September 21, 2012 - The roll out of InterContinental Hotel Group’s (IHG) boutique brand Hotel Indigo is gathering pace in Europe, with the company announcing the signing of the first Hotel Indigo for Barcelona and the second in Birmingham, UK.

IHG’s Chief Development Officer in Europe, Robert Shepherd, said 2012 has been a strong year for Hotel Indigo signings in the region.

“Since introducing the brand to Europe in 2009, we’ve opened nine hotels – seven in the United Kingdom and two in Germany. As well as signing the Hotel Indigo Barcelona-Plaza Catalunya and Hotel Indigo Birmingham Waterloo Street, this year we’ve also signed our first Hotel Indigo in Wales, the Hotel Indigo Cardiff; our third in Scotland, Hotel Indigo Edinburgh-Princes Street; our fourth in Germany, Hotel Indigo Dusseldorf Victoriaplatz; and our first Hotel Indigo property in Israel, a 92-room hotel, which will open in Tel Aviv next year.”

Robert Shepherd said the brand was proving popular with developers in Europe as the flexible approach to design for Hotel Indigo makes it ideal for conversion properties, which are easier to finance than new build properties, and can become operational sooner. Guests are attracted to the brand because it combines the individuality of a boutique hotel, with the reassurance and reliability of a big hotel company behind it.

Each Hotel Indigo property is uniquely designed to reflect the community, character and history of the surrounding area.

The 77 room Hotel Indigo Barcelona-Plaza Catalunya will be located in the centre of Barcelona, moments away from Paseo de Gracia, one of the city’s major shopping and business areas. The hotel will operate under a 22 year franchise agreement with Empresa Casa de Lenguas, S.L.

Hotel Indigo Birmingham-Waterloo Street will be located within the Colmore Business District, the commercial heart of Birmingham, encompassing the Colmore Row conservation area, home to some of the city’s most important landmark buildings. The 60 room hotel will be managed by Rustic Pine Developments Limited.

Every Hotel Indigo features a high quality bar and restaurant that is open to both guests and locals. All Hotel Indigo properties in Europe offer free wi-fi throughout the hotel as standard, as well as 24-hour room service and access to a 24-hour fitness centre.

There are nine Hotel Indigo hotels in Europe, with 11 in the pipeline*. Globally, there are 46 Hotel Indigo hotels and 52 in the development pipeline*, which will open in the next three to five years.

*Figures as at IHG Q2 results, 30 June 2012

InterContinental Hotels Group
IHG (InterContinental Hotels Group) [LON:IHG, NYSE:IHG (ADRs)] is a global organisation with nine hotel brands including InterContinental® Hotels & Resorts, Hotel Indigo®, Crowne Plaza® Hotels & Resorts, Holiday Inn® Hotels and Resorts, Holiday Inn Express®, Staybridge Suites®, Candlewood Suites®, as well as our two newest brands, EVEN™ Hotels and HUALUXE™ Hotels & Resorts. IHG also manages Priority Club® Rewards, the world’s first and largest hotel loyalty programme with over 67 million members worldwide.

IHG franchises, leases, manages or owns over 4,500 hotels and more than 666,000 guest rooms in nearly 100 countries and territories. With more than 1,000 hotels in its development pipeline, IHG expects to recruit around 90,000 people into additional roles across its estate 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.

Visit www.ihg.com for hotel information and reservations and www.priorityclub.com for more on Priority Club Rewards. For our latest news, visit www.ihg.com/media, www.twitter.com/ihgplc, www.facebook.com/ihg or www.youtube.com/ihgplc.