Holiday Inn Brand Expands in Central America with Opening of Holiday Inn San Jose Escazu (Costa Rica)

New-build property is third of seven scheduled openings through IHG's relationship with Grupo AGRISAL's hotel division

April 14, 2011

MIAMI - IHG (InterContinental Hotels Group), the world's largest hotel group by number of rooms, and the leading international hotel company in Central America, today announced the opening of the Holiday Inn San Jose Escazu, in San Jose, Costa Rica. 

The new-build, six-story, 160-room property is owned and managed by Latin American Hospitality Management Inc., San Salvador-based Grupo AGRISAL'S ‘s Hotel Division, under a license agreement with a company in the InterContinental Hotels Group.  The Holiday Inn San Jose Escazu is the third property to open through IHG's relationship with Grupo AGRISAL, the others being the Holiday Inn San Salvador and the Crowne Plaza San Salvador.  The relationship, which began in 2006, includes several additional agreements to manage seven IHG-flagged properties in the region. 

The Holiday Inn San Jose Escazu is IHG's 39TH Holiday Inn property in Latin America, and the second Holiday Inn hotel in San Jose.  The property is also IHG's 23rd overall in Central America, inclusive of all brands.

"The Holiday Inn San Jose Escazu raises the bar for the Holiday Inn brand in our region," says Alvaro Diago, Chief Operating Officer, IHG Latin America and the Caribbean.   "This property is an excellent representation of what Holiday Inn affords its guests in terms of both accommodations and amenities.  We look forward to continually growing a prosperous relationship with the highly respected Grupo AGRISAL."

This new hotel showcases the successful completion of the $1 billion Holiday Inn global brand relaunch, the largest project ever of its kind in the history of the hospitality industry. The relaunch includes a renewed focus on quality, improved arrival and welcome features, enhanced bedding and showers, a "Stay Real" service culture and a new, up to date look, including a redesigned logo and signage.

The hotel is located within five miles of downtown San Jose, in the upscale neighborhood of Escazu, where a number of major global corporations house their Costa Rican operations.  The property's location, adjacent to the state-of-the-art Hospital CIMA, makes it an ideal destination for Costa Rica's rapidly evolving medical tourism industry. The property is also within walking distance to many of San Jose's major centers, including the 350-shop Multiplaza Mall, restaurants and entertainment.

The Holiday Inn San Jose Escazu boasts a contemporary, innovative design that provides accessible comfort and sets new standards for business travelers and families alike. It also includes eight elegantly designed meeting rooms totaling almost 8,800 square feet (800 square meters), the largest one accommodating 240 people, all equipped with the latest in audio-visual equipment. Amenities also include WiFi and high-speed internet, a pool deck with panoramic views, a fitness center, bar and restaurant featuring international cuisine.

The hotel design creates a residential atmosphere that is warm and comfortable. The hotel features a natural, fresh color palette punctuated by pops of energetic colors.  Guest beds are made using crisp, white bedding with pillows that come in two comfort levels: "soft" and "firm." And the bathrooms include a specially designed showerhead that offers superior pressure, as well as a signature shower curtain with curved rod and new amenities.

The residential design includes business-focused necessities like an ergonomic work station, data ports, complimentary high-speed Internet access in guest rooms, WiFi capabilities, which will allow guests to conduct conference calls for up to six participants even while using their computer online. In addition, each room will have the standard Holiday Inn guestroom accommodations - comfortable double, queen or king-sized beds, a sitting area with a lounge chair, cable television, hairdryer, coffee maker, iron and ironing board. 

San Jose, Costa Rica is one of IHG's pivotal cities for development in Latin America, as there are six IHG properties in that city, across five brands - InterContinental, Crowne Plaza, Holiday Inn, Holiday Inn Express and the region's first Hotel Indigo. 

IHG 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 56 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

With more than 1,200 hotels worldwide, Holiday Inn Hotels is the most widely recognized lodging brand in the world.  In fact, Holiday Inn was one of the first international hotel brands to establish a presence in China in 1984. Holiday Inn Hotels and Resorts provides the services that business travelers need, while also offering a comfortable atmosphere where all people can relax and enjoy amenities such as restaurants and room service, swimming pools, fitness centers and comfortable lounges.  The casual atmosphere and amenities such as meeting and on-site business facilities, KidSuites rooms and, Kids Eat and Stay Free programs, demonstrate the long-standing commitment of Holiday Inn Hotels and Resorts to serving travelers and have helped to establish the brand as "America's Favorite Hotel."  For more information about Holiday Inn and Holiday Inn Resorts, including IHG's new vacation resort brand Holiday Inn Club Vacations, or to book reservations, call 1-800-HOLIDAY or visit http://www.holidayinn.com/.

Kreps DeMaria PR

Israel Kreps / Cristina Planas / Ana Maria Colmenares
ikreps@krepspr.com / cplanas@krepspr.com / acolmenares@krepspr.com
+1 (305) 663-3543

Notes to Editors:

InterContinental Hotels Group (IHG) [LON:IHG, NYSE:IHG (ADRs)] is the world’s largest hotel group by number of rooms. IHG franchises, leases, manages or owns, through various subsidiaries, over 4,400 hotels and more than 640,000 guest rooms in 100 countries and territories around the world. The Group owns a portfolio of well recognized and respected 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® and also manages the world’s largest hotel loyalty program, Priority Club® Rewards with 56 million members worldwide.

IHG has almost 1,300 hotels in its development pipeline, which is expected to create 160,000 jobs 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 http://www.ihg.com/media and information for the Priority Club Rewards program at www.priorityclub.com. For our latest news visit www.ihg.com/media.

Copyright 2011