Jeddah, Saudi Arabia, 20 May 2013: IHG (InterContinental Hotels Group), the largest international hotel group in Saudi Arabia both by number of rooms and number of hotels, has signed an agreement with Dyafah Al Mutahida LLC to open a 200-key Staybridge Suites in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia.  This will be the first Staybridge Suites property, offering an extended stay experience, in Saudi Arabia.

Staybridge Suites Hira Street will be located in central Jeddah just 7km from Jeddah’s King Abdulaziz International Airport.  It will be developed on a 14,700sqm plot and will form part of Dyafah Al Mutahida LLC’s mixed-used development including retail outlets, healthcare facilities and a multi-purpose hall.

Mohammed BaGabas, Dyafah Al Mutahida LLC added: “With the major expansion to Jeddah’s airport and the boom in real estate construction, Jeddah is becoming an increasingly important commercial hub.  Our mixed-use development, within easy access to the city and airport, will provide guests with the convenience of retail outlets and other facilities on their doorstep.  With Staybridge Suites, we know we will be delivering a home-from-home environment and high quality service to the discerning business travellers attracted to Jeddah.”

The property’s suites will feature modern, spacious interiors designed to create a homely residential environment and meet the needs of extended-stay guests: perfect for business travellers and families seeking a home-from-home experience during their holiday.  Suites will feature fully-equipped kitchens, separate working areas, entertainment and communication facilities including free WiFi.

The agreement to develop a Staybridge Suites in Jeddah forms a key part of IHG’s strategy to expand all its brands in the city, which the hotel group has identified a primary focus area in the Middle East. Staybridge Suites Hira Street will join three existing IHG properties in Jeddah: the 300-room InterContinental Jeddah, 323-room Crowne Plaza Jeddah, and 319-room Holiday Inn Al Salaam Jeddah.

Pascal Gauvin, IHG’s Chief Operating Officer, for India, Middle East and Africa commented:  “We are seeing an increase in demand for a range of accommodation options in Saudi Arabia and Staybridge Suites is our latest response to that demand.  It enables IHG to offer a home-from-home experience to suit the needs of business travellers staying for prolonged periods, but also for families and the many intra-regional leisure travellers that visit Jeddah. This new property is a perfect complement to our existing Jeddah properties and is an important part of our continued growth within Jeddah and Saudi Arabia.”

IHG is currently the largest international hotel company in Saudi Arabia, both by number of hotels (22) and by number of rooms (5,111).  Introduced in 1998, Staybridge Suites is growing faster than any other upscale extended stay brand, having opened almost 200 hotels since its launch.  IHG currently has eight hotels in its Saudi Arabia pipeline across four brands.

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®, EVEN™ Hotels and HUALUXE™ Hotels & Resorts. IHG also manages Priority Club® Rewards, the world’s first and largest hotel loyalty programme with over 73 million members worldwide. The programme will be renamed and relaunched as IHG Rewards Club in July 2013, offering enhanced benefits for members.

IHG franchises, leases, manages or owns over 4,600 hotels and more than 674,000 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.

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