IHG reports boost in franchise deals in Europe

The new hotels will open in the UK, the Netherlands, Poland, Italy, Spain, Germany, Turkey and Russia.

The hotels will operate under franchise agreements across the IHG family of brands which include Holiday Inn, Holiday Inn Express, Crowne Plaza, InterContinental, Hotel Indigo and Staybridge Suites.

Robert Shepherd, who was appointed senior vice president for development and design in Europe in October, said “In the face of a debt crisis across Europe our strong numbers are testimony to the strength of our brands and the winning formula we offer owners.”

“We know banks prefer to finance deals with established brands that deliver on owners’ expectations. We encourage independent hotels struggling in tough times to come and talk to us.”

Holiday Inn Express
Holiday Inn Express is one of the fastest growing midscale hotel brands. Signings for IHG’s targeted service brand were particularly strong this quarter, with six deals including four in the Netherlands.

The 340-room Holiday Inn Express Amsterdam - Arena Station, owned by TVHG Budget Amsterdam II B.V., will open in autumn 2012. The hotel was formerly an office building and is in one of the main business districts in Amsterdam, just 15 minutes away from Amsterdam Airport Schiphol and 20 minutes to Amsterdam’s central station.  

Next to this hotel will be the 126-room Holiday Inn Amsterdam - Arena Station, owned and operated by the same group, which will offer conference, meeting and restaurant facilities.
TVHG has signed several more Holiday Inn Express hotels under franchise agreement with IHG; Holiday Inn Express Amsterdam - Amstelveen, Holiday Inn Express Utrecht - Papendorp and Holiday Inn Express Arnhem. This 126-room hotel, in the centre of Arnhem opposite the new cultural venue, the Kenniscluster, is due to open in 2013.
Bart Van de Kamp of TVHG said: “We are developing our portfolio of hotels with Holiday Inn Express, a brand that delivers a great return on investment.

“We appreciate the positive personal relationship we have with IHG and the unique, fast and efficient execution of contracts. Our Holiday Inn Express hotel at Amsterdam Schiphol Airport opened in April this year and is performing beyond expectations.
We really believe in the positioning of Holiday Inn Express as a brand that delivers real value to guests. In our opinion, there is no equal brand in this segment."

TVHG will also open Holiday Inn Express Amsterdam - Sloterdijk Station in December this year.
In the UK, a further two signings mean that Holiday Inn Express arrives in Crewe, with the 70-room Holiday Inn Express Crewe with W Hotel Trading Limited. The rebranded hotel due to open next spring, is next to the train station and will provide international standard accommodation for Crewe town centre and Business Park.
Holiday Inn Express Wakefield is a 74 room hotel owned and operated by Cairn Hotels. The hotel is in the centre of Wakefield close to the manufacturing and high tech business centres. The hotel is due to open in spring 2012.

IHG is also expanding its growth in Poland with the Holiday Inn Express Warsaw - Airport which will open in autumn 2012. Owned by Polish Hotel Company Sp. Z.o.o, the 124-room hotel is less than three kilometres from the airport, on the Polcezki Business Park, which is currently under construction. The hotel will have its own shuttle for easy access to the airport.

Holiday Inn
Madrid will see its second Holiday Inn following a fast track rebranding of a Rafael Hoteles hotel to the Holiday Inn Madrid - Piramides, in the lively, central neighbourhood of La Latina. The hotel will reopen under the Holiday Inn brand this year.

A further two Holiday Inn hotels have been signed in the UK and the Netherlands. Holiday Inn Southend, owned by the London Southend - Airport Company Ltd, will be a 129-room hotel with excellent links via a high speed train connection to London Stratford.

Crowne Plaza
Crowne Plaza Rome - Central Station is a 186-room office conversion located on Via Marsala in the heart of the city centre. The hotel is near the National Roman Museum and Termini Central rail station and will open in early 2013.

Crowne Plaza Berlin - Potsdamer Platz will open 200 metres from Checkpoint Charlie in autumn next year. The 260-room hotel is also close to the famous concert venue the Tempodrom.

In Turkey, the 210-room Crowne Plaza Istanbul - Umraniye will open in summer 2013 in one of the central business areas of Istanbul, with good access to both international airports.

Hotel Indigo
IHG’s newest brand, Hotel Indigo enters Russia for the first time with Hotel Indigo St. Petersburg - Tchaikovskogo, due to open next year.  The 119-room boutique hotel is a 101-year old townhouse owned by Vega Ltd. The hotel is 20 minutes from the historic city centre, next to the Summer Gardens and Stieglitz Museum of Decorative and Applied Arts, ranked one of the most important museums in St Petersburg.
IHG sees significant growth for its boutique hotel brand in Europe. Hotel Indigo offers owners the best of both worlds - the individuality of a boutique hotel with the reassurance and benefits of working with a big hotel group.

This quarter also saw the signing of Hotel Indigo Manchester - Victoria Station, a 172-room property developed as part of the regeneration of the area and due to open in spring 2014. The hotel is being developed by Sanguine Hospitality, owners of Hotel Indigo Liverpool. There are four Hotel Indigo hotels currently open in the UK with a further five in the pipeline.

Nick Taplin, managing director of Sanguine Hospitality commented: "We are confident that the arrival of Hotel Indigo will deliver a watershed for Manchester's hospitality sector. The iconic building, coupled with the boutique qualities of the Hotel Indigo brand will give the venue standout appeal for visitors to the city. The hotel will be accompanied by a Marco Pierre White Steakhouse, which itself promises to bring something fresh to Manchester's culinary scene."

Hotel Indigo hotels are ideally suited to conversion properties which require less financing than new builds and can be up and running in a shorter period of time.

There are 60 Hotel Indigo hotels in IHG’s global development pipeline.

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