InterContinental Hotels Group PLC (IHG) has signed a management agreement with International CG d.p. Beograd (ICG) to bring its InterContinental hotel brand back to Belgrade, the Serbian capital.
ICG (formerly known as Generalexport) owns the 393 room five star hotel which the company will privatise by the end of 2006. Following the agreement with IHG, the company has committed 22 million euros to renovate the property to meet IHG standards.
From 1 November 2005, the hotel will be licensed under the InterContinental brand, further strengthening IHG’s presence in the region. The property was developed by ICG and was originally opened in 1979 as an InterContinental hotel until the Balkan war in the 1990s.
Capitalising on Belgrade’s resurgence as the commercial hub of the Balkans and Serbia’s economic growth, the hotel aims to attract both business and leisure travellers. It is located right in the heart of the city’s business district, next to the Sava Centre, the largest convention space in Eastern Europe. It will offer guests all the facilities and luxuries expected of an InterContinental hotel including a spa and wellness centre, excellent meeting space and innovative dining.
Jennifer Fox, Chief Operating Officer for Europe of InterContinental Hotels & Resorts commented: “The re-opening of the InterContinental hotel in Belgrade is another important step in developing and expanding our InterContinental brand portfolio across Eastern Europe, an increasingly important business and leisure destination. We are delighted to continue our 27 year relationship with ICG and its commitment to a significant renovation programme for hotel in Belgrade.”
There are currently six InterContinental hotels in Eastern Europe.
InterContinental, Crowne Plaza and Holiday Inn hotels across the region can be booked with toll-free calls to the InterContinental Hotels Group Middle East Central Reservations Office in Bahrain (80000 880), Egypt (0800-4433322), Jordan (0800-22666), Kuwait (473 2100 ext 6233), Lebanon (01 426-801 - ask operator to connect to 866 866 7556), Oman (800 777 999), Pakistan (00800 909 71005), Qatar (0800 971234), Saudi Arabia (800 897 1465), and the UAE (800 4642).
InterContinental Hotels Group PLC of the United Kingdom [LON:IHG, NYSE:IHG (ADRs)] is the world's largest hotel group by number of rooms. InterContinental Hotels Group owns, manages, leases or franchises, through various subsidiaries, more than 3,500 hotels and 535,000 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 IndigoTM, and also manages the world's largest hotel loyalty programme, Priority Club® Rewards, with over 25 million members worldwide. In addition to this, InterContinental Hotels Group has a 47.5% interest in Britvic, one of the two leading manufacturers of soft drinks, by value and volume, in Great Britain. InterContinental Hotels Group offers information and online reservations for all its hotel brands at www.ichotelsgroup.com and information for the Priority Club Rewards programme at www.priorityclub.com. For the latest news from InterContinental Hotels Group, visit our online Press Office at www.ihgplc.com/media.
