09 May 2008

Hotel Indigo Coming to College Park, Ga.

New build property is first hotel to break ground in downtown mixed use development

ATLANTA (May 9, 2008) - IHG (InterContinental Hotels Group) [LON: IHG, NYSE:IHG (ADRs)], one of the world's largest hotel groups by number of rooms, today announced that a Hotel Indigo is coming to downtown College Park, a well-established community near Hartsfield- Jackson Atlanta International Airport and one of the fastest growing cities in metropolitan Atlanta.  The 142-room property is expected to open in the summer of 2009.  

The Hotel Indigo Atlanta College Park, one of the brand's first new-build properties, will join the Hotel Indigo Atlanta Midtown, the brand's first property to open, and the Hotel Indigo Atlanta Downtown, a conversion of the historic Carnegie Building, scheduled to open in spring 2009. 

"We are pleased to be a part of the resurgence of downtown College Park and are proud to bring another Hotel Indigo to Atlanta," said Jim Anhut, Senior Vice President, Franchise Development, the Americas, IHG. "Atlanta is the birthplace of the Hotel Indigo brand, and we are excited to expand our brand concept into a welcoming, unique community like College Park." 

The city of College Park serves as the first visual point of contact for all passengers arriving at the Atlanta airport.  The new five-story Hotel Indigo will be located at the intersection of Harvard and Washington Streets as part of the new Princeton Village development.  The hotel will be one block from the College Park MARTA (Metropolitan Atlanta Rapid Transit Authority) station and the closest hotel to the Atlanta airport and the Georgia International Convention Center. 

The Hotel Indigo will be within driving distance to several key businesses, including the Boeing pilot training facility and headquarters for Delta Airlines, the Federal Aviation Administration and Chick-fil-A.  For guests looking to experience the hometown quality and Southern hospitality of College Park, the hotel will be within walking distance to new trendy boutiques and upscale restaurants. 

The hotel is owned by Parkside Developers, LLC, and will be managed by Cambridge Hospitality, under a license agreement with a company in the InterContinental Hotels Group. 

"We are excited to bring this unique branded boutique hotel to College Park," said Mahesh Patel, President, Parkside Developers, LLC.  "We know our guests will find the Hotel Indigo to be a relaxing and refreshing alternative to the traditional airport hotel."

Boutique hotels, known for their intimate, luxurious environments in addition to personalized accommodations and services, have gained increasing popularity throughout North America. Hotel Indigo is known as the industry's first branded boutique hotel, artfully combining the conveniences and consistencies of a brand hotel with the design cache and service personality of a boutique at an attractive price. The soul of the brand's retail-inspired concept is renewal - thoughtful changes that are made throughout the year to keep the hotel fresh, similar to the way retailers change their window displays. The renewal concept provides even the most frequent guest a unique experience with every stay. The hotel will feature renewable elements such as vivid nature-inspired murals, area rugs, plush duvets and slip covers that will change periodically. Public spaces will be transformed seasonally through changing artwork, music, flora and murals.

The Hotel Indigo Atlanta College Park interior design will embody a retro eclectic vibe reflective of the city's downtown area, and the exterior will be a mix of brick and stucco.  The property will feature signature design elements including oversized lobby chairs, which create a personal work or dining space within the public areas of the hotel; cozy, airy and inviting guestrooms with plush bedding, hardwood-style flooring and spa-inspired showers; and a Phitness studio with cardio equipment and free weights. The hotel will also offer Phi, an on-site casual gourmet restaurant; a 24-hour business center; an outdoor pool; wireless high-speed Internet access throughout the hotel; and meeting space for business functions or special events.

The Hotel Indigo brand is quickly expanding throughout North America, with 15 locations open and more than 60 under development, either in the pipeline or in final negotiation. The first Hotel Indigo opened in Atlanta in October 2004, followed by Hotel Indigo Chicago Gold Coast; Chicago Schaumburg North; Houston at the Galleria; Hotel Indigo Dallas; Ottawa Downtown City Centre, Canada; Hotel Indigo Scottsdale, Ariz.; Hotel Indigo Sarasota, Fla; Hotel Indigo Buffalo-Amherst, N.Y.; Hotel Indigo Nashville West End; Hotel Indigo Mérida Hacienda Misné, Mexico; Hotel Indigo Boston-Newton Riverside; Hotel Indigo Columbus Downtown, Ind.; Hotel Indigo Fishers-Indy's Uptown; and Hotel Indigo Chicago-Vernon Hills.  Future sites of Hotel Indigo hotels include Miami, Fl.; St. Louis, Mo.; London, England; San Antonio, Texas; Baltimore, Md.; Las Vegas, Nev.; and New York, N.Y.  For more information on Hotel Indigo, or to make reservations, please visit http://www.hotelindigo.com/.

Hotel Indigo participates in IHG's guest loyalty program, Priority Club® Rewards.  The industry's first and largest guest loyalty program has over 37 million members.  Priority Club Rewards membership is free and guests can enroll by logging on at priorityclub.com, by calling 1-888-211-9874 or by inquiring at the front desk of this hotel or any of IHG's almost 4,000 hotels worldwide.

About Hotel Indigo

The newest member of the IHG family, Hotel Indigo is the industry's first branded boutique hotel experience. It is uniquely designed to appeal to guests who desire affordable luxury, personal service and an alternative to traditional hotels without sacrificing any of the businesses amenities they have come to expect. Renewal is the soul of Hotel Indigo's retail-inspired design concept - thoughtful changes that are made throughout the year to keep the hotel fresh. Guestrooms feature signature murals, area rugs, fluffy duvets and slipcovers that will change periodically, while public spaces will be transformed seasonally through changing aromas, music, artwork, murals and directional signage. From relaxed café dining to high-style rooms - Hotel Indigo creates an intriguing, warm and inviting environment for guests. For more information on Hotel Indigo, please visit http://www.hotelindigo.com/.

Media Contacts:      

Natasha Gullett, Hotel Indigo, [email protected], 770-604-5597                               

Caroline Sanfilippo, Hotel Indigo, [email protected], 770-604-2495                    

Notes to Editors:

InterContinental Hotels Group (IHG) [LON:IHG, NYSE:IHG (ADRs)] is one of the world’s largest hotel groups by number of rooms. IHG owns, manages, leases or franchises, through various subsidiaries, almost 4,000 hotels and more than 590,000 guest rooms in nearly 100 countries and territories around the world The Group owns a portfolio of well recognised and respected hotel brands including InterContinental® Hotels & Resorts, Crowne Plaza® Hotels & Resorts, Holiday Inn® Hotels and Resorts, Holiday Inn Express®, Staybridge Suites®, Candlewood Suites® and Hotel Indigo®, and also manages the world’s largest hotel loyalty programme, Priority Club® Rewards with over 37 million members worldwide.

IHG pioneered the travel industry’s first collaborative response to environmental issues as founder of the International Hotels and Environment Initiative (IHEI). The environment and local communities remain at the heart of IHG’s global corporate responsibility focus. We’re the first major hotel group to have measured our environmental and carbon footprints and we’re in the process of setting reduction targets.

With more than 1,600 hotels in its development pipeline, IHG needs to find around 150,000 people over the next few years to meet its global expansion plans.

InterContinental Hotels Group PLC is the group’s holding company and is incorporated in Great Britain and registered in England and Wales.

IHG offers information and online reservations for all its hotel brands at www.ihg.com and information for the Priority Club Rewards programme at www.priorityclub.com.

For the latest news from IHG, visit our online Press Office at www.ihg.com/media

Ends