THE InterContinental Hotels Group has announced a new Holiday Inn Hotel in Abu Dhabi, located at one of the region’s best-planned upcoming communities, Danet Abu Dhabi.
It will be operated by Hospitality Management Services and will complement the group’s existing brands within the emirate, including the InterContinental Abu Dhabi, Crowne Plaza Abu Dhabi and InterContinental Resort Al Ain, said a release from the group.
“This announcement follows the recent opening of the Holiday Inn Sharjah and represents the ongoing expansion of the InterContinental Hotels Group across the UAE,” said Phil Kasselis, vice-president, development, InterContinental Hotels Group, Middle East and Africa.
Scheduled to open at the end of 2007, the eight-floor Holiday Inn Abu Dhabi will have over 200 standard and executive rooms and private suites, including a roof top level with state of the art leisure facilities. Retail outlets, a coffee shop and specialty restaurant are also planned for the ground floor, with an all-day restaurant and business centre to be located on the mezzanine floor. It will be situated 15 minutes from Abu Dhabi airport near the diplomatic quarter.
FIRST EXPRESS BREAKS GROUND
The construction teams working on the UAE’s first ‘Express by Holiday Inn’ property at Knowledge Village in Dubai have broken ground at the site and building work is progressing at an impressive pace, in time for a summer 2007 opening, according to a company statement.
The property will comprise 244 rooms over four floors and will be completely integrated into the attractive design of the strategically located Knowledge Village complex. Designed to cater for the burgeoning new market of price-conscious business and leisure travellers, Express by Holiday Inn Knowledge Village is the first of 20 planned hotels across five GCC countries by the end of 2010.
The properties will be operated on behalf of Ishraq Gulf Real Estate Holding, by Hospitality Management Services Middle East. Ishraq Gulf Real Estate Holding is the exclusive developer of the Express by Holiday Inn hotels in the GCC countries, except Saudi Arabia.
Sami Al Ansari, Ishraq’s chief operation officer, says: “Naturally we are delighted that the first ‘Express’ in the region will debut in Dubai - the perfect curtain raiser to a new and exciting lodging concept.”
Express by Holiday Inn is the world’s largest budget brand and is growing rapidly. Worldwide, there are more than 1,500 Express by Holiday Inn properties planned with more than 120,000 rooms.