23 April 2014

ANA Crowne Plaza expands in the Hokkaido and Kyushu regions of Japan

Tokyo, Japan (23 April 2014): IHG (InterContinental Hotels Group) continues to reinforce its presence in Japan with the conversion of two ANA hotels into ANA Crowne Plaza this month. The hotels are located in Kumamoto and Wakkanai, two major cities known for their year-round activities, spectacular natural landscapes, historical richness, bustling business centers and mouth-watering cuisine.

ANA Crowne Plaza Kumamoto New Sky, with 186 rooms, rebranded on 16 April, making it the third ANA Crowne Plaza in Kyushu region, while ANA Crowne Plaza Wakkanai, with 143 rooms rebranded on 23 April. These two hotels join IHG’s 15 existing ANA Crowne Plaza hotels in Japan’s major cities.

Thanks to their location in major business city centres, the two properties are already well-established upscale hotels for business and leisure travellers and prestigious venues for weddings and banquets. ANA Crowne Plaza Kumamoto New Sky is also very well connected to other major hubs by the Kyushu Shinkansen bullet train which connects Kumamoto with western Japan (Osaka and Kobe) as well as several major cities including Kagoshima, Nagasaki, and Fukuoka.

Alan Watts, Chief Operating Officer, Japan and Australasia, IHG commented “Our expansion across Hokkaido and Kyushu takes the total number of ANA Crowne Plaza hotels in the country to 17. Set in beautiful locations, business and leisure travelers can experience the best these regions have to offer whilst staying at a hotel they know and trust. We look forward to welcoming guests to these hotels to experience what ANA Crowne Plaza has to offer.”

In Hokkaido, ANA Crowne Plaza operates in three different locations – Chitose, Kushiro and Wakkanai. Hokkaido welcomes over 100 million visitors annually, including 800,000 international visitors who travel to enjoy its astounding nature, gastronomy, tourist spots and participate in its year round activities.  In Kyushu, ANA Crowne Plaza Kumamoto New Sky is the new addition in Kyushu followed by Fukuoka and Nagasaki. Kyushu is a popular destination to enjoy hot springs, natural and historical attractions such as the 400 year-old Kumamoto castle.

IHG is the largest international hotel operator in Japan with 32 hotels across four brands, including 7 InterContinental Hotels and Resorts, 17 Crowne Plaza Hotels and Resorts and 4 Holiday Inn Hotels and Resorts.

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For further information please contact:

International enquiries:

Anne-Lise Berthon - Brand Communications Manager - IHG

Tel: +65 6395 6147

Email: [email protected]

 

Japan enquiries:

Takako Ushio - PR Manager, Japan and Korea - IHG ANA Hotels Group Japan

Tel: +81 (0) 3 5501 7548

Email: [email protected]

 

Notes to Editors:

IHG (InterContinental Hotels Group) [LON:IHG, NYSE:IHG (ADRs)] is a global organisation with a broad portfolio of nine hotel brands, including InterContinental® Hotels & Resorts, Hotel Indigo®, Crowne Plaza® Hotels & Resorts, Holiday Inn® Hotels and Resorts, Holiday Inn Express®, Staybridge Suites®, Candlewood Suites®, EVEN™ Hotels and HUALUXE™ Hotels & Resorts.

IHG manages IHG® Rewards Club, the world’s first and largest hotel loyalty programme with over 77 million members worldwide. The programme was relaunched in July 2013, offering enhanced benefits for members including free internet access across all hotels, globally.

IHG franchises, leases, manages or owns 4,700 hotels and 687,000 guest rooms in nearly 100 countries and territories. With more than 1,100 hotels in its development pipeline, IHG expects to recruit around 90,000 people into additional roles across its estate 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.

Visit www.ihg.com for hotel information and reservations and www.ihgrewardsclub.com for more on IHG Rewards Club. For our latest news, visit: www.ihg.com/mediawww.twitter.com/ihgwww.facebook.com/ihg or www.youtube.com/ihgplc.

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