EUROPE IHG reports having had one of its most successful periods for hotel signings in Europe, adding 18 hotels to its regional pipeline over the summer.
The 2,375 new guestrooms are spread across the UK, Spain, Portugal, Germany, France, Russia and Turkey. These new additions mean IHG continues to hold the hospitality industry’s largest development pipeline, with 1,300 hotels planned worldwide.
“These new signings demonstrate the confidence developers have in our brands and the strength of our marketing programs,” says Kirk Kinsell, IHG’s president for Europe, Middle East and Africa. “It’s encouraging to see that we’ve been able to maintain momentum with our growth strategy across Europe and around the world. As a business, we have continued to invest in the things that we believe make the biggest difference by strengthening our brands, increasing our scale and working more closely than ever with our hotel owners. This puts us in a great position to continue to take advantage of the market upturn and grow market share.”
The new hotels include three Hotel Indigos, a Staybridge Suites, a Crowne Plaza, four Holiday Inns and nine Holiday Inn Expresses.
Hotel Indigo Newcastle, to be managed by Sanguine Hospitality Ltd, is due to open in summer 2012. Currently a disused office building, Hotel Indigo Newcastle will be a 148-key part conversion, part new-build hotel located in the heart of the city center.
Hotel Indigo Madrid Gran Via is set to open in spring 2012. The 89-guestroom hotel, owned by Orion, will be situated in central Madrid, close to the Opera House, the Almudena Cathedral and the main museums in the area.
Hotel Indigo Lisbon Baixa, owned by Sowhat Turismo is set to open early 2014. The 139-key hotel will be a conversion of an old convent located in the old city of Lisbon.
Staybridge Suites Edinburgh, managed by BDL Management is set to open in autumn 2011. This new build hotel will have 121 extended-stay suites and will be located within minutes of the city center.
Crowne Plaza Istanbul Harbiye Turkey, owned by Gurcan Petrolculuk A.S., is scheduled to open at the beginning of 2011. The 285-key new-build property will be located in the middle of Istanbul, close to Taksim, the Istanbul Convention and Exhibition Centre and the Metro connection.
Holiday Inn London Commercial Road, owned by Sleeptex, is scheduled to open in early 2012. The 137-guestroom new-build property is within easy access to the city of London and Canary Wharf.
Holiday Inn Newcastle Jesmond, owned by the Cairn Group, is set to open in October after a £3.5 million conversion. This 116-guestroom hotel is located in an upmarket residential area close to the city center.
Holiday Inn Darlington A1 Scotch Corner, also owned by the Cairn Group, is a 90-key hotel and is set to open in spring 2011.
The 142-guestroom Holiday Inn Ekaterinburg in Russia has been converted from a former office building. It is due to open at the beginning of 2012. The hotel, owned by an associate company of the Ural Bank of Ekaterinburg, will be managed by IHG.
Holiday Inn Express Istanbul Ümraniye, owned by Ege Titanyum Kimyevi Maddler Insaat Tekstil Sanayi Ve Ticaret, will open in Turkey in summer 2012. This 110-key new development will be the second Holiday Inn Express signed this year in Istanbul. Holiday Inn Express Istanbul Altunizade is an 80-key conversion property, owned by Seir Insaat Turizm Danismanlik ve Dis Ticaret Limited Sirketi. The hotel will open in spring 2011. Both properties will be managed by Thiele Turizm Danismanlik Ltd., an affiliate of T&T Hotel Consulting.
Three more hotels have been signed with Foremost Hospitality HIEX GmbH in Germany. The Holiday Inn Express Leipzig City Centre, a 120-guestroom new-build, is scheduled to open in winter 2011. Holiday Inn Hamburg Central Station, a 160-guestroom new-build hotel, and Holiday Inn Express Hamburg City Hauptbahnhof, a 110-key new-build hotel, are both due to open in autumn 2012.
Holiday Inn Express Manchester City Centre MEN Arena is a new build 192-key hotel located near New George Street in the heart of Manchester. The hotel, owned by Centre Island, is scheduled to open mid-2011.
Holiday Inn Express Nuneaton is owned by Tawnywood Hotels. This 100-key hotel is due to open this autumn.
Holiday Inn Express Birmingham South A45 is an 83-guest room office conversion owned by Ace Hospitality Ltd. The hotel, which will be managed by Then Hospitality, is due to open mid-2011.
Holiday Inn Express Marseille Provence Airport, owned by Wilburys Hotels Investment, is a 153-key new-build hotel, scheduled to open in summer 2012.