Tag Archives: InterContinental Hotels Group

InterContinental Hotels Group (IHG) has headed into year 2021 by refreshing its identity, moving from IHG to IHG Hotels & Resorts and giving a makeover to its visual identity as well. It is also now presenting its 16 brands under four collections, namely ‘The Luxury and Lifestyle Collection’, ‘The Premium Collection’, ‘The Essentials Collection’, and ‘The Suites Collection’.

InterContinental Hotels Group (IHG) has announced the opening of seven more Holiday Inn Express hotels from the IHG-SAMHI partnership. The hotels are spread across Pune, Hyderabad, Nashik, Ahmedabad and Bengaluru. With the latest announcement, 10 Holiday Inn Express hotels from the IHG–SAMHI partnership are now open across the country. IHG and SAMHI entered a partnership in 2017 to rebrand 14 hotels (approximately 2000 rooms, operating and under construction) in India to Holiday Inn Express hotels. All hotels in the portfolio were closed while they were being refurbished and upgraded with the latest design directives, to ensure the portfolio is fully representative of the Holiday Inn Express brand globally. The new Holiday Inn Express hotels are located strategically providing easy accessibility to local shopping centres, tourist attractions and business hubs. Promising unparalleled comfort and convenience to the guests, all newly-opened hotels offer well designed, contemporary rooms with a range of in-room amenities, service culture and feature the brand’s signature ‘Great Room’, a dynamic space to socialise as well as relax and unwind. Vivek Bhalla, Regional Vice President, SWA, IHG said, “The Holiday Inn Express brand has gained tremendous momentum in the country and we have also made significant progress towards our commitment to strengthen our mid-scale portfolio in India. We are confident that all newly opened Holiday Inn Express hotels in partnership with SAMHI, will successfully cater to the needs of the modern business and leisure travellers, across cities.” Ashish Jakhanwala, Founder, MD & CEO, SAMHI, added, “We began this journey with IHG in 2017 when we signed an agreement for 14 Holiday Inn Express hotels in India. With the opening of 10 Holiday Inn Express hotels from the portfolio, across seven …

InterContinental Hotels Group has signed a management agreement with Tipping Point Hospitality for Holiday Inn Goa Candolim. Nestled amidst two of North Goa’s famed destinations – Candolim and Calangute, the hotel is expected to welcome guests in November 2019. Offering leisure and corporate travellers a perfect stay experience, the newly built , 110-room Holiday Inn Goa Candolim will be a 30-minute drive from the city centre and a 60-minute drive from Dabolim Airport. The hotel is also in close proximity to North Goa’s popular entertainment and nightlife destinations and is a 15-minute walk from Candolim beach and Sinquerim fort. In addition to featuring well-designed, fully-equipped guest rooms, Holiday Inn Goa Candolim will comprise expansive meeting spaces and a business centre to meet the rapidly growing MiCE demands in the city. Holiday Inn Goa Candolim will feature an all-day dining restaurant and a lobby bar, offering guests some great dining options at the hotel. The hotel will also feature leisure facilities such as an outdoor pool and a gymnasium for guests to enjoy their time during their stay.  

InterContinental Hotels Group (IHG) has signed a management agreement with Bhumika Enterprises for Holiday Inn Udaipur Urban Square. The 195-room hotel will be the first Holiday Inn hotel in the city and is expected to be operational by 2022. Boasting of an excellent location, Holiday Inn Udaipur Urban Square will be an integral part of the upcoming ‘Urban Square’, an integrated hospitality, retail and family entertainment destination spread over 1.8 million square feet. Sudeep Jain, Vice President—Development, South West Asia, IHG said, “We are delighted to partner with Bhumika Group to mark IHG’s debut in Udaipur, under the Holiday Inn banner. Urban Square is set to develop as a landmark destination for hospitality, retail and family entertainment in Udaipur and we are pleased to be a part of this prestigious development. The Holiday Inn brand family is our growth driver in the midscale hotel segment in India, and we have accelerated our expansion this year with a number of signings across the country.” Uddhav Poddar, Managing Director, Bhumika Group, said, “IHG is a leading hospitality player, globally and we are very pleased to partner with the company to launch Holiday Inn Udaipur Urban Square. We are confident that the Holiday Inn brand will further enhance the bouquet of services that the Urban Square has to offer to travellers.’’  

InterContinental Hotels Group (IHG) has signed a management agreement with Lotus Trans Travel to establish a four hotel portfolio under the Holiday Inn banner. Slated to open between 2020 and 2023, Holiday Inn Bodhgaya, Holiday Inn Kushinagar, Holiday Inn Gorakhpur and Holiday Inn Shravasti together will add over 450 rooms to IHG’s system and establish the company’s presence at the Buddhist tourism circuit. As a part of the agreement, Holiday Inn hotels in Bodhgaya, Kushinagar and Shravasti will be refurbished and upgraded to ensure the portfolio is fully representative of the Holiday Inn brand globally. Holiday Inn Gorakhpur will be will be a new build hotel. Bodhgaya in Bihar, Gorakhpur, Shravasti and Kushinagar in Uttar Pradesh are some of the main pilgrimage centres for Buddhism in India and together form a part of ‘The Buddhist Circuit’ in the country that drives a great deal of religious visitors and international travellers to these states. Sudeep Jain, Vice President—Development, South West Asia, IHG said, “We are excited to be collaborating with Lotus Trans Travel, who have a strong presence and a deep market understanding of Buddhist destinations in India. This signing adds to the rapidly growing presence of our well-recognised Holiday Inn brand across the country.” Karan Rai, Director, Lotus Trans Travel, added, “We feel there is a need for quality branded accommodation in cities with immense travel potential such as Bodhgaya, Kushinagar, Gorakhpur and Shravasti, and are delighted to be partnering with IHG for our business in these markets.”

InterContinental Hotels Group (IHG), has signed a management agreement with Hotel Marina Agra for Holiday Inn Agra MG Road. Expected to be operational in 2018, the 150-room hotel marks the company’s debut in Agra and also completes IHG’s presence in the Delhi-Jaipur-Agra Golden Triangle tourist circuit. Just 15 minutes’ drive from Agra Fort and Taj Mahal, Holiday Inn Agra MG Road offers stunning views of the Taj from the upper floors. Sudeep Jain, Vice President – Development, South West Asia, IHG said, “We are delighted to partner with Hotel Agra Marina to introduce our first hotel in Agra, under the Holiday Inn banner. With excellent location, facilities and best in class amenities, we are confident the hotel will be a great choice for varied guest profiles with diverse requirements. The Holiday Inn brand family is our growth driver in India, and this signing underscores our commitment to further strengthen our position in the midscale hotel segment.” Shashank Bhagat, Managing Partner, Hotel Marina, said, “We are delighted to partner with a strong, global player such as IHG to bring the Holiday Inn brand to Agra. We are assured that the hotel will benefit from the company’s robust distribution systems, top revenue management tools and best in class loyalty programme.” Situated on MG Road, the hotel is in close proximity to the business district and key government offices, making it an ideal choice for corporate travellers, as well.

InterContinental Hotels Group (IHG) has announced a partnership with SDB Developers to bring a second Holiday Inn hotel to Kolkata. As part of the agreement, the 110-room Holiday Inn Resort Kolkata NH6 will have 90 rooms operational by the end of 2018, with 20 additional rooms expected to be operational by 2020. Sprawling across 12 acres of land in Uluberia, a city that comes under the Kolkata Metropolitan Area, Holiday Inn Resort Kolkata NH6 is strategically located to offer excellent connectivity to central Kolkata. Well suited to cater to leisure, business and MiCE guests, the resort will be an hour’s drive from the City Centre and Netaji Subhash Chandra Bose International Airport. The resort will also be well connected to the National Highway and the Orissa Trunk Road. Commenting on the announcement, Sudeep Jain, Vice President – Development, South West Asia, IHG said, “The signing of Holiday Inn Resort Kolkata NH6 is in line with our strategy to grow our portfolio of midscale hotels in the country, comprising the Holiday Inn brand family. Given the location, facilities and best in class amenities that will be available at the resort, we expect strong demand from various guests’ segments including, leisure, MiCE, social events and weddings.” Pawan Bhimsaria, Director, SDB Developers said, “With IHG’s strong global and domestic track record, robust distribution systems and an excellent loyalty programme, we are confident Holiday Inn Resort Kolkata NH6 will be a popular choice amongst guests visiting and residing in the city.”

InterContinental Hotels Group has partnered with SAMHI to rebrand approximately 2000 rooms (operating and under construction) within its India hotel portfolio, to Holiday Inn Express® hotels. The recently signed portfolio comprises 14 hotels, including 10 open hotels across key cities such as Ahmedabad, Bengaluru, Chennai, Delhi NCR, Hyderabad, Kolkata, and Mumbai. The additional four hotels are under construction. The signing sees IHG grow its pipeline by 41 hotels, positioning IHG as one of the largest players in India’s growing midscale hotel market. All hotels in the portfolio will be closed while they are being refurbished and upgraded with the latest design directives, to ensure the portfolio is fully representative of the Holiday Inn Express brand globally. The hotels will feature the next-generation design, several additional public areas and feature brand hallmarks to enhance guest service delivery. Commenting on the announcement, Sudeep Jain, Vice President, Development, South West Asia, IHG said: “It is with great pride and excitement that we are announcing our partnership with SAMHI for conversion of their existing mid-market hotel portfolio in India to Holiday Inn Express. This is a significant move towards establishing IHG as a leading player in the midscale hotel segment in India, while we continue to build on our upscale and luxury offering in the country with InterContinental Hotels & Resorts and Crowne Plaza Hotels & Resorts.” Jain added: “With this signing, we now have close to 60 hotels open and in the pipeline, across the Holiday Inn Brand Family. SAMHI is keen to accelerate Holiday Inn Express’ highly efficient operating model and engage the brand’s growing familiarity in the country. Holiday Inn Express is the rest and go hotel brand that delivers a …

InterContinental Hotels Group (IHG) opened the doors to the first Kimpton outside of the Americas, with the Kimpton De Witt in Amsterdam, The Netherlands. Sudeep Jain, Vice President-Development, South West Asia, IHG, says, “The concept of lifestyle hotels is about stimulating a diverse, innovative environment enhanced by a sense of belonging and style. It is encouraging to see the signature Kimpton experience being introduced to Europe. Lifestyle hotels have been trending for over 20 years, and now is the right time to accelerate our growth in India through the lifestyle segment.” Kimpton Hotels & Restaurants was acquired by IHG in 2015. IHG announced the further expansion of the brand across Europe with its second Kimpton hotel set to open in Paris in 2020. There are currently over 60 Kimpton hotels and more than 70 Kimpton restaurants, bars and lounges in 33 cities across Europe and the Americas. The hotel, which is in the heart of Amsterdam’s vibrant city centre and near the city’s Centraal Station, marks a milestone for IHG as it brings the Kimpton brand to Europe for the first time. This is IHG’s 20th hotel in The Netherlands and is an addition to the 675 IHG hotels across Europe. Kimpton Hotels & Restaurants introduced the boutique hotel concept to the United States when it opened in San Fransisco in 1981. “Europe was the original inspiration behind Bill Kimpton founding the brand and now we’re bringing the brand home again. Opening in Amsterdam, gives us the perfect opportunity to indulge in the playful, creative and innovative approach to luxury that the city inspires in Kimpton’s unique and special way,” comments Angela Brav, IHG’s CEO, Europe.  “Amsterdam as a city …

InterContinental Hotels Group (IHG) is getting ready to become the first hotel company to develop and launch a next-generation Guest Reservation System (GRS) that will revolutionise the technological foundations of the global hospitality industry. This is in partnership with Amadeus and it had started work on this early 2015. Amadeus will use a new cloud-based community model, a first in the hotel sector, and similar to the model it developed for the global airline industry. Speaking about this major development is Sudeep Jain, ‎Vice President, Development, South West Asia, IHG. He says, “The biggest change we have seen in the industry is the advent of digitisation. Applications on mobile phones that allow hotels to reach consumers directly is going to drive the change forward. We as a company have invested heavily in the digital space in partnership with Amadeus. We will get a cloud-based Guest Reservation System (GRS) which can customise and personalise the experience of our guests in terms of booking, choosing and deciding how to stay. It is being tested now and will be launched globally next year. These developments will help us automatically drive relationships with our customers.”