IHG Furthers its Reach in Brazil with Signing of the Holiday Inn Express Rio Branco

MIAMI, FL - IHG (InterContinental Hotels Group), [LON: IHG, NYSE:IHG (ADRs)] today announced the signing of the Holiday Inn Express in the city of Rio Branco, Brazil. The new-build property is slated to open in November 2013. The hotel will be owned by Inter-Oceanica Hotelaria e Turismo Ltda., under a franchise agreement with a company in the InterContinental Hotels Group. 

Upon opening, the seven-story Holiday Inn Express Rio Branco will feature 110 guestrooms, four meeting rooms, a business center, fitness center, indoor pool and plenty of guest parking.

"The signing of the Holiday Inn Express Rio Branco is in line with IHG's strategy of establishing a larger presence within Brazil, one of our key markets for development and a business and leisure travel hotspot." says Jim Anhut, chief development officer, IHG, Americas. "IHG has its roots in Latin America, particularly Brazil, with the first InterContinental opening in Belem, Brazil in 1946. This signing continues our focus on development in this very important country for business and leisure travelers."

The Holiday Inn Express Rio Branco will be located in downtown Rio Branco within close proximity to key tourist destinations, including the city's government sectors, as well as shopping and entertainment.

The city of Rio Branco is the capital of the northwest Brazilian State of Acre, which borders Peru and Bolivia.  Situated in the heart of the Amazon Rainforest, Rio Branco is expected to experience significant growth over the next 5 to 10 years due to the high production of rubber, along with its emerging timber and cattle industry. Another reason for growth in the city is the construction of the Transoceanica Highway, which will connect Rio Branco to the two main ports in Peru and will serve Brazil as a gateway to the Pacific Ocean.

"We are very pleased to sign a Holiday Inn Express in an emerging city like Rio Branco," says Alvaro Diago, chief operating officer, IHG, Latin America and Caribbean. "The hotel is an ideal fit for this growing market that will see an uptick in travelers over the coming years with its fresh, clean and uncomplicated features that afford guests comfort, convenience and a good value."

The hotel will feature the complimentary Express Start^® breakfast bar with a full range of breakfast items, including a rotation of egg and meat selections, biscuits, yogurt, fruit and the brand's proprietary cinnamon roll and Smart Roast^® coffee.  The SimplySmart^TM shower will incorporate a proprietary Stay Smart^TM Kohler showerhead, signature shower curtain with curved rod, upgraded 100 percent cotton terry towels and a custom line of cinnamon-scented bath products.  Guests will enjoy the SimplySmart^TM bedding collection where they will find new crisp fresh bedding, which features an attractive decorative throw, a medium-weight duvet blanket and soft 200 thread-count sheets.

IHG, noted as the top hotel chain in Latin America, meassured by total number of rooms in the region, by a recent Latin Trade magazine survey,  has almost 200 hotels in Mexico, Central and South America and the Caribbean, and has been serving Latin America for 65 years. IHG has hotels situated in nearly every key market throughout Latin America and the Caribbean.

Holiday Inn Hotels and Resorts participates in IHG's guest loyalty program, Priority Club^® Rewards. The industry's first and largest guest loyalty program has 60 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 more than 4,400 hotels worldwide.

About Holiday Inn Express:
Holiday Inn Express hotels are modern hotels for value-oriented travelers.  Fresh, clean and uncomplicated, Holiday Inn Express hotels offer competitive rates for both business and leisure travelers. Guests Stay Smart® at Holiday Inn Express hotels where they enjoy a free, hot Express Start® Breakfast Bar, free high-speed Internet access and free local phone calls (US and Canada only).  There are currently more than 2,000 Holiday Inn Express hotel locations around the globe.  For more information about Holiday Inn Express hotels or to book reservations, call 1-800-HOLIDAY or visit http://www.hiexpress.com/.

Media Contacts:
Kreps DeMaria PR
Israel Kreps / Cristina Planas / Ana Maria Colmenares
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Notes to Editors:

IHG (InterContinental Hotels Group) [LON:IHG, NYSE:IHG (ADRs)] is a global company operating seven well-known hotel brands including InterContinental® Hotels & Resorts, Hotel Indigo®, Crowne Plaza® Hotels & Resorts, Holiday Inn® Hotels and Resorts, Holiday Inn Express®, Staybridge Suites® and Candlewood Suites® . IHG also manages Priority Club® Rewards, the world’s first and largest hotel loyalty program with almost 60 million members worldwide

IHG is the world’s largest hotel group by number of rooms and IHG franchises, leases, manages or owns, through various subsidiaries, a portfolio of over 4,400 hotels and more than 656,000 guest rooms in 100 countries and territories around the world

IHG has more than 1,100 hotels in its development pipeline and expects to recruit around 160,000 people worldwide over the next few years.

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 program at www.priorityclub.com/. For our latest news visit www.ihg.com/media, Twitter www.twitter.com/ihgplc or YouTube www.youtube.com/ihgplc