MIAMI--(BUSINESS WIRE)--InterContinental Hotels Group (IHG) today announced the newest addition to its Latin America portfolio with the opening of the 196-room Holiday Inn Express® Panama Distrito Financiero hotel located in Panama City, Panama The new-build hotel is a franchise agreement that is owned by Latin American Hospitality Group, and is the first Holiday Inn Express in the city. This regional corporation operated by Grupo AGRISAL has other IHG branded properties located in Costa Rica, El Salvador, and recently broke ground in Honduras and Nicaragua.
“Holiday Inn Express is one of the fastest-growing hotel brands in the world, and we are thrilled to now have a location in Panama City,” said Alvaro Diago, chief operating officer, Latin America and the Caribbean, IHG. “This is one of Central America’s most prominent economies and is also a key tourist destination.”
The Holiday Inn Express Panama Distrito Financiero hotel is located within walking distance from a variety of restaurants, international companies and the Punta Pacifica Hospital – the first hospital in Latin America affiliated with the prestigious Johns Hopkins Medicine International. Costa del Este Business Park and shopping malls, such as Multiplaza Pacific and Multicentro are also close by.
“Panama City is the capital and largest city of the Republic of Panama,” said Gerardo Murray, vice president, Marketing Strategic Services for Mexico, Latin America and Caribbean, IHG. “It is a very strategic fit as we continue to grow the Holiday Inn Express brand in Central America. The hotel’s location within the city’s financial district and near the airport also makes it conveniently accessible to travelers.”
The new hotel features complimentary high-speed Internet access, an outdoor swimming pool and sundeck, business center, fitness center and more than 2,500 sq ft of meeting space, equipped with the latest technology and audiovisual equipment. The new hotel offers guests a comfortable, yet affordable, stay to ensure a pleasurable experience. All guestrooms offer a spacious, modern and well equipped interior, work desk with ergonomic chair, 37-inch flat screen TV, iPhone® and iPod® dock alarm clock, free local calls, in-room complimentary coffee, safe deposit facilities and choice of soft or firm pillows.
“IHG has been an excellent partner for us and we look forward to continuing the relationship as we develop two other IHG®-branded hotels in Honduras and Nicaragua,” said Eduardo Quiñónez, president of Latin American Hospitality.
The complimentary Express Start® breakfast bar features a full range of breakfast items, including a rotation of egg and meat selections, biscuits, yogurt, fruit, pancakes, the brand's proprietary cinnamon roll and Smart Roast® coffee. Guest rooms feature contemporary styling, a 32-inch HD flat screen TV, comfortable queen or king-sized beds, a sitting area with a lounge chair and an in-room coffee machine featuring complimentary Smart Roast 100% Arabica coffee. The SimplySmart™ shower incorporates a proprietary Stay Smart™ Kohler showerhead, signature shower curtain with curved rod, upgraded 100 percent cotton terry towels and Bath & Body Works White Citrus bath products are also included. Guests will enjoy the SimplySmart™ bedding collection, where they will find crisp fresh bedding that features an attractive decorative throw, a medium-weight duvet blanket and soft, 200 thread-count sheets.
IHG has 44 Holiday Inn hotels and Holiday Inn Express hotels throughout Latin America and the Caribbean, and has been serving Latin America for more than 65 years. With hotels situated in nearly every key market throughout the region, IHG has nearly 80 hotels in Central and South America and the Caribbean. The scale and diversity of the IHG family of brands means that our hotels can meet our guests’ needs whatever the occasion. Holiday Inn Express hotels participate in IHG’s guest loyalty program IHG® Rewards Club which is the industry’s first and largest guest loyalty program with more than 76 million members. IHG® Rewards Club is free to join and guests can enroll at ihgrewardsclub.com, or by inquiring at this hotel or any of IHG’s more than 4,600 hotels worldwide. All IHG Rewards Club members will have access to free Internet globally in 2014.
About Holiday Inn Express® Hotels
Holiday Inn Express® hotels are a part of the IHG brand family and are the ideal choice for the smart traveler, offering them a great night’s rest while helping them be productive on the go. Fresh, clean, modern and uncomplicated, Holiday Inn Express hotels offer competitive rates for both business and leisure travelers. Guests Stay Smart® at Holiday Inn Express hotels where they enjoy a free hot Express Start® Breakfast Bar, free high-speed Internet access and free local phone calls (US and Canada only). Launched in 1991, the Holiday Inn Express® brand is one of the largest and fastest growing brands in the hotel industry, opening hotels at a rate of two per week on average.
There are currently more than 2,200 Holiday Inn Express hotel locations around the globe. For more information or to book a reservation, visit ihg.com/holidayinnexpress or call 1-800-HOLIDAY. Find us on twitter twitter.com/HIExpress or Facebook facebook.com/holidayinnexpress.
Notes to Editors:
IHG (InterContinental Hotels Group) (LON:IHG) (NYSE:IHG) (ADRs) is a global organisation with a broad portfolio of 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 manages IHG® Rewards Club, the world’s first and largest hotel loyalty programme with over 76 million members worldwide. The programme was relaunched in July 2013, offering enhanced benefits for members including free internet for Elites across all hotels, globally.
IHG franchises, leases, manages or owns over 4,600 hotels and 679,000 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.ihgrewardsclub.com for more on IHG Rewards Club. For our latest news, visit: www.ihg.com/media, www.twitter.com/ihg, www.facebook.com/ihg or www.youtube.com/ihgplc.
