InterContinental Hotels Group (IHG), the world's largest hotel company by number of rooms, has partnered with Action Hotels to develop two Staybridge Suites in the United Arab Emirates. The signing took place at the InterContinental Dubai Festival City, on 2nd May 2011.
Staybridge Suites Ras Al Khaimah, scheduled to open in 2012, is an 80-suite hotel conversion of an existing building located close to the city's commercial district. Ras Al Khaimah is a rapidly growing industrial and commercial city situated close to the UAE's border with Oman and approximately 90 kilometres north of Dubai.
Staybridge Suites Abu Dhabi Rawdhat will open in a prominent new area of the capital catering to the business and leisure communities. The 112-suite new build hotel will be located close to the airport with easy access to all areas of Abu Dhabi making it an ideal destination for both the business and family traveller. This hotel is scheduled to open in 2014.
Kirk Kinsell, IHG's president Europe, Middle East and Africa said; "These new signings reflect our commitment to growth in the Middle East and our confidence in the region. We entered this market more than 50 years ago with the InterContinental brand. Since then we've introduced a further four brands, including Staybridge Suites in 2009 which opened on Yas Island, Abu Dhabi.
"The combination of the strength of IHG's brands, our marketing channels, our scale, size and our people make IHG a compelling investment opportunity. These signings demonstrate the confidence Action Hotels has in us."
Staybridge Suites are upscale, extended stay hotels for people who want a home away from home when travelling. While the majority of Staybridge Suite guests are business travellers who stay more than five nights a week, the suites are also ideal for families. The extra space, home-like environment, self-catering facilities and comfortable setting can appeal to families looking to get away for a short break.
Commenting on the signing, H.E Sheikh Mubarak Abdulla Al Mubarak Al Sabah, Chairman, Action Hotels added: "We look forward to building on our strong relationship with IHG with the addition of the two Staybridge properties to our portfolio. This brings the number of IHG properties currently under development with Action Hotels to three with the 176-room Holiday Inn Seeb in Muscat, Oman set to open in mid 2012.
"We believe that the Staybridge Suites brand answers the growing demand for accommodation that is different from a traditional hotel."
There are 188 Staybridge Suites hotels around the world and 101 in the development pipeline, including three in the Middle East. IHG opened its first hotel in the UAE in 1975 and has expanded its portfolio to 16 hotels across five brands including InterContinental, Crowne Plaza, Holiday Inn, Holiday Inn Express and Staybridge Suites.
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InterContinental Hotels Group (IHG) [LON:IHG, NYSE:IHG (ADRs)] is the world's largest hotel group by number of rooms. IHG franchises, leases, manages or owns, through various subsidiaries, over 4,400 hotels and more than 640,000 guest rooms in 100 countries and territories around the world. The Group owns a portfolio of well recognized and respected hotel brands including InterContinental® Hotels & Resorts, Hotel Indigo®, Crowne Plaza® Hotels & Resorts, Holiday Inn® Hotels and Resorts, Holiday Inn Express®, Staybridge Suites® and Candlewood Suites® and also manages the world's largest hotel loyalty program, Priority Club® Rewards with 56 million members worldwide.
IHG has almost 1,300 hotels in its development pipeline, which is expected to create 160,000 jobs worldwide over the next few years.
InterContinental Hotels Group PLC is the Group's holding company and is incorporated in Great Britain and registered in England and Wales.
IHG offers information and online reservations for all its hotel brands at www.ihg.com and information for the Priority Club Rewards program at www.priorityclub.com. For our latest news visit www.ihg.com/media, Twitter www.twitter.com/ihgplc or YouTube www.youtube.com/ihgplc.
Action Hotels Company
Action Hotels Company is a private, Middle East-based, global hotel development company established as a subsidiary of Kuwait's Action Group Holdings KSCC. Its strong partnership with Accor Hospitality and InterContinental Hotels Group will see Action Hotels Company deliver a 17-plus portfolio of strategically-located gateway properties under the Ibis, Novotel, Holiday Inn and Staybridge brands by 2014. Presently, five hotels are trading well, one each in Melbourne, Australia (2007), Salmiya, Kuwait (2008), Muscat, Oman (2009), Amman, Jordan (2009), and Sharq, Kuwait (2010). www.actionhotels.com.
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© Press Release 2011
