InterContinental Hotels boosts Columbia

InterContinental Hotels Group has announced the signing of three new Holiday Inn Express hotels in Colombia. The hotels, owned and managed by Grupo Contempo S.A., under a license agreement IHG, will be located in the key cities of Bogota, Cartagena and Barranquilla. IHG’s relationship with Grupo Contempo began in 2008 with the signing and opening of the Holiday Inn Express Bogota in the vibrant neighborhood of Parque de la 93. The new properties, scheduled to open in 2014, will add 450 rooms to IHG’s existing portfolio in Colombia, which currently includes eight hotels and 1,910 rooms. The new hotels will also complement IHG’s four existing Holiday Inn and Holiday Inn Express properties in the country. “Expanding in the Colombia market is one of IHG’s main focuses in Latin America,” said Joel Eisemann, chief development officer, IHG, the Americas. “With a growing economy and an expanding middle class, we foresee a strong demand for midscale hotels in the country. “Holiday Inn Express is one of the fastest growing midscale hotel brands, and these three signings are a testament to the strength and winning formula the brand offers owners.” The Holiday Inn Express Bogota OXO 67th will be the second hotel that Grupo Contempo will develop in Colombia’s capital city, Bogota. The 200-room Holiday Inn Express Cartagena will be located in the heart of the Bocagrande district, one of the city’s most popular tourist spots. The Holiday Inn Express Barranquilla will be situated adjacent to the modern Buenavista Shopping Mall & Entertainment Center in one of Barranquilla’s most exclusive neighborhoods.