21st Feb 2007 07:02
InterContinental Hotels Group PLC21 February 2007 21 February 2007 InterContinental Hotels Group continues growth in key UK market IHG (InterContinental Hotels Group) announces the signing of a franchiseagreement for 11 Holiday Inn hotels (860 rooms) in the UK owned by Kew GreenHotels Ltd (KGH). Currently operating under the Courtyard by Marriott brand, the hotels willundergo a refurbishment programme to be re-branded as Holiday Inn by May 2007.KGH will operate the hotels under a 20 year license agreement. Andrew Cosslett, Chief Executive of IHG, said: "The conversion of these hotelsto Holiday Inn marks another significant win for IHG and recognises the strengthof the Holiday Inn brand. Holiday Inn is the largest full service hotel brand inthe UK. We continue to see it grow in key strategic markets around the world asthe demand for quality hotel accommodation rises. We welcome this opportunity todevelop our relationship with a quality hotel owner like KGH." Paul Johnson, KGH's Managing Director, comments: "We are delighted to expand ourrelationship with IHG and to build on the three Express by Holiday Inn hotelsthat we already operate. The Holiday Inn brand is a perfect fit for theseconference-led hotels and I am pleased to announce that we will also open a new150 bedroom Holiday Inn in Norwich this April." For further information, please contact: IHG contacts: Investor Relations (Paul Edgecliffe-Johnson/ +44 (0) 1753 410 176 Heather Ward) Media Affairs (Leslie McGibbon/Dan Ford) +44 (0) 1753 410 425 Media contact KGH: Paul Johnson, Managing Director Tel: +44 (0) 208 600 2692 E-Mail: [email protected] Notes to Editors: 1. InterContinental Hotels Group PLC 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 3,741 hotelsand 556,246 guest rooms in nearly 100 countries and territories around theworld. The Group owns a portfolio of well recognised and respected hotel brandsincluding InterContinental(R) Hotels & Resorts, Crowne Plaza(R) Hotels &Resorts, Holiday Inn(R) Hotels and Resorts, Holiday Inn Express(R), StaybridgeSuites(R), Candlewood Suites(R) and Hotel Indigo(R), and also manages theworld's largest hotel loyalty programme, Priority Club(R) Rewards with over 30million members worldwide. IHG offers information and online reservations for all its hotel brands atwww.ihg.com and information for the Priority Club Rewards programme atwww.priorityclub.com. For the latest news from IHG, visit our online Press Office at www.ihg.com/corporate. 2. Following the conversion of these hotels, IHG will have 242 hotels in the UK: 117 Holiday Inn, 108 Express by Holiday Inn, 16 Crowne Plaza and oneInterContinental. 3. Kew Green Hotels Ltd (www.kewgreen.co.uk) was formed in September 2001 todevelop and operate branded hotels in the UK. It is backed by HBOS and MoorfieldGroup, a specialist property finance group, which holds a number of diverseproperty related investments. The company has grown rapidly to 17 hotels and currently operates elevenCourtyard by Marriott hotels plus three Express by Holiday Inns and three DaysHotels. It will open a new Holiday Inn in Norwich City Centre in April 2007 andis developing a new generation 218 bedroom Courtyard by Marriott at GatwickAirport, which is scheduled to open in late 2008. In 2006 Kew Green Hotels was rated as the UK's second fastest growing privatecompany - the only hotel group in the ranking - according to Library House,which tracks high growth private companies. This information is provided by RNS The company news service from the London Stock ExchangeRelated Shares:
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