InterContinental Hotels Group Offers First-Class Accommodation in All Key Destinations of the Vast Country
Dubai - A wonderful combination of grand history and modern high culture, Egypt has for decades been rated as one of the world's most popular tourist destinations. From opera performances in Cairo and hot nightspots to Sinai's golden beaches and promises of Bedouin nights, the large Middle Eastern country has continually attracted strong interest from travelers around the world.
Just as tourists have been drawn to this impressive country that is home to some of the world's most famous archaeological relics, so too have hotel groups. With the potential having been noticed long ago, the country is now home to many of the best-known hotel brands.
Having lead the trail to establish Egypt as a key tourism destination in recent history, InterContinental Hotels Group - the world's most global hotel company - has 12 properties currently in the country. The country is home to such an impressive number of InterContinental Hotel Group properties based on the demand generated by a strong tourism market that requires a diversity of hotels.
Chris Moloney, Chief Operating Officer, InterContinental Hotels Group, Middle East and Africa explained the need for such a vast portfolio of properties: "From Cairo's opera, museums and hot nightspots, Giza's pyramids and sphinx, Sinai's golden beaches and Bedouin nights, and the Red Sea's variety of water sports - in addition to its temperate weather and friendly people are a clear reflection of the many rich aspects that render Egypt's attraction for tourists."
"To accommodate for the all the different sorts of holidays that people want to have, whether it be a beach stay or a city stay, compared to a business trip or a conference, we need to offer a variety of options - and being the world's largest hotel group means guests have an entire portfolio of property types to choose from."
The Holiday Inn, Crowne Plaza and InterContinental Hotel brands are all represented in Egypt. Of the 12 properties, five are Holiday Inn hotels including: Holiday Inn Resort Taba, Holiday Inn Resort Sharm El Sheikh, Amphoras Holiday Inn Resort Sharm El Sheikh and Holiday Inn Resort Safaga Palace. There is one Crowne Plaza property, the Crowne Plaza Resort Sharm El Sheikh, and the rest of the group's suite consists of the high-end InterContinental Hotel brand. With six InterContinental Hotel brands, visitors can choose from: Semiramis InterContinental Cairo, InterContinental Pyramids Park Resort Cairo, InterContinental Citystars Cairo, InterContinental Garden Reef Resort Sharm El Sheikh, InterContinental Resort & Casino Hurghada, InterContinental Abu Soma Resort.
The InterContinental Abu Soma Resort is set on the shores of the Red Sea, has become immensely popular with Middle East travellers because of its proximity to Hurghada and Safaga, the amazing service provided by the staff, and the stunning architecture that includes more than 445 rooms, including 63 suites.
Set amongst landscaped gardens and waterfalls, the resort is situated on a prime private beach boasting more than 1km of pristine white sands and lapping shores. Looking out to the mountains of Sinai, the resort has a state-of-the-art fitness centre, leisure facilities, beach club, swimming pools, horse stables, marina and diving centre. Later this year, guests will also be able to unwind on a testing and challenging 18-hole golf course.
Most recently, InterContinental Hotels Group has opened three very different properties in the country. On the coast of Taba, the Group has unveiled the stunning 172-room Holiday Inn Taba Resort. While at the heart of the country it has unveiled the lavish, luxurious and larger than life InterContinental Citystars Cairo. Located at the heart of Cairo's largest retail and leisure complex - IC Citystars - the new hotel has quickly emerged as the city's most popular destination for tourist groups, corporate travelers and conference delegates.
"These three properties really demonstrate the various styles of properties that people look for when they come to Egypt. For example, holidaymakers looking to take a break somewhere peaceful where they can soak in the natural beauty recline on white sands or explore amazing terrain, need look no further than Taba," said Moloney.
"On the coast, Taba has become one of the country's premier holiday destinations because of its picturesque bays, amazing dive spots and first-class accommodation. Situated 40km south of Taba on the Egyptian Riviera coast, the resort is located on the Gulf of Aqaba between Egypt and Jordan. With rooms offering magnificent sea views, guests can relax in the knowledge that they will also have at hand direct dial telephones, satellite TV, individual safe box, A/C and a mini-bar."
Meanwhile, Moloney continued to explain that just as much style and class can be found in the city at the InterContinental Citystars Cairo, which is a 700-plus room, hotel that is located in the groundbreaking 115,000 square meter Citystars complex. As the largest mixed-use urban development in the Middle East, the $750 million Citystars is larger than any project of its kind in Europe. With the InterContinental Citystars Cairo hotel set in the amazing complex, guests are provided with instant access to the twelfth largest shopping centre in the world - with 470 retail outlets, an entertainment centre, cinemas, bowling alley and the only indoor roller coaster in the Middle East.
With an aim to attract an even higher number of visitors to the beautiful country that is brimming with culture, InterContinental Hotels Group regularly represents it Egyptian properties at international trade shows. The results were immediate and in 2004, the hotel group experienced a greater level of interest from European leisure travelers. "From reviewing 2004 figures, it is fair to say it was an excellent year for InterContinental Hotels Group properties in Egypt and the forecasting remains strong for 2005," said Moloney. Based on this strength, the hotels group is looking at new projects in Cairo, Sinai and the Red Sea areas.
Attracting mostly visitors from the Middle East and Europe, InterContinental Hotels Group merits strong interest in its properties based on their enviable location. "As the world's largest hotel group, we have a reputation for always choosing prime location for properties and the story is no different in Egypt. Additionally, with our impressive loyalty program, seasonal promotions, and well-trained staff, it is easy to see why people do not go past InterContinental Hotels Group," said Moloney.
As the largest operator of hotels in the Middle East, InterContinental Hotels Group has more than 70 InterContinental, Crowne Plaza and Holiday Inn properties across the UAE, Oman, Bahrain, Qatar, Kuwait, Saudi Arabia, Yemen, Lebanon, Jordan, Egypt, Kenya, Eritrea, Zambia and Gabon. In the future, the group - which provides accommodation for 120 million guests per year - is looking to introduce new hotels from its brand portfolio to the growing Middle East and Africa market.
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About InterContinental Hotels Group
InterContinental, Crowne Plaza and Holiday Inn hotels across the region can be booked with toll-free calls to the InterContinental Hotels Group Middle East Central Reservations Office in Bahrain (80000 880), Egypt (0800-4433322), Jordan (0800-22666), Kuwait (473 2100 ext 6233), Lebanon (01 426-801 - ask operator to connect to 866 866 7556), Oman (800 777 999), Pakistan (00800 909 971234) Qatar (0800 971234), Saudi Arabia (800 897 1465), and the UAE (800 4642).
InterContinental Hotels Group PLC of the United Kingdom [LON:IHG, NYSE:IHG (ADRs)] is the world's most global hotel company and the largest by number of rooms. InterContinental Hotels Group owns, manages, leases or franchises, through various subsidiaries, more than 3,500 hotels and 535,000 guest rooms in nearly 100 countries and territories around the world (www.ichotelsgroup.com). The Group owns a portfolio of well recognised and respected hotel brands including InterContinental Hotels & Resorts, Crowne Plaza Hotels & Resorts, Holiday Inn Hotels and Resorts, Holiday Inn Express, Staybridge Suites, and Candlewood Suites, and also has a controlling interest in Britvic, the second largest soft drinks manufacturer in the UK. InterContinental Hotels Group offers information and reservations capability on the Internet - www.intercontinental.com for InterContinental Hotels & Resorts,
www.crowneplaza.com for Crowne Plaza Hotels & Resorts, www.holiday-inn.com for Holiday Inn hotels, www.hiexpress.com for Holiday Inn Express hotels, www.staybridge.com for Staybridge Suites by Holiday Inn hotels, and www.candlewoodsuites.com for Candlewood Suites, and for the Group's rewards programme, www.priorityclub.com For the latest news from InterContinental Hotels Group, visit our online Press Office at www.pressoffice.ihgplc.com
For further information, please contact:
Sarah Plummer
Senior Consultant
Impact Porter Novelli
PO Box 19791
Dubai
United Arab Emirates
Tel: 9714 3304030 Ext: 404
Fax: 9714 3304031
E-mail: s.plummer@ipn.ae
© Press Release 2005
