Tag Archives: InterContinental Hotels Group

Intercontinental Hotels Group (IHG) has launched its second voco hotel voco Al Khobar in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia (KSA) in partnership with KSA-based developer Wasata Al Wosta Real Estate Co. offering a spacious, modern, stylish and unstuffy hotel experience for guests, voco Al Khobar boasts 130 rooms, embodies the characteristics of voco with exclusive features and distinctive hallmarks, setting it apart for a memorable stay. Every guest will experience the voco signature ‘come on in’ warm welcome, promising a swift and simple check in, with every room equipped with high-speed Wi-Fi, smart TVs, executive desks and in-room refreshments. So guests can relax and indulge in some ‘me time’ when they stay at voco. For those looking for an alternative space for meetings, the hotel offers all the facilities to cater to a wide range of events with 11 meeting spaces from  small and smart meetings, workshops, weddings and banquets, while also fitting up to 410 guests at Al Sultana ballroom. The hotel is an ideal destination for those wanting to escape the hectic city life and unwind in a haven of ultimate relaxation. The impressive health club also features a spa, with five lush treatment rooms, an indoor pool, and two fully equipped fitness centres, assigned separately for men and women. M. Allaf, Area General Manager – IHG, said, “Whether guests are staying or dining, we look forward to giving everyone a warm welcome when they arrive at voco Al Khobar. We want all of our guests to take a moment for themselves to recharge and unwind and enjoy the personal service the voco brand is renowned for.”

InterContinental Hotels Group (IHG) has signed a Management Agreement with Al Rawabi Regional Company for Hotels Resorts and Tourism Ltd., to open InterContinental Durrat Al Riyadh next year. The converted property will reside on 154,000 sqm of lush green oasis, offering a refuge of relaxation. The urban resort will feature 152 well-appointed rooms and 10 private chalets, offer an array of facilities including five dining options, a kids’ club and miniature golf. Guests focused on wellness and rejuvenation can take advantage of the outdoor and indoor pool, a gym, a tennis court and a spa. Additionally, the hotel will feature a business centre, seven meeting rooms and a banquet room to cater to the demands of the MiCE and corporate segments. Speaking on the announcement, Pascal Gauvin, Managing Director, India, Middle East and Africa, IHG, said, “IHG has a strong foothold and reputation in the luxury segment through our flagship brand, InterContinental, which has enjoyed great success in Saudi Arabia over the last four decades. We look forward to continuing this legacy with the opening of InterContinental Durrat Al Riyadh.” Waleed J Tawfik, CEO of Al Rawabi Regional Company for Hotels Resorts and Tourism Ltd., added, “We are delighted to sign this agreement with IHG, which is a trusted and pioneering name in the Saudi hospitality sector, given its long legacy. We believe that InterContinental is the ideal choice to cater to the needs of both business and leisure guests.”

IHG (InterContinental Hotels Group) has signed a Management Agreement with real estate company RIKAZ Properties to develop its fourth Holiday Inn hotel in Al Khobar. Expected to open in January 2021, Holiday Inn Al Khobar King Fahd Road will be located in close proximity to the King Fahd Causeway, making it the ideal choice for leisure guests during holiday seasons as well as corporate guests looking for ease of connectivity to and from Bahrain. The 140-key property will feature an outdoor pool, a lobby lounge, food & beverage outlets and a state-of-the-art gymnasium. Pascal Gauvin, Managing Director, India, Middle East & Africa, IHG, said, “With a number of recent signings in Saudi Arabia, across our brands such as Holiday Inn, voco and Crowne Plaza, we are growing our presence in key cities and gearing up to cater to the needs of diverse guest profiles expected to visit the country in the coming years.” Khalid Al Gahtani, Chairman, RIKAZ Properties, added, “The Holiday Inn brand has an international appeal and we are confident that this latest hotel will perform successfully and cater to the increasing demand for midscale accommodation in the country.”

InterContinental Hotels Group (IHG) is continuing to expand its footprint across Saudi Arabia with the signing of voco Makkah in partnership with Maad International, among the Kingdom’s largest hospitality real estate development companies. The property will be the largest voco in the world, when operational in early 2020, and it will cater to the growing number of religious tourists in KSA. The 4,200-room hotel will take IHG’s portfolio in the country to over 19,500 rooms, solidifying IHG’s position as one of the largest hospitality players in Saudi Arabia. voco Makkah will occupy a premium location within the greater Maad Hospitality Towers Development, a mega mixed-used development that includes restaurants, lounge areas, event halls and separate male and female prayer halls. Situated in one of the most sought-after locations in the Holy City, the new hotel is within walking distance of Masjid Al Haram, and it will provide an ideal base for pilgrims along with an exceptional guest experience including over 20,000 sqm of dining and meeting facilities. Pascal Gauvin, Managing Director, India, Middle East & Africa, IHG, said, “We are honoured to enter into this agreement with Maad International, which is one of the most renowned hospitality development companies in the Kingdom. We look forward to catering to the influx of pilgrims at voco Makkah, which will provide a welcoming, comfortable and a reliably different experience during the Hajj and Umrah seasons.”

IHG (InterContinental Hotels Group) signed two franchise agreements including Holiday Inn Madinah King Abdulaziz Road with Loulouat Al Madinah Hospitality and Holiday Inn Jeddah Al Hamra with Al Hokair Group. The agreements were signed and announced at Arabian Hotel Investment Conference (AHIC) 2019 in Ras Al Khaimah. The signings consolidate IHG’s strategy to expand its footprint across the kingdom, with its midscale offerings. Holiday Inn Jeddah Al Hamra will feature 253 rooms and a host of facilities for business and leisure travellers including three food and beverage outlets, six meeting rooms, and a business centre. In addition, guests will be able to take advantage of recreational facilities such as the outdoor pool, a gymnasium and a spa. Due to open in 2020, Holiday Inn Madinah King Abdulaziz Road will be strategically located near Al Haramain Railway Train Station and other major transport hubs. The 180-key hotel will feature 2,000 sqm of banqueting space for events and conventions, a business centre as well as a gym and two dining options. Given its location in the Holy City and close proximity to Knowledge Economic City, it is expected to attract both pilgrims and corporate travellers. Commenting on the agreement, Pascal Gauvin, Managing Director, India, Middle East & Africa, IHG, said, “We are excited to leverage our experience of this market to bring more hospitality options to a broad range of travellers.” Omar Samara, CEO, Al Hokair Group, added, “IHG understands the market and has demonstrated its credentials to us as a strong partner. The tourism landscape in Saudi Arabia is changing, in line with Vision 2030, and offers unprecedented opportunities for the hospitality sector.” Sami Al Hokair, Managing Director, Loulouat Al Madinah Hospitality, said, …

IHG (InterContinental Hotels Group) signed franchise agreements for two hotels, Staybridge Suites Dubai Financial Centre and Staybridge Suites Dubai Internet City, with the Dubai-based real estate development firm, SRG Holding. The agreements will see the conversion of two SRG-owned developments to IHG’s extended-stay brand Staybridge Suites. The two franchised assets will be operated by SRG Hospitality, the group’s hotel management arm with opening dates set for January 2020. The hotels are strategically located along Sheikh Zayed Road, Dubai’s main commercial artery with convenient access to the Dubai Metro system and the city’s major business and leisure attractions. Pascal Gauvin, Managing Director, India, Middle East and Africa at IHG, commented on the signing, “The extended-stay sector performs extremely well in Dubai and the Middle East, and we are pleased to be partnering with one of the leading family-owned companies in Dubai, SRG Holding. The Staybridge Suites brand is successful due to its combination of home-like convenience and comfort. We are excited to be expanding our extended-stay offering in Dubai and look forward to building a successful relationship with SRG Holding as we cater to the varied needs of travellers visiting the city.” Fahad AlRafi, CEO at SRG Holding, said of the partnership, “We are delighted to partner with a globally renowned hospitality company such as IHG for Staybridge Suites Dubai Financial Centre and Staybridge Suites Dubai Internet City. This fantastic brand will give us the opportunity to deliver a service style that is little more relaxed than traditional serviced apartments in the city.”

Sabre Corporation has announced the launch of Business Travel Services, the new consolidated solution suite from Sabre Hospitality Solutions offering hoteliers easy-to-use tools with time-saving automations and simplified processes, access to industry insights and expert guidance, unlimited access to travel management companies and consortia partners – all in one place. InterContinental Hotels Group (IHG) is set to be one of the first hotel companies to use this solution. Business Travel Services will be available to hoteliers of all sizes from Summer 2019. The suite will consist of three historically separate elements that connect both sides of the corporate market – Nexus platform: A system of record for hotel groups used to manage all corporate contracts, sales performance and planning across teams and properties. Sabre Hotel RFP: An exclusive lead-generation tool that manages corporate business travel for more than 2,700 of the most travelled companies in the world. Corporate travel buyers make bids for properties to accept. Consortia Services: A tool that provides access and services to hotels looking to complete submissions to the top 30 consortia programmes. “As we listened to customers, it was clear there was a need for a more holistic approach to corporate hotel bookings,” said Clinton Anderson, President, Sabre Hospitality Solutions. “By combining our existing offerings and collaborating with IHG to further develop this solution suite, we will provide hoteliers, from enterprise to independent, the opportunity to make their rates available to a much broader audience.” “IHG has a long history of digital and technological innovation – and we’re currently rolling out our own hotel management tool, IHG Concerto, which allows us to partner with a range of solution providers. So, choosing to work with Sabre …

IHG (InterContinental Hotels Group) has introduced IHG Business Edge, a comprehensive programme designed to enhance the corporate travel experience for small and midsize enterprises (SMEs). Prior to launch, 1,500 companies have already signed up as members, eager to benefit from a program designed to streamline the negotiation process, reward loyalty, and consolidate data, content and booking into one easily accessible customer portal. IHG Business Edge has been in development for the past year, and was built based on the insights of 2,100 global SME customers, and then piloted with 300 companies across 17 countries. Through this process, the companies made it clear they wanted to benefit from some of the competitive advantages traditionally enjoyed by large enterprise customers, and were looking for a partner that understood small business and could provide them with meaningful resources and content that they couldn’t get on their own. Derek DeCross, SVP, Global Sales, IHG, said, “We knew that there was an unmet need for a travel buying program specifically designed for SMEs – a group of customers who can often be underserved by the industry. We worked together with SMEs to design the program and they told us that a discount program alone is not compelling enough to drive their loyalty and engagement. They didn’t want lengthy negotiations – but rather a rich discount they could count on, reliable reporting and insight into the latest information, as well as access to a diverse corporate network of other “similar” organisations.”

InterContinental Hotels Group (IHG) announced to bring Regent into its brand portfolio at the top end of the luxury segment and will accelerate its growth globally. It has agreed to acquire a 51 per cent stake in Regent Hotels and Resorts for $39 million in cash. IHG’s intention is to grow the brand from six hotels today to over 40 hotels in key global gateway city and resort locations over the long term. The Regent brand has set the benchmark for luxury hotels globally since it was founded in 1970. It has a world-renowned heritage, built around the elegant, timeless design of its hotels and rooted in its focus on delivering a truly unique and superior luxury experience for guests. The acquisition of Regent is part of one of IHG’s new strategic initiatives focused on continuing to expand its footprint in the fast-growing $60 billion luxury segment.  This initiative is supported by the creation of a new dedicated division to further enhance capabilities in this area and will be funded by IHG’s efficiency programme. IHG also announced that following an extensive refurbishment due to commence in early 2020, InterContinental Hong Kong will become a Regent Hotel in early 2021.

InterContinental Hotels Group (IHG) has signed up with Dur Hospitality for a franchise agreement of Crowne Plaza Riyadh Palace, under the master franchise agreement signed earlier for four hotels. Currently operating as Riyadh Palace Hotel, the property is expected to be rebranded to Crowne Plaza by June 2018. The hotel totals to 304 rooms, over 1400 sqm of meeting space, a business centre along with an outdoor pool, lounge and a spa. It offers a range of authentic and contemporary cuisine at the hotel’s restaurant and at the Lobby Café. Ahdab, President, Hotel Operations—Dur Hospitality said, “We are delighted to partner with IHG yet again, for their world-class brand Crowne Plaza, making this our second hotel with them, following the opening of Holiday Inn, Tabuk. Riyadh has solidified itself as a commercial hub, attracting business travellers from domestic and international markets.” “Incorporating an element of French design, the hotel is strategically located in the Ministries Area, a popular business district, making it an ideal and convenient location for the business community”, he further added.