Holiday Inn Express marches into Australia with 15 hotels

INTERCONTINENTAL Hotel Group (IHG) will enter into a series of franchise agreements with international investment company, Pro Invest Group, for the development of 15 Holiday Inn Express hotels across Australia.
Pro Invest Group has established a US$150 million fund to build and operate the hotels, which together offer approximately 2,100 rooms in cities such as Sydney, Melbourne, Perth and Brisbane.
The first hotel, the 190-room Holiday Inn Express North Ryde in Sydney, has been confirmed and is slated to open in the autumn of 2014.
Ronald Barrott, principal of Pro Invest, said: “My previous experience in the UK tells me this partnership with IHG will be a long and successful one, and that there is plenty of opportunity to grow this initial portfolio of 15 Holiday Inn Express hotels to become many more in the years to come.”
IHG Asia, Middle East and Africa CEO, Jan Smits, commented: “The announcement of this investment fund comes at a great time for IHG in Australia. Our current hotel brands here, InterContinental, Crowne Plaza and Holiday Inn, are already well-known and regarded by our hotel owners, and Holiday Inn Express is a welcome addition.”
He added: “We announced our first signing under this brand earlier this year and that hotel will open in Perth, Western Australia, in 2015.”
Separately, IHG is teaming up with Singapore-based Royal Hotels to transform the renowned Double Bay Hotel into the InterContinental Sydney Double Bay.
Royal Hotels will undertake a multimillion-dollar refurbishment of the hotel, after which the property will reopen as the InterContinental Sydney Double Bay in January next year.
Facilities at the new hotel will include a ballroom for up to 300 pax, meeting space, an all-day dining restaurant, Club InterContinental, café, lounge and bar, rooftop pool and bar. A ground-floor arcade could be developed into a health club or day spa as well as retail space.

Sourced: ttgasia