Travellers seeking the InterContinental Hotels Group (IHG) brand in Russia and the CIS will have more choice as the company plans to expand in the region with the opening of three hotels: Holiday Inn Express Naberezhnye-Chelny, Holiday Inn Express Samara and Staybridge Suite Baku.
Holiday Inn Express Naberezhnye-Chelny is the third hotel planned as part of the multi-development franchise agreement signed with Regional Hotel Chain in March 2013, to develop 15 new hotels in Russia by 2019.
The 145-room new-build property will open in the second quarter of 2015. It is not only the first IHG hotel to be built in Naberezhnye Chelny, but also the first internationally branded hotel in the area.
The newly built 115 room Staybridge Suites hotel will operate under a franchise agreement with Asnaf Alkon Group. The first branded extended-stay hotel in Baku, Azerbaijan, Staybridge Suites Baku is expected to see high demand for longer stays from the city’s thriving energy industry and an influx of tourism from neighbouring countries.
The 145-room hotel Holiday Inn Express Samara will be newly constructed on an office building site and will open by the end of 2015. The hotel will occupy a central location in the city of Samara – a host city for the 2018 FIFA Football World Cup. The hotel will operate under a franchise agreement with Rosa Mira Group, a first time owner with IHG.
Robert Shepherd, IHG chief development officer, Europe said: ‘These three signings demonstrate IHG delivering its growth ambition across Russia and the CIS.
‘We continue to see considerable headroom for growth here, particularly in the mid-scale and upper-mid scale segments. The Holiday Inn Express brand is gaining great momentum across Europe and despite being a new hotel brand in Russia; we’re delighted it is being so positively received in this region.
‘The brand has strong consumer appeal worldwide and it is proving just as popular with our owners and investors. Its efficient concept reduces build costs and operating costs, supporting a strong return on investment.’
With its stated goal being to create ‘Great Hotels Guests Love,’ IHG has 19 hotels (5,283 rooms) open in Russia and the CIS with a further 10 hotels (2,644 rooms) in the pipeline. The Group is planning to have 100 hotels open, or in the pipeline, in the region by 2020.
Launched in 1991, Holiday Inn Express has over 2,200 hotels around the world.
