InterContinental Hotels Group on expansion mode

Hospitality service provider InterContinental Hotels Group today announced launch of its first property under the Holiday Inn brand in the city.
The 202-room Holiday Inn Hotel is located on the Old Mahabalipuram Road (OMR) or the Information Technology Corridor, home to a number of IT companies, a company press release said here.
"The hotel marks the fifth set up by IHG Hotel in Chennai and the first Holiday Inn in the city", it said.
Recently, IHG had signed agreements with existing owners to set up three Holiday Inn Express hotels in the country during the next two to three years.

It includes Holiday Inn Express and Suites in New Delhi and NCR region, Holiday Inn Express and Suites, Gurgaon Sector 90 with Crowne PropBuild Pvt Ltd.
The IHG Group is also setting up Holiday Inn Express Kolkata Airport with DS Group, which currently owns Crowne Plaza Jaipur Tank Road with IHG.

All the three Holiday Inn Express hotels are set to open in next two to three years, it said.
"We are delighted to sign three new properties that expand our Holiday Inn brand family portfolio in India", IHG, Vice-President, Development, South West Asia, Sudeep Jain said.
"Signing these properties with existing owners is indicative of IHG's strength in building strategic partnerships and the growing recognition of the Holiday Inn Express brand in India", he said.

On expansion in overseas market, he said, "While IHG already has a strong and growing presence in India, we are looking at developing our portfolio further in Nepal, Sri Lanka, Bangladesh and Pakistan".
On the outlook for next 10-15 years, the company said it planned to open 150 hotels, largely driven by the Holiday Inn brand family, Crowne Plaza and InterContinental Hotels and Resorts in gateway cities.
IHG, Asia Middle East Africa, Chief Operating Officer, Alan Watts said, "There are 36 hotels in our current pipeline in India totalling a growth of more than 125 per cent over the next three to five years".

"With this momentum, we continue to collaborate with existing and new strategic partners to bring the right brands to the right locations in India", he said.