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IHG (InterContinental Hotels Group) announced the signing of the Holiday Inn Express in the city of Rio Branco, Brazil. The new-build property is slated to open in November 2013. The hotel will be owned by Inter-Oceanica Hotelaria e Turismo Ltda., under a franchise agreement with a company within InterContinental Hotels Group.
Upon opening, the seven-story Holiday Inn Express Rio Branco will feature 110 guestrooms, four meeting rooms, business center, fitness center, indoor pool and plenty of guest parking.
“The signing of the Holiday Inn Express Rio Branco is in line with IHG’s strategy of establishing a larger presence within Brazil, one of our key markets for development and a business and leisure travel hotspot,” says Jim Anhut, chief development officer, IHG, Americas. "IHG has its roots in Latin America, particularly Brazil, with the first InterContinental opening in Belem, Brazil in 1946. This signing continues our focus on development in this very important country for business and leisure travelers."
The Holiday Inn Express Rio Branco will be located in downtown Rio Branco within close proximity to key tourist destinations, including the city’s government sectors, as well as shopping and entertainment.
The city of Rio Branco is the capital of the northwest Brazilian State of Acre, which borders Peru and Bolivia. Situated in the heart of the Amazon Rainforest, Rio Branco is expected to experience significant growth over the next 5 to 10 years due to the high production of rubber, along with its emerging timber and cattle industry. Another reason the city is to expand is because of the construction of the Transoceanica Highway, which will connect Rio Branco to the two main ports in Peru and will serve Brazil as a gateway to the Pacific Ocean.
“We are very pleased to sign a Holiday Inn Express in an emerging city like Rio Branco,” says Alvaro Diago, chief operating officer, IHG, Latin America and Caribbean. “The hotel is an ideal fit for this growing market that will see an uptick in travelers over the coming years with its fresh, clean and uncomplicated features that afford guests comfort, convenience and a good value.”
The hotel will feature the complimentary Express Start breakfast bar with a full range of breakfast items, including a rotation of egg and meat selections, biscuits, yogurt, fruit and the brand’s proprietary cinnamon roll and Smart Roast coffee. The SimplySmart shower will incorporate a proprietary Stay Smart Kohler showerhead, signature shower curtain with curved rod, upgraded 100 percent cotton terry towels and a custom line of cinnamon-scented bath products. Guests will enjoy the SimplySmart bedding collection where they will find new crisp fresh bedding which features an attractive decorative throw, a medium-weight duvet blanket and soft 200 thread-count sheets.
IHG has almost 200 hotels in Mexico, Central and South America and the Caribbean, and has been serving Latin America for 65 years. IHG has hotels situated in nearly every key market throughout Latin America and the Caribbean.
Holiday Inn Hotels and Resorts participates in IHG’s guest loyalty program, Priority Club Rewards. The industry’s first and largest guest loyalty program has 60 million members.
Theodore is the Co-Founder and Managing Editor of TravelDailyNews Media Network; his responsibilities include business development and planning for TravelDailyNews long-term opportunities.
