The
new properties – to be located in the northeast region’s cities
of Bucaramanga and Cucuta – will bring IHG’s hotel pipeline in
Colombia to 5 hotels.
The
Holiday Inn Bucaramanga and The Holiday Inn Cucuta, scheduled to open
in 2014 will add 285 rooms to IHG’s existing hotel portfolio in
Colombia, which currently includes four open Holiday Inn and Holiday
Inn Express® hotels.
“The
Holiday Inn brand family is gaining great traction in South America,
particularly in rapidly growing countries like Colombia where we are
building a strong presence through expansion in secondary cities,”
said Joel Eisemann, chief development officer, the Americas, IHG.
“Bucaramanga and Cucuta are the fifth and sixth largest cities in
Colombia, and can support new growth products. We are excited to be
able to continue to expand our portfolio at a strong pace as we head
into 2013.”
The
Holiday Inn brand family’s $1BN global brand relaunch, the largest
project of its kind in hospitality history, continues to drive
increased quality and consistency across the global portfolio. The
new hotels will feature a contemporary image with emphasis on arrival
and welcome services, guestroom and guest bath comfort and a
redesigned logo and signage.
The
187-room Holiday Inn Bucaramanga will be part of a high-end,
mixed-use complex—also comprised of the Cacique shopping mall,
various restaurants, movie theaters, and a state-of-the-art gym, as
well as a 17-story office building. Boasting a modern design, the
187-room Holiday Inn Bucaramanga will be located in one of the most
upscale areas of the city—the capital of the department of
Santander. Known as “City of Parks,” Bucaramanga boasts a
flourishing economy with a bustling energy and petroleum,
manufacturing and agricultural base, making it an important
destination for local business travelers. The hotel, owned by MARVAL
S.A., is franchised by an affiliate of
IHG, and will feature a business
center, bar, restaurant, gym, indoor pool, and
11,000 square feet of meeting
space.
Situated
in the heart of the chief commercial area of Cucuta, the 98-room,
14-story Holiday Inn Cucuta hotel will be located in front of the
Ventura Plaza, one of the city’s largest and most prestigious
shopping centers. Due to its proximity to the Colombian-Venezuelan
border, the industrial city of Cucuta is a key import-export center.
The hotel, owned by Grupo Suites S.A., which also owns the Holiday
Inn Express Medellin, is franchised by an affiliate of IHG,
and will feature a restaurant, business center, meeting
rooms, outdoor swimming pool, and fitness facility.
It will also have direct access to the city’s main highway, which
connects Cucuta to the international airport.
IHG
has 43 Holiday Inn and Holiday
Inn Express hotels throughout Latin America
and the Caribbean, and has been serving Latin America for more than
65 years. With hotels situated in nearly every key market throughout
the region, IHG has more than 75 hotels in Central and South America
and the Caribbean.
