1st Feb 2007 15:20
IHG (InterContinental Hotels Group) (LON:IHG) (NYSE:IHG) (ADRs),the world's largest hotel group by number of rooms, today announcedthe groundbreaking of the Holiday Inn Panama Canal, in the Republic ofPanama. £ The 115 room hotel will be located next to the Panama Canal in theCity of Knowledge, a renowned international complex for education andresearch. It will be the fourth IHG hotel in the Republic of Panamathrough its affiliation with Panama City-based Bern Hotels & Resorts,the tourism division of Empresas Bern, one of the most respectedcommercial developers in Latin America. Currently the developer hasthe InterContinental Miramar, InterContinental Playa Bonita Resort &Spa and the Crowne Plaza Panama. £ The unique component of the project is that it will be adjacent tothe first educational institution for Bern Hotels & Resorts and IHGLatin America, which will be named Panama International Hotel School.The new hotel and the school are both scheduled to open towards thebeginning of 2008, and will add a hospitality-oriented educationalcomponent while building on the City of Knowledge's tradition ofinnovation and inspiring personal excellence. £ "Not only will we have a beautiful hotel in one of the world'smost unique destinations - the Panama Canal - but we will have theadded benefit of being part of a leading educational institution forthe hotel industry in Latin America," says Alvaro Diago, AreaPresident of IHG Latin America. £ The school will provide a broad range of instruction in the fullrange of business and hospitality disciplines and is being developedwithin the City of Knowledge in a cooperative effort between BernHotels & Resorts and IHG. £ "Beyond any doubt, I'm confident that this development will make amajor contribution to the hotel industry throughout Latin America. I'mcertain, the Holiday Inn and the Panama International Hotel Schoolwill earn international acclaim," says Tom Murray, Chief OperatingOfficer, the Americas, IHG. £ The Holiday Inn Panama Canal and the Panama International HotelSchool will feature state-of-the-art learning spaces, lecture halls,classrooms, meeting rooms, a state-of-the-art computer center, and anauditorium for large classroom lectures. £ "IHG has embraced education as a key mission," adds Herman Bern,of Empresas Bern. "As a Holiday Inn property, we look to follow in thelegacy of the brand's founder, Kemmons Wilson, in continuallyeducating the next generation of leaders in our industry." £ "Bern Hotels & Resorts has helped us achieve many milestones, sowe are genuinely proud to continue working together alongside theirteam and continue to set the bar on high standards, innovation andexcellence within the hotel industry in Latin America," concludesDiago. £ IHG has 160 hotels in Mexico, Central and South America as thewell as the Caribbean, and has been serving Latin America for over 60years. IHG is one of the leading hotel companies in the world, and thesecond largest hotel operator in Latin America. IHG has hotelssituated in nearly every key market in the Latin America territory. £ Note to Editors: £ InterContinental Hotels Group PLC of the United Kingdom (LON:IHG)(NYSE:IHG (ADRs)) is the world's largest hotel group by number ofrooms. InterContinental Hotels Group owns, manages, leases orfranchises, through various subsidiaries, over 3,650 hotels and543,775 guest rooms in nearly 100 countries and territories around theworld. The Group owns a portfolio of well recognized and respectedhotel brands including InterContinental(R) Hotels & Resorts, CrownePlaza(R) Hotels & Resorts, Holiday Inn(R) Hotels and Resorts, HolidayInn Express(R), Staybridge Suites(R), Candlewood Suites(R) and HotelIndigo(R), and also manages the world's largest hotel loyalty program,Priority Club(R) Rewards with over 30 million members worldwide. £ InterContinental Hotels Group offers information and onlinereservations for all its hotel brands at www.ihg.com and informationfor the Priority Club Rewards program at www.priorityclub.com. £ For the latest news from InterContinental Hotels Group, visit ouronline Press Office at www.ihgplc.com/media Copyright Business Wire 2007Related Shares:
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