Property will support growing business and residential community around pioneering industrial port development

Muscat, Oman - 19 May 2007: InterContinental Hotels Group, the world's most global hotel company, has reinforced its commitment to Oman as a thriving business and tourist destination by announcing the development of a third Crowne Plaza hotel, in the burgeoning industrial city of Sohar.

The hotel, developed by owners SAMCO Trading & Contracting, is located on a hilltop in close proximity to the Sohar Industrial Port Company project, which launched in 2002 and is set to become the economic backbone of Oman's diversification effort.

Planned to open at the end of 2007, the 126 room Crowne Plaza Sohar will be the first internationally branded hotel in the area. It will feature a diverse mix of food and beverage, leisure, commercial and service outlets, including a Mediterranean restaurant, a lobby-level patisserie, sports bar, poolside dining and a banquet hall catering for up to 400 guests.

The extensive leisure facilities include a bowling alley with pool and snooker tables and a world-class health club with a fully equipped gym, steam room, sauna and massage facilities, tennis courts and an outdoor swimming pool. Commercial services include boardrooms, meeting and training rooms furnished with state of the art equipment. 800sqm of fully-serviced office space with separate entrance and car parking will also be available for lease.

Tony Zamora, Director of Operations, InterContinental Hotels Group, Oman said, "With the addition of Crowne Plaza Sohar we will see the Group's portfolio in the country rise to 1300 rooms, this will allow us to offer a complementary choice of hotels in Oman, to cater for a diverse mix of business and leisure travellers.  While established global corporations and intra-regional travel remain key to the commercial success of the hotel, the Sohar property will also act as a vital facility and employer for the local community, further testament to the group's commitment towards Omanisation"

Added Zamora, "The Sohar development is indicative of the high levels of industrial enterprise currently occurring in the country and we are proud to play a significant role in its success as a world-class leisure and business destination."

Salim Macki of SAMCO Trading & Contracting said: "The development of an established branded hotel such as Crowne Plaza is vital to meet the business needs of the port of Sohar and local business community.  The high standards that are inherent of the Crowne Plaza brand and its tailor-made facilities will prove integral to international business travelers and provide a welcome addition to the leisure activities of the local community."

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Sohar is located 240 kilometres north-west of Muscat.

InterContinental Hotels Group PLC of the United Kingdom [LON:IHG, NYSE:IHG (ADRs)] is the world's largest hotel group by number of rooms.  InterContinental Hotels Group owns, manages, leases or franchises, through various subsidiaries, over 3,600 hotels and 537,500 guest rooms in nearly 100 countries and territories around the world. 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®, Candlewood Suites® and Hotel IndigoTM, and also manages the world's largest hotel loyalty programme, Priority Club® Rewards.

InterContinental Hotels Group offers information and online reservations for all its hotel brands at www.ichotelsgroup.com and information for the Priority Club Rewards programme at www.priorityclub.com.

For the latest news from InterContinental Hotels Group, visit our online Press Office at www.ihgplc.com/media.

For further press information please contact:
Impact Porter Novelli
PO Box 19791
Dubai,
United Arab Emirates
Contact:           
Jennie Brown, Consultant
Tel: 9714 3304030 Ext: 428
Fax: 9714 3304031
E-mail: j.brown@ipn.ae 

© Press Release 2007