Dubai, 19 September 2007: InterContinental Hotels Group (IHG), the world's most global hotel company, has announced multiple openings this month across three of its brands - InterContinental, Crowne Plaza and Holiday Inn Hotels & Resorts.
In support of the group's current global strategy, which targets an organic growth of 50-60,000 hotel rooms by 2008, the latest properties to join IHG's portfolio have been designed to cater for the diversifying needs of both leisure and business travellers in the key destinations.
InterContinental Hotels & Resorts continues global leadership in luxury hotels
IHG has signed a franchise agreement with Grand Hôtel Stockholm, which will see the property become an InterContinental, effective January 1st 2008.
Located at the Södra Blasieholmshammen, in a building dating back to 1874, the hotel is rich in history and tradition and occupies a prime position on the city's waterfront. The Grand Hôtel Stockholm has been a luxury hotel for 133 years and has hosted an impressive list of Nobel Prize laureates, royalty, heads of state and artists.
A franchise agreement has also been signed with 'Hotel am Zwinger Betriebsgesellschaft mbH' to open a stylish new InterContinental hotel in Dresden, Germany.
Situated on the Kleine Brudergasse, at the heart of Dresden's historic city centre, the new 200-room, InterContinental Dresden is set to become a sophisticated destination venue for business and leisure travellers when it opens in 2008. The conversion - of a previously empty building - is being overseen by world renowned British architect, Lord Norman Foster, whose design plans will ensure the hotel maximises the natural attributes of the site.
IHG is set to launch its first InterContinental hotel on New Zealand's South Island after signing a management agreement with leading property developer, Melview Developments Limited, to establish the brand in Queenstown.
As part of Melview's Kawarau Falls Station site, Queenstown's two remaining north-facing sites overlooking Lake Wakatipu, the 221-room InterContinental Queenstown is due for completion in 2010. It will join Crowne Plaza Queenstown - situated in central Queenstown - as the second hotel managed by IHG in the country's adventure capital, and will complement InterContinental Wellington to become IHG's second InterContinental hotel in New Zealand.
InterContinental Queenstown will feature over 3,000 square metres of conference and meeting facilities - the largest of any hotel in Queenstown - as well as a health spa with outdoor pool and jacuzzis. The hotel's ingenious design will take full advantage of the site from the escarpment's highest point to capture the surrounding lake and mountain views.
These announcements continue what has been a period of unprecedented growth for the InterContinental brand. This includes the recent opening of flagship properties - InterContinental Boston and InterContinental London Park Lane, as well as IHG's first InterContinental hotel in Los Angeles. The brand will continue its global expansion throughout 2007, including three new openings planned in China, as well as the opening of InterContinental Dubai Festival City.
Crowne Plaza brand offers two further 'places to meet'
In Portugal, IHG has signed a franchise agreement with the Cerro Grande investment group for the new Crowne Plaza Albufeira-Algarve.
The new-build hotel will open in the third quarter of 2008 and comprises 113 guest rooms and 50 villas, offering a stylish beach resort experience. The hotel will offer all the amenities expected from the Crowne Plaza brand, including two restaurants: the all day restaurant located inside the hotel (seating 120) and the fine dining restaurant next to the villas (seating 40).
Situated close to the old city of Albufeira, adjacent to Albufeira's marina and next to the Algarve's most important golf courses, the property is expected to appeal to both leisure and business travellers.
In the UK, IHG and Crimson Hotels are pleased to announce the opening of the Crowne Plaza Gatwick-Crawley, further strengthening IHG's portfolio of hotels at Gatwick Airport when it opens in October 2007.
The property is currently undergoing a multi-million pound refurbishment - this is in addition to an £8 million investment made in the hotel in 2005 - to bring it in line with the facilities and exacting high standards of the Crowne Plaza brand.
Holiday Inn builds presence in Russia
IHG is pleased to announce the signing of a management agreement for a Holiday Inn in Siberia's capital, Novosibirsk, in partnership with Clover Group, a Moscow-based property development holding company.
The management contract between IHG and Clover Group was signed in Moscow for a 200-bedroom Holiday Inn, which is scheduled to open in December 2009. This is the first hotel to be signed as part of a Multiple Development Agreement that was entered into between the two parties in December 2006 and which will see IHG further develop its hotel brands in Russia.
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InterContinental Hotels Group PLC (IHG) of the United Kingdom [LON:IHG, NYSE:IHG (ADRs)] is the world's largest hotel group by number of rooms. IHG owns, manages, leases or franchises, through various subsidiaries, over 3,700 hotels and more than 558,000 guest rooms in nearly 100 countries and territories around the world. IHG 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®, Candlewood Suites® and Hotel Indigo®, and also manages the world's largest hotel loyalty programme, Priority Club® Rewards, with over 33 million members worldwide.
The company pioneered the travel industry's first collaborative response to environmental issues as founder of the International Hotels and Environment Initiative (IHEI). The IHEI formed the foundations of the Tourism Partnership launched by the International Business Leaders Forum in 2004, of which IHG is still a member today. The environment and local communities remain at the heart of IHG's global corporate responsibility focus.
IHG offers information and online reservations for all its hotel brands at www.ihg.com and information for the Priority Club Rewards programme at www.priorityclub.com.
For the latest news from IHG, visit our online Press Office at www.ihg.com/media.
For further press information please contact:
Jennie Brown, Consultant
Impact Porter Novelli
21st Floor, Emirates Towers
P.O. Box 19791
Dubai, United Arab Emirates
Tel: +971 4 330 4030 Ext 428
Fax: +971 4 330 4031
Email: j.brown@ipn.ae
www.porternovelli.com
© Press Release 2007
