large hotels in Cairns — formerly the Reef Casino and Sebel Cairns — were recently brought under the Pullman brand.

The brand is also being used in Western Australia's Margaret River region, at the Bunker Bay resort, and has been applied to Ayers Rock Resort's flagship Sails in the Desert hotel, which has just undergone a major renovation.

There are three Pullman hotels in Sydney, at Hyde Park, Macquarie Street and Olympic Park, and one in Brisbane, making 10 in total.

The chief operating officer of Accor Pacific, Simon McGrath, says the Pullman name will help attract international tourists, particularly from Asia, where the brand is gaining prominence.

The Pullman name dates back to Pullman railway carriages on American trains in the mid-19th century and was revived for hotel use in 2007.