InterContinental Hotels Group signs third Kiev hotel

By: Crowne Plaza | 4 Shares 191 Reads

July 31, 2008 // Franchising.com // IHG today announces it has signed an agreement to develop its first Crowne Plaza hotel in the Ukraine capital.

The 225 Crowne Plaza Kiev, planned to open the year Ukraine jointly hosts Euro 2012, will be the third IHG hotel in Kiev. IHG has already signed agreements to develop the InterContinental Kiev, due to open end 2008, and Holiday Inn Kiev, due to open end 2009.

The Crowne Plaza Kiev is being developed by owner ITT-Plaza, part of the major Ukrainian investment company ITT Investment Group. The hotel will be run by IHG under a 15-year management contract.

Crowne Plaza KÄ±ev, on Korolenkivska Street, Holosiivskyi, is set in a prime location in the commercial heart of Kiev, seven kilometers from the city's historical centre. It will form part of a 120,000 square metre major new office development.

According to the World Bank, Ukraine has enjoyed an average 5.4 per cent GDP growth in the 10 years to end-2005; in 2006 this figure rose to 7.1 per cent.

IHG's Chief Operating Officer Continental Europe Robin Wicks said: "This is a very exciting time to be developing hotels in the Ukrainian capital; there is a strong demand which will only grow from both business and leisure travellers. ITT-Plaza brings enormous knowledge and experience to the relationship - and IHG is delighted to be working with them on our first Crowne Plaza in Kiev."

ITT's President Oksana Markarova, said: "This development is a major investment and opportunity for Kiev. The Crowne Plaza brand and product is perfect - and IHG's expertise in managing hotels is second-to-none. We look forward to opening the doors in 2012."

Kiev is served by two airports - the main one, Boryspil International Airport, less than an hour to the hotel, handled 5.6 million passengers in 2007, one million more than the previous year; an extra terminal is planned for 2009, expanding its capacity to eight million.

In 2012 Ukraine will jointly host the Euro 2012 football championships; the final will be played at Kiev's Olympic stadium.

InterContinental Hotels Group (IHG) [LON:IHG, NYSE:IHG (ADRs)] is one of the world's largest hotel groups by number of rooms. IHG owns, manages, leases or franchises, through various subsidiaries, almost 4,000 hotels and more than 590,000 guest rooms in nearly 100 countries and territories around the world. The Group owns a portfolio of well recognised and respected hotel brands including InterContinental® Hotels & Resorts, Crowne Plaza® Hotels & Resorts, Holiday Inn® Hotels and Resorts, Holiday Inn Express®, Staybridge Suites®, Candlewood Suites® and Hotel Indigo®, and also manages the world's largest hotel loyalty programme, Priority Club® Rewards with over 37 million members worldwide.

IHG pioneered the travel industry's first collaborative response to environmental issues as founder of the International Hotels and Environment Initiative (IHEI). The environment and local communities remain at the heart of IHG's global corporate responsibility focus. IHG is the first major hotel group to have measured the environmental and carbon footprints of hotels that operate under our brands globally and is in the process of setting reduction targets.

With more than 1,600 hotels in its development pipeline, IHG needs to recruit around 150,000 people over the next few years to meet its global expansion plans.

InterContinental Hotels Group PLC is the Group's holding company and is incorporated in Great Britain and registered in England and Wales.

IHG offers information and online reservations for all its hotel brands at www.ihg.com and information for the Priority Club Rewards programme at www.priorityclub.com. For the latest news from IHG, visit our online Press Office at www.ihg.com/media