IHG (InterContinental Hotels Group), (LSE:IHG) (NYSE:IHG) (ADRs), the
world’s largest hotel group by number of rooms, today announced that it
has signed an agreement to open the 11-story, 76-room Holiday Inn
Express Bogota in Colombia. This is the second IHG property in the
capital city of Bogota, joining the renowned Crowne Plaza Tequendama
Bogota. It also marks IHG’s fifth hotel in Colombia, joining the
InterContinental Cali, the InterContinental Medellin and the Holiday Inn
Express Medellin.
The new Holiday Inn Express Bogota will open first quarter of 2009
within the capital city’s newest business tower and hotel center, the
OXO Center Bogota. Located in the vibrant neighborhood of "Parque de la
93,” the Holiday Inn Express will be surrounded by shops, restaurants
and a variety of other entertainment venues. It will be a 25 minute
drive from the airport, at Calle 94, Carrera 11A, OXO Center, Bogotá,
and will feature a variety of amenities, including a fully equipped
business center and a fitness room.
The hotel’s newly enhanced complimentary Express Start®
breakfast bar will feature a range of breakfast items including an array
of hot dishes, an assortment of breads, yogurt, fruit, coffee, tea, milk
and juices. The SimplySmart™ shower incorporates a showerhead with a
signature shower curtain with a curved rod, upgraded 100 percent cotton
terry towels and a custom line of scented bath products. And, guests
will enjoy the SimplySmart™ bedding collection where they will find new
crisp fresh bedding which features an attractive decorative throw, a
medium-weight duvet blanket and soft 200 thread-count sheets.
"Colombia has a vital and bustling economy, and the city of Bogota is a
major commerce thoroughfare for global companies conducting business in
Latin America, so it makes perfect sense to have a Holiday Inn Express
in this dynamic city and in this new business epicenter,” said Alvaro
Diago, Area President of IHG, Latin America. "Holiday Inn Express is a
smart, contemporary brand that offers the comfort and practicality that
both business and leisure travelers are looking for today.”
The property will showcase the brand’s new sign, which is the seal of
approval that this hotel exemplifies the standards of the $1 billion
Holiday Inn brand relaunch program. First announced in 2007, the
relaunch program was established to create a more contemporary brand
image as part of the drive to increase quality and drive consistency
across the global portfolio. The program focuses on arrival and welcome,
guestroom and guest bath comfort. The global estate of more than 3,200
Holiday Inn and Holiday Inn Express properties is expected to be
relaunched by the end of 2010.
The hotel will be owned and managed by Grupo Contempo S.A., under a
license agreement with a company in the InterContinental Hotels Group.
"We are excited to be partnering with IHG to introduce the Holiday Inn
Express brand to Bogota. This smart brand attracts the precise
demographic we are seeking for the OXO Center. In this diverse
destination, we’re certain business and leisure travelers will find a
wide array of amazing activities they can enjoy,” said Andrea Torres of
Grupo Contempo, S.A.
Bogota is not only the capital of Colombia, but it is also the largest
metropolitan city in the country. Bogota boasts soaring skyscrapers,
beautiful cathedrals, major universities, grand theaters and an array of
entertainment and nightlife venues. Founded in 1538, Bogota has become
one of Latin America’s most aggressive business economies. Colombia’s
most profitable exporting goods include coffee, petroleum and petroleum
products, fruits, flowers, iron and steel, textile and apparels. Rich in
minerals, Colombia is the world's largest producer of emeralds and one
of South America's largest producers of gold. Bogota is a truly vibrant
city with elegant port towns cut by cobblestone roads often compared to
the looks of many European cities.
Holiday Inn Express participates in IHG’s guest loyalty program,
Priority Club® Rewards. The industry’s first and largest guest loyalty
program has more than 40 million members. Priority Club Rewards
membership is free and guests can enroll by logging on at www.priorityclub.com,
by calling 1-888-211-9874 or by inquiring at the front desk of this
hotel or any of IHG’s more than 4,100 hotels worldwide.
The Holiday Inn Express portfolio includes 15 hotels in Latin America.
In 2007, IHG opened a Holiday Inn Express in Medellin, Colombia and the
Holiday Inn Express Natal in Brazil. In September of this year, the
Holiday Inn Express Quito in Ecuador opened, and just last month the
Holiday Inn Express San Jose Airport opened in San Jose, Costa Rica.
Holiday Inn Express properties are located in major cities like Buenos
Aires, Argentina; Sao Paulo, Brazil; Curitiba, Brazil; with six others
in Chile. In the first quarter of 2009, the Holiday Inn Express San
Pedro Sula, in Honduras, is also expected to open. IHG will be adding
another Holiday Inn Express in Colombia in the city of Cartagena, slated
to open in 2010.
Focused on growing its portfolio of brands throughout the region, IHG
today has more than 170 hotels in Mexico, Central and South America, and
the Caribbean, and has been serving Latin America for more than 60
years. IHG has properties situated in nearly every key market throughout
Latin America.
About Holiday Inn Express
Holiday Inn Express is the modern hotel for value-oriented travelers.
Fresh, clean and uncomplicated, Holiday Inn Express hotels offer
competitive rates for both business and leisure travelers. Guests Stay
Smart® at Holiday Inn Express hotels where they enjoy a free
hot Express Start® Breakfast Bar, free high-speed internet
access and free local phone calls (US only). There are currently more
than 1,800 Holiday Inn Express locations around the globe. For more
information about Holiday Inn Express or to book reservations, call
1-800-HOLIDAY or visit www.hiexpress.com.
Notes to Editors:
InterContinental Hotels Group (IHG), (LSE: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 4,100 hotels
and more than 600,000 guest rooms in nearly 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 40 million members worldwide.
IHG has more than 1,700 hotels in its development pipeline, which
will create 200,000 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 the latest news from IHG, visit our online Press Office at www.ihg.com/media.