Capitalizing on the growing needs of mid-market hotels in Brazil, InterContinental Hotels Group,continues its expansion of Holiday Inn brand with the opening of the 250-room, 10-story Holiday Inn Salvador Bahia, located in Salvador Bahia, Brazil, in the country`s northeast area. It is the company`s 10th Holiday Inn property in Brazil, undoubtedly the hottest hotel market in Latin America.

The Holiday Inn Salvador Bahia is located in Brazil`s first capital, Salvador, which is home to the country`s historical heritage and is also a source of what is new and vibrant in Brazilian culture. The hotel is also located next to the city`s main convention center and the historic Pelourinho District, which dates back to the early 1600`s and boasts several grand baroque-styled churches, plazas, and old colonial mansions.

Salvador is rapidly evolving into a major business and tourist destination in Brazil, says Alvaro Diago, Area President of InterContinental Hotels Group Latin America. Becoming one of Brazil`s favorite hotel brands, Holiday Inn has made it ideal for us to develop a property in such a booming economic environment with amazing natural beauty, adds Diago.

IHG has committed itself to continue expanding the Holiday Inn brand in Latin America. In the past five years, it has tripled the number of Holiday Inn hotels throughout the Central and South American regions.

Our goal is to continue to capitalize on the growth of the mid-scale hotel market in Latin America, continues Diago. And for the past 59 years, our roots have been established there. We are confident in our ability to understand, and most importantly, respond to the needs of this very distinct market.

The Holiday Inn Salvador Bahia`s 225 guestrooms and 25 suites include high-speed Internet access, cable TV, room safes, irons and ironing boards, coffee makers, mini-refrigerators and hairdryers. In addition, the hotel offers a bar, fitness center with state-of-the-art equipment, a business center, restaurant and outdoor swimming pool.

No doubt that the brunt of our expansion in Latin America will continue to be in Brazil, adds Tony Torres, Regional Director of Operations for Brazil of InterContinental Hotels Group Latin America. It is a country with more than 173 million people, and the region`s economic engine. We believe that there are endless possibilities when it comes to the growth of the Holiday Inn brand in Brazil.

The Holiday Inn Salvador Bahia joins the InterContinental Hotels Group family in Brazil, which includes the InterContinental Rio, InterContinental Sao Paulo, Crowne Plaza Sao Paulo, Crowne Plaza Curitiba, Holiday Inn Parque Anhembi, Holiday Inn Fortaleza, Holiday Inn Porto Alegre, Holiday Inn Recife, Holiday Inn Express Curitiba-Airport, Holiday Inn Express Maceio, Holiday Inn Express Curitiba-Santa Felicidade and Staybridge Suites Century Plaza in Sao Paulo.

We are thrilled that we were able to open a hotel in the vibrant city of Salvador Bahia, says Torres. This city has experienced tremendous growth, having recently opened a new airport, as well as undertaking the task of restoring the city`s historic Pelourinho district. Salvador has transformed itself to become a key destination for tourists traveling to Brazil, concludes Torres. For almost six decades, IHG has been serving Latin America and is situated in nearly every key market in Central and South America, making it one of the leading hotel companies in Latin America.